Snoring remedies?

[KRUSTY]

I'm sure this subject has been done to death before but I'm a relatively new member. Can anyone help me, or rather my wife. I snore quite badly (as opposed to quite well???), anyway, my wife is suffering really badly. I snore so loudly that I wake myself up, I'm a little overweight (12st6) but the problem is that I'm on so much medication for 2 prolapsed discs in my neck. I take pain killers, high dose anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants and medication for high blood pressure caused by the high doses of the ibuprofen over the years and therefore I'm very wary of trying over the counter remedies. I don't want to go to my doctor because I see him so much I'm beginning to feel like a hypochondriac. I snore even when I'm sleeping on my side so the old 'tennis ball sewn into the back of a tee-shirt or pyjamas won't help and sleeping in another room isn't an option because both my grown up children are still at home - and both complaining too! . Please, please help me??;o) Thanks in advance as always.

[hopalong]

Try nasal strips. Put them on your nose and the strips pull open you nostrals allowing you to breath more through your nose.

[smudge]

My husband tried the nasal strips on holiday - but he woke up one morning with one stuck on his arm - so they didn't work for him!

[bohochick]

you should go back to your dr. my dad had the same problem and because he wasn't getting a good nights sleep he was endangering himself and others when he was driving to work cos he was so tired. he was referred to a clinic and was diagnosed with sleep apnia, he was than given a breathing machine which he sleeps in and doesn't snore whilst wearing it, it helps with his breathing.

good luck and don't be afraid of going to your dr you know you are not a hypochondriac so don't worry about what he's thinking as long as he helps.

[Philtaz]

As bohochick says you may be suffering from sleep apnea i.e. oxygen deprivation. You need to see your GP who should then refer you to an ENT consultant.

At the hospital where I work patients with your problem often spend a night on the ENT ward in order for them to fully diagnose their problem and discuss the options.

Best of luck.

[morg_monster]

If this takes your fancy and you have the time, there are good quality studies showing that training the throat and airway muscles can stop or at least make snoring better. Two possible ways to do it are taking some singing lessons, or more recently in the british medical journal - didgeridoo lessons with regular practice (this was for sleep apnoea as well)! I expect that any wind instrument might also do the job.

If this is your kind of thing and you have the time and money it might be worth a try! Although, whether your wife things snoring for didgeridoo playing or out of tune singing is a fair swap is another matter...