Apnea and Jaw Clenching - Sleep Disorders Message Board

rt8624 · 02-10-2009, 09:02 PM

Has anyone with apnea who clenches their jaws had any releif from the clenching with a CPAP machine? I read that there is a connection between the two.

bethsheba · 02-10-2009, 09:09 PM

I've been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, and sleep with a cpap machine. I have never seen anything that suggested a connection between jaw clenching and sleep apnea...that's not to say that info of that nature doesn't exist, I just haven't seen it.

I do know that some medications, anti depressants in particular, can cause jaw clenching....and it sometimes mean the dose of the medication is too strong.

Bethsheba

CCJJ · 02-11-2009, 05:43 PM

Don't know if you take any sleep aid but for the first while when I started taking Ambien I woke up with a clenched jaw. I take trazodone most of the time and don't notice the sore jaw in the morning like with Ambien. I take Ambien here and there because I sleep better with it but it makes my sleep apnea worse. As long as I don't take it too often the clenching of the jaw has gone away.

bethsheba · 02-11-2009, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CCJJ

...I take Ambien here and there because I sleep better with it but it makes my sleep apnea worse. As long as I don't take it too often the clenching of the jaw has gone away.

It's possible that a smaller dose taken regularly may be effective. I don't know what the half life is for Ambien, but it's possible that the dose you're taking is staying in your body longer than it does for some people, and the "overlap" is enough to cause jaw clenching. Just a thought.