CPAP and my poor ears, is there an alternative?

Alternatives to a CPAP Machine - The Sleep Doctor

 

You could call this guy, he helps people with more complex sleep apnea stuff. You can always watch his videos to see if you think he can help.

 

Could you just use cpap machine for 31days before dot physical?. I believe you only need to show 30 days .

 

Inspire Sleep Apnea Innovation - Obstructive Sleep Apnea …
This one is FDA approved and if you're a military veteran the VA will pay for it.

 

I bet, having your tongue unintentionally move is a bit strange to get used to.

I simply stop breathing (no obstruction), so a machine is my only choice. Luckily, I love using it.

 

go see an Otolaryngologist.

 

Well I don't know much about your inner ear issue but I've been using a CPAP for over 20 years. I assume that if your company pushed for a CPAP machine then they may want compliance reports. If you can't put up with a CPAP machine then I only know of a few options. You could have it surgically corrected (which just does not sound like fun), you could have a Watchman device implanted (which sounds better but it still involves surgery) or there's a new device called "The Beacon". Apparently it's a custom made oral device (kind of like a football players teeth guard) and it keeps your lower jaw extended forward thereby preventing collapse of the airway. It might be in pretrials and I just recently signed up as a participant at University Hospital in Ohio. If push comes to shove then I personally would gravitate toward the Watchman device but I feel the Beacon would be the best choice but I don't think it's out yet (so you would have to deal with the ear issue for an indefinite period).

I just had a thought on this: I use a "Smart CPAP" machine which runs at a low pressure (for me it's a 4) and increases the pressure up to 12 to overcome an apnea event, then drops back to 4. If you don't have a Smart CPAP then that might minimize your discomfort.