Gas and intestinal issues

[johnmtaylor]

Is it normal to have more gas? Been using the system for 1 week now.



PR System 1 Bipap AutoSV advanced w/humidifier

[BlackSpinner]

You are swallowing air. It as a special name which I can't spell for the life of me. Some people have it, some don't.

[Pugsy]

Aerophagia.

Yes it's normal to have a bit more gas...we get some air into the stomach and either have to belch it out or fart it out. It has to go somewhere.
Unless it causes pain or acute distress...we just laugh and shrug our shoulders and move on.

If it causes pain or acute distress or general illness...there are things that can be done to help reduce the issue.

[chunkyfrog]

Lying on the left side seems to help.
I had it for a few days, then it went away.
I guess my body learned something useful.
Now if I could just teach it to not metabolize carbs.

[OutaSync]

If you have a weak lower esophageal sphincter, as I do, the pressurized air will pass through you all night in rapid gun fire shots and more slowly through out the day. There is nothing that anyone has ever suggested on this forum that has worked to fix that for me. I've been living with it daily for 5 years and am glad that I don't have to share a bedroom or an office with anyone.

[ringo728]

GOD!! did I have this problem and still do . I've been on CPAP for a month now. Checked with my sleep center doc today and he prescribed a chin strap to wear in conjunction with my nasal pillows to keep my mouth shut . I must be swallowing air when sleeping . I don't know if it will really work but why not try. Maybe some of the seasoned CPAP users out there can tell us. He said that there are a few patients that he has treated who have encountered this. Its called aerophagia. Swallowing air. So I'll give the chin strap a try along with a little Gas-X . Also, I met with my GP yesterday for my bi annual exam and blood work results (which were all great) and mentioned my gut issues and constipation. She said it could be all stress related. She said that I should try a probiotic to even things out. It's a supplement used to introduce "good bacteria" into the digestive system. One pill a day. I went to WalMart and bought a product called ALIGN which is pretty well recognized. My pharmacist said it is very good and should work within a couple of weeks to even things out . At this point, I'll try everything. I guess the stress of just starting this therapy a month ago has disrupted my gut too . I'll give it a try and see what happens. But don't worry.......you're absolutely not alone!!

[OutaSync]

GOD!! did I have this problem and still do . I've been on CPAP for a month now. Checked with my sleep center doc today and he prescribed a chin strap to wear in conjunction with my nasal pillows to keep my mouth shut . I must be swallowing air when sleeping . I don't know if it will really work but why not try. Maybe some of the seasoned CPAP users out there can tell us. He said that there are a few patients that he has treated who have encountered this. Its called aerophagia. Swallowing air. So I'll give the chin strap a try along with a little Gas-X . Also, I met with my GP yesterday for my bi annual exam and blood work results (which were all great) and mentioned my gut issues and constipation. She said it could be all stress related. She said that I should try a probiotic to even things out. It's a supplement used to introduce "good bacteria" into the digestive system. One pill a day. I went to WalMart and bought a product called ALIGN which is pretty well recognized. My pharmacist said it is very good and should work within a couple of weeks to even things out . At this point, I'll try everything. I guess the stress of just starting this therapy a month ago has disrupted my gut too . I'll give it a try and see what happens. But don't worry.......you're absolutely not alone!!

A chinstrap did not help. I've been wearing one from the beginning. Adding probiotics to my diet did not help, either. I culture my own milk and water kefir and drink daily. While they are delicious, they don't help at all with aerophagia. And it doesn't have anything to due with "swallowing" air. The air is blown down the throat, no swallowing needed.

[John from Brookston]

Don't really know, since I normally eat a fart-inducing diet and live alone. Do you wake up feeling like you're bloated? That's the other complaint next to the farts.

[OutaSync]

Yes, I wake up bloated and can't fit into anything with a waistline.

[ringo728]

Gastrointestinal issues can also cause problems like gas and bloat. IBS for one. So introducing good bacteria to fight the bad is really a good idea. I took something like this a couple of years ago when I got bound up and it really helped.

[ringo728]

I went to Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday and bought a foam wedge pillow. It seems to have helped with the stomach bloating having my head elevated a bit higher than the rest of my body. I slept 7.1 hours. I guess only time will tell. Anybody out there using them for stomach gas and bloating?

[Denial Dave]

I had it really bad with pain, gas & constipation... at my 90 visit, the doctor suggested that I give it more time to become adjusted...

after 2 more weeks of pain, I turned my IPAP pressure down all by myself from 21 to 20 and a lot of it went away.

I'm now at 19.4 and things are great!!

[klutzo]

I agree with denial Dave. I called my DME rep when I had this problem and she came out to my house later that day, after getting permission from my doctor, and turned my pressure down from 8 to 7. I've been fine ever since and my AHI is just as good at 7.

klutzo

[DianeDennis]

If you have a weak lower esophageal sphincter, as I do, the pressurized air will pass through you all night in rapid gun fire shots and more slowly through out the day. There is nothing that anyone has ever suggested on this forum that has worked to fix that for me. I've been living with it daily for 5 years and am glad that I don't have to share a bedroom or an office with anyone.

Right there with ya! Over 3 years now and still no relief in sight no matter what I try. I started at 22/17 and am down to 17/12 (lost 90# doing nothing other than using my machine) but I wake up in such incredible pain.

Someone told me it might be that it's time for a new mask (or at least liner) so I might try that next. Or I may have to contact my doctor about reducing it. Problem is when I go down then the other symptoms related to sleep apnea start appearing again.

I wish, wish, wish I could figure out how to make it stop. I won't stop using the machine so I've got to figure out how to make this problem go away.

Thank you!
Diane

[purple]

I swallowed the air when I was exhaling. I now use a bi level machine to keep it from occurring, much. if one walks around in the morning a bit, then one can belch it out.

An RT told me that one can use a nasal mask, with no chin strap, and train myself to exhale through my mouth, even while asleep, and then to close my mouth while inhaling, once again while asleep.

Original poster has an auto bipap SV. Which I guess means that OP is having problems with getting their breathing in sync, which I guess might be related to using the machine on auto. Or the SV settings are doing something.

What are your leaks like? Data is not valid if one has more than allowed leaks. A machine set to auto can keep raising pressure if one has leaks going on.