I used blocks to prop up the bed before. I tend to try and sleep on my left side, but when I get these issues it makes it difficult.kteague wrote:I don't know what means you used to raise the head of your bed, but since you said you were on your back I'm thinking maybe a wedge? I am most comfortable side sleeping, but can't do that comfortably on a wedge. What worked for me was folding a comforter to lay across the head of the bed between the mattress and box springs. This way I was inclined but my sleep position felt comfortably natural. You don't want the elevation to be high enough for you to slide down, just a few inches is all. Some say sleeping on the left side is preferable with reflux or GERD. Everyone's reflux is different so comparisons can leave one perplexed. Makes a differences whether the gastric juices irritate the esophagus or vocal cords or even aspirate. When I first started here I remember reading how someone's reflux caused vocal cord spasms. I had a couple incidences of that and it was anxiety producing. Is your anxiety primarily at night or in the daytime too? Hope you sort through things and get to feeling better.
My symptoms are mostly burping, bloating, and pain in the upper left abdomen. I rarily have the more traditional reflux symptoms until this comes on and the anxiety ramps up. The issue could be gastritis, irritable bowel, soft tissue injury, hiatal hernia, or atypical reflux. I lean towards gastritis as it's the only thing that has been diagnosed, and the symptoms seem to match how some others react to it. It would also explain how I was fine for the first half of the year. I always thought the hernia, but nothing was found on endoscope or upper GI. It could be an early slider that just wasn't in the right spot though.
The anxiety is the big problem, which I'm sure came on from the OSA. It is day and night since this started, but I had no hint of it a few weeks ago. Of course, at night it makes it really difficult to sleep when combined with the abdomen sensations. It's just the classic loop of anxiety-lack of sleep. Its' a hard spot to get around, but pretty common for many suffering from SDB. Many face much more serious issues.
I was here last year. So hopefully I can take care of it quicker this time. At least, I can now keep the OSA away. Thanks for the good wishes.
Best,
Mike