Newbie with aerophagea

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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Emmers
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Re: Newbie with aerophagea

Post by Emmers » Thu Jan 28, 2016 9:00 am

archangle wrote:
Emmers wrote:
archangle wrote:Check the Useful Links in my signature line at the bottom of this post. There's a youtube link for a suggestion for aerophagia. It might or might not work for you, but it's free to try.
That was a useful link, thanks! The guy actually did a second aerophagea video and both were helpful. I will give that technique a try!
Thanks. Let us know if it works.

I'll have to look for that second video, too.
Well, the change of position has nominally helped - I've gone a few nights with minimal inflation, but a few nights I've woken up with discomfort from bloating. Not as bad as before, (I'm not winning any belching contests this time around), but enough to wake me up and hang around for most of the following day. The past two nights I've turned off the machine around 3 am because the bloating woke me up and I didn't want any more air in there. So this is not the miracle solution I had hoped for, and I find it uncomfortable to sleep with my chin on my chest in the first place. My doctor said switching to a bi-pap may be the best solution - thoughts? I could also try the full-face mask - my DME guy suggested that. I was also hoping that if I just soldiered through it for a month it would go away.

Thanks for the feedback - it is nice to know that I'm not struggling through this alone! I am so looking forward to a good night's sleep some day! And the sleep I get on the machine does seem to be a lot better than what I was getting without it.

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Emmers
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Re: Newbie with aerophagea

Post by Emmers » Thu Jan 28, 2016 9:02 am

BikeisDusty wrote:
I had to move to a full face mask, the Resmed F10, and found a much reduced ingestion of air. I still have some occasions of it. Also, I have found that because of the Areophagea, I am having to take Pepcid before dinner or before bed. With these things I am managing much better on the CPAP.

Bill
I may try the full face mask. I really like sleeping on my side - can you do that with your mask, or did you have to buy a special pillow? I'm glad you're finding relief!

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OkyDoky
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Re: Newbie with aerophagea

Post by OkyDoky » Thu Jan 28, 2016 9:35 am

I never understood the chin on the chest thought. To keep your airway open you have to have your head more straight. Think CPR position. When they place a breathing tube for surgery the head has to be positioned in a sniff position (head back nose in the air) to be able to see the vocal cords. My thinking is by tucking your chin you actually make it easier for the pressure to go to your stomach. I would try a soft cervical collar to keep your chin up and airway aligned.
ResMed Aircurve 10 VAUTO EPAP 11 IPAP 15 / P10 pillows mask / Sleepyhead Software / Back up & travel machine Respironics 760

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Emmers
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Re: Newbie with aerophagea

Post by Emmers » Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:16 am

OkyDoky wrote:I never understood the chin on the chest thought. To keep your airway open you have to have your head more straight. Think CPR position. When they place a breathing tube for surgery the head has to be positioned in a sniff position (head back nose in the air) to be able to see the vocal cords. My thinking is by tucking your chin you actually make it easier for the pressure to go to your stomach. I would try a soft cervical collar to keep your chin up and airway aligned.
The guy who made that video about aerophagea addressed this question - he said "this isn't CPR, this is aerophagea" and then he suggested comparing swallowing with your chin back and then trying it again with your chin tucked. His argument is that it is a lot harder to swallow with your chin tucked because that position blocks off the esophagus, and because it blocks the esophagus, it should reduce bloating. I don't know if this is true but it seemed to help a bit but was uncomfortable.

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Emmers
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Re: Newbie with aerophagea

Post by Emmers » Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:18 am

So my doctor put in a prescription for a bi-pap machine for me. Anything I should know about bi-paps? I believe it will be another resmed.

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OkyDoky
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Re: Newbie with aerophagea

Post by OkyDoky » Fri Jan 29, 2016 12:08 pm

Emmers wrote:
OkyDoky wrote:I never understood the chin on the chest thought. To keep your airway open you have to have your head more straight. Think CPR position. When they place a breathing tube for surgery the head has to be positioned in a sniff position (head back nose in the air) to be able to see the vocal cords. My thinking is by tucking your chin you actually make it easier for the pressure to go to your stomach. I would try a soft cervical collar to keep your chin up and airway aligned.


The guy who made that video about aerophagea addressed this question - he said "this isn't CPR, this is aerophagea" and then he suggested comparing swallowing with your chin back and then trying it again with your chin tucked. His argument is that it is a lot harder to swallow with your chin tucked because that position blocks off the esophagus, and because it blocks the esophagus, it should reduce bloating. I don't know if this is true but it seemed to help a bit but was uncomfortable.

LeftyLanky is very good about explaining how to use CPAP but I still disagree with this one due to your airway sits in front of your esophagus so if you bend your head forward your are making an easier path for the pressure to enter the esophagus and thereby go toward your stomach. He is assuming that you are swallowing or gulping air which can be a cause aerophagia but it can also be a passive process. A soft cervical collar would both prevent your mouth from dropping down and help keep your airway open.
A bipap can help with aerophagia due to the lower Epap and but with your APAP pressures at min 4 max 8 and EPR 3 there will not be a lot of change unless they increase your pressures.
ResMed Aircurve 10 VAUTO EPAP 11 IPAP 15 / P10 pillows mask / Sleepyhead Software / Back up & travel machine Respironics 760

Guest

Re: Newbie with aerophagea

Post by Guest » Fri Feb 05, 2016 2:51 pm

Postby binkbee on Fri Feb 05, 2016 2:40 pm

I used this forum back in 2012 and got much needed help on a problem by wife of 61 years had, caused by her cpap. She was using a sleep machine that was rated as the "best" at the time, with a heated humidifier and was working exactly as it should, knowing because it was taken back so many times. She was having "chronic" diarrhea and our family doctor of thirty years and every specialist in our area said the problem was not caused from the cpap treatment. It was into the "third year" of the usage and absolutely no improvement was detected. A male, in his forties wrote in this forum of his "problems" and, low & behold, it was exactly as my wife. He had her stop using the treatment after being told the same info as the doctors here had said, that it was not a "cause of the equipment! He said that her problem "went away" and asked here if anyone had heard of the condition. My wife, again, told the specialist here and, again, was assured that it was not from the machine. I took it upon myself to completely remove the humidifier section and use only the breather. NOW HEAR THIS!---HER DIARRHEA WAS GONE IN FOUR DAYS AND HER SYSTEM WAS BACK TO NEAR NORMAL! The doctors here still shook their heads "NO", all but one, and he took interest in the case, again! Asking if she would help him, and go back on the humidifier and be watched extra close. She did and with-in five days was back into the same side effects!
It is now registered with ALL the doctors in our area and we were told that the info was going to be listed on the MD ALERT system, for all to read. THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS VERY, VERY ACCURATE AND VERY TRUTHFUL, SO IT MAY BE HELPFUL TO OTHERS! Just yesterday,Feb 4th 2016, she went for a check-up and, the doc showed much interest in the situation and was real concerned, even yet. She has never had the problem since. So, as was described, the entire problem was excepted as being caused by the treatment, mainly 100% by the humidifier, and that portion has been shelved since. She uses her machine nine hours-a-day, every day, and even when traveling, never sleeping without it. HOPE IT HELPS OTHERS! binkbee

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Emmers
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Re: Newbie with aerophagea

Post by Emmers » Sun Feb 07, 2016 8:25 pm

Well, a week into using the BiPAP and things are going much better. My doctor actually switched me to the respironics dream station because its pressure increases are less dramatic. My AHI has gone up from under 1 to 2.9, but there's no air in my belly so I am MUCH happier. I'll probably give it a few weeks and then turn down the flex and see what else we can do to get that AHI back under 1. I'm just glad we found something that works! Now if only sleepyhead could interpret the dreamstation data - I hear that an update may be coming soon. I just wish I could go back and look at what woke me up last night at 2 am. I'm pretty sure it was apnea because I was having a nice dream when all of a sudden it got creepy and then I woke up feeling breathless. Which is exactly what sent me to the sleep doctor in the first place. Oh well, this is better than nothing and a hell of a lot better than belching like a sea lion every night. Thanks for the thoughts. Anybody know another program for reading data from a dreamstation?

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OkyDoky
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Re: Newbie with aerophagea

Post by OkyDoky » Sun Feb 07, 2016 8:52 pm

Check your PMs.
ResMed Aircurve 10 VAUTO EPAP 11 IPAP 15 / P10 pillows mask / Sleepyhead Software / Back up & travel machine Respironics 760

gsleep

Re: Newbie with aerophagea

Post by gsleep » Sat Jan 28, 2017 8:45 pm

Aerophagia occurs when you exhale. The resistance pressure created as you exhale against the machine triggers your upper esophageal sphincter to open and the air goes down the esophagus instead of your nose/mouth. Switching to a BiPAP will allow you to have a significantly lower exhale pressure which will greatly reduce/eliminate the aerophagia. Along with this you need to start taking an OTC acid reducer- zantac, prevacid ect. to get your acid reflux under control. The acid reflux irritates the esophagus making the esophageal sphincters weaker, which in-turn increases the severity of the aerophagia which intern irritates the esophagus even more. Its a vicious circle. Bottom line reducing the exhale pressure and allowing your esophagus to heal will result in better sleep.