Coughing when eating...

[zoocrewphoto]

I have tried every pressure setting imaginable and my AHI numbers are always terrible. I take a sedative type medication at night that I believe completely causes my sleep apnea. Because I have taken naps during the day without my machine and I do not snore and have no symptoms of apnea.

You need to use the data from the machine to determine what pressures you really need. Otherwise, you are just randomly trying stuff. Try posting some graphs of a typical night, and we will help you zero in on the right settings for you.

Be aware that you can have severe sleep apnea without snoring. My mom does NOT snore, but she has obstructive events in clusters with each event over 30 seconds long, sometime over a minute. Her oxygen can really drop.

Also, if you are not having success with your current settings, you aren't going to notice much difference in how you feel when you skip it. You aren't being treated well currently, so there won't be much difference.

Some medications can make it worse, but I haven't heard of any that actually cause sleep apnea.

As far as coughing when you eat, can you explain that a bit more? Are you saying that you only cough when you eat? Not the rest of the day? Do you feel like you are choking, or that your throat has something stuck in it? Does your throat hurt? How recently did this start? What part of the country do you you live in? How's the weather there?

[esel]

I take a sedative type medication at night that I believe completely causes my sleep apnea.

This is very interesting. What is it ?

Which SA does it cause. CA, OA and/or H ?

If it is the cause of SA, why would CPAP not be able to counter it ?

[Muse-Inc]

...sedative type medication at night that I believe completely causes my sleep apnea.

This is very interesting. What is it ?

Which SA does it cause. CA, OA and/or H ?...

Sedatives (including alcohol) depress the central nervous system. The central nervous system controls breathing. So, anything that depresses the central nervous system likely depresses breathing.

[dwood003]

You need to see a gastrologist; your problem is in your esophagus. When you swallow the muscles close off your airway. I’m no doctor but I have a similar problem, certain foods and drinks irritate causing mild to extreme coughing. Things like steak often don’t want to go down, my esophagus doesn’t dilate, I must cough them up and re-chew them. There is a medical name for this problem which in the moment, I forget. I doubt it has anything to do with CPAP unless your getting air in your stomach.

[dwood003]

I have the same problem. It started when drinking mixed juices that contained cranberries, I went to an ENT who ran an endoscope down through my noses saw nothing wrong, I also got a second opinion. I then went to my pulmonologist/sleep doctor. I became aware I had asbestos in my lungs in 2002, which was monitored by CT scans periodically. A years and s half ago I had cancer in the upper lobe of my left lung, self-referred to Moffitt Cancer Center where they performed a lobectomy of the one lobe, after which I was put in the care of an oncologist for chemo and follow-up care which continues presently.

To the point, during this whole process I have repeatedly mentioned coughing when drinking certain juices and eating foods such as dry cereals, peanuts, potato chips, toast anything crunchy, I cough so hard at times food goes into my nose and I’ll rapidly sneeze. If I don’t chew meats well, they get stuck, I must cough them back up and re-chew them.

The CT scan summary included my esophagus, which was non-cancerous and appears normal. The mechanisms that perform swallowing food or liquids are very complex; I was told to see a gastrologist. I hesitate only because I’m tired of seeing so many doctors.

[Goofproof]

Without seeing the correct Doctor, finding the answer may be slower. Better safe than Sorry! Jim

[Janknitz]

You do need to consult with a doctor. Coughing with swallow indicates that you may have an issue with coordinating your swallow, typically this is a neurological issue, but can also result from a mechanically narrowed airway, silent reflux (the nurse has no business diagnosing or ruling out a diagnosis), asthma variant, sinus or allergy issues, or, as someone mentioned, certain blood pressure meds can cause a lot of coughing.

What you should NOT do is blame it on CPAP and either stop CPAP or ignore the problem. See a doctor!