bloating and freaking out

[kornazoo]

Hi All!

I have been using the cpap at 10 and the swift for about 3 months now. All has been well after the initial getting used to. I tape my mouth.

This morning I woke up feeling lousy, looked in the mirror was bloated beyond my imaginaton. Right up to the bottom of my bra.

Am I swollowing air?

I stayed home from work and was in some crampy pain. Belching and other end, too and wiped out.

I feel better now, still wiped out, but no more bad pain and the bloating is subsiding, but not totally.

Any advice?

Thanks, Shelley

[Maryb]

yep, you are swallowing air.
Welcome to the club.
This happens to some of us (including me).
Do a search and look under the lightbulb for "aerophagia" and you can find out more about how to cope although there are no easy answers. You can try and see if dropping your pressure a little helps.
Also, if you are on straight CPAP at a pressure of 10, it might help you to use an auto machine which will vary the pressure according to what you need and then you won't be on your highest pressure all night long.



Maryb

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP, auto

[joeyv20]

I don't know near what other folks here do but, I had the same problem, had it for months! I finally found someone that suggested using a bi-pap. It solved my problem. I should go read the aerophagia articles that were suggested by MaryB, just so I can better understand what the problem was. Good luck do not dispair! It is miserable but it is manageable.

Joey

[Sleepy-eyes]

Yup, that's what's happening. Same happens to me.............except being of the masculine persuasion, I don't wear a bra. I've read all the suggestions. Tried most of them except changing machines, because that's not an option with my health care provider. (VA) Sure wish you/I could find a solution. It's the only stumbling block in my therapy, at this point.

[kornazoo]

I did a search on the yellow bulb and I sure don't feel alone!
I'm nervous to go to bed tonight. Before today I loved the machine. Now I am filled with dread.
I WILL use it and hope for the best. If not, I'll contact the doctor tomorrow and start the quest.
Thanks for this forum.
Shelley

[Maryb]

Shelley-
just hang in there. You'll figure it out.
What I ended up doing was getting a bipap (just picked it up yesterday) and I'm hoping that will help.

Maryb

[sleepylady]

Shelley,

For many people, aerophagia does subside. I had it in the beginning on and off for around three months. Since then I haven't had any attacks. You may have just had a very bad night. Did you sleep in a different position than before? Try to relax and think positively. I know it's a tad disconcerting, but you may not even have a problem tonight. You can try and sleep with your head elevated a little more, but I wouldn't recommend lowering your pressure just yet.

Melinda

[Maryb]

Sleepylady is right-
the aerophagia may be transient or intermittent. So be patient.
Try the most conservative approaches first: changing position, etc.
If it isn't transient then...
Next try dropping your pressure a little (no more than a point at a time and persist with that pressure for several days or a week before dropping it more).
Next try an auto machine.
Last try a bipap machine.

Maryb

[NightHawkeye]

Best two things that I've found to reduce aerophagia are BiPAP and APAP. (Auto-BiPAP works, too.) The reason they work for many/most of us plagued with aerophagia is because these machines allow us to spend most of the night at lower pressures than we would otherwise. Hence, less air pushed into the stomach.

A lot of fiber helps, too. Keeps things flowing to let the air out (i.e., minimizes the bloating). Best of luck.

Regards,
Bill

[martyk]

I, too, am suffering from bloating/gas, etc. I started out using a CPAP machine for about 3 months. Since then I have developed "big bags" under my eyes and my face is bloated, not to mention my stomach. When I mentioned this to other CPAP users they said that I was swallowing air. My pressure is 15.

For the past 3 weeks I have been using VPAP III (a bi-level machine). My pressures are set at 22/17. The bloating underneath my eyes and in my face has gone down considerably. However, I don't seem to sleep as well because with the 2 levels of pressure I can hear myself breathe in and out. And when the pressure reaches full capacity (ramp of 20), and I'm not really asleep, the pressure seems too much for me.

In doing research, I have asked to try the S8 Elite CPAP machine with EPR. I'm hoping that I will be more comfortable with that one. I should receive that one next week.

It seems my alternative is surgery (to have my tonsils out). The doctor says I have a very small passageway in my throat. At my age (58), I am very scared to do this, and from what I read, it is a real horror story.

I will keep you posted on the S8 Elite CPAP machine. If anyone has used this machine, I would like to hear your comments on it.

Thank you.

[track]

I have been at this a little over a month and experience the bloating every night. I guess the good news is it won't kill you. I usually wake up in the first two hours with it the worst. The first couple of times it freaked me out and I ended up laying on the stomach on the floor for an hour to get the air out and get past the nausea from the air.. Now I just try and belch a few times and get back to sleep. Hopefully in time it will run its course. I have an apap machine so that's not a guaranteed cure.

[Linda3032]

Let me make a few comments here. We have several people with different machines, but have the same problem.

Track You have a Resmed auto which I assume has exhale relief - but not if you use it in auto mode. Have you tried straight cpap with exhale relief turned on? If not, that might help.

Martyk You have a wonderful machine. I would hate to see you trade down. You might make a separate post stating your problem. People on this forum who use that machine or a Bipap can probably help you. I would think that lower pressures might help some. And what is this "20 ramp" stuff? If you were titrated at 15, why on earth is your machine set up higher than that?

Kornazoo It sounds like you should pursue a Bi-Pap. At the very least they should put you on an Auto with cflex to see if that helps you.

Good luck to all of you.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): bipap, cflex, CPAP, Ramp, auto

[Linda3032]

And Track. The machine you show on your profile is a Resmed S8 Elite -- that is not an auto. Or do you have two machines?

[track]

I just recently came on board cpaptalk, so please excuse my error. My machine is a resmed autoset spirit. I guess I need to correct my profile. I don't see my machine in the drop down menu.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): resmed

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): resmed, newbie

[WillSucceed]

Linda3032 wrote:

At the very least they should put you on an Auto with cflex to see if that helps you.

Nice to see you back, Linda!

Regarding the aerophagia concern, I'd encourage caution regarding the "Auto with c-flex" comment in that for some people, c-flex is the culprit. So, Kornazoo, if at all possible, borrow or rent a c-flex equipped machine BEFORE you purchase. There is absolutely no guarantee that the addition of c-flex will resolve your aerophagia problem.

C-flex does help many people to experience more comfortable treatment but it is in no way guaranteed that it will reduce your aerophagia or give you a more comfortable sleep to every single user. Trialing it before you buy is the only way to know for sure.