Aerophagia - Still looking for solution

tangents · Post by **tangents** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:10 pm

Socknitster,

You're just the cutest thing! Sorry, it's true! I don't know that keeping your mouth sealed is the answer to swallowing air. I've only recently had problems with air, and I've been monitoring my leak data for almost a month. However, if you want to try something to stop mouth leakage, I recommend this mouth guard I bought on eBay:

BEST FIT DENTAL PREFERRED NIGHT GRIND BRUX MOUTH GUARD
$9.95 Special on Complete Kit and FAST USPS delivery ! Item number: 330131267049

I really like it, but again, I don't think it has any effect on swallowing air.

Cathy

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:02 am

Cathy,

Glad you find me so amusing! If you can't laugh about it, what is the point to living. We are supposed to be enjoying this, right?

I will check out the mouth guard you mentioned. Why did you start using it? Do you brux? Is that a word? It is faster than typing "grind your teeth."

Do you use it with the hybrid?

Jen

roster · Post by **roster** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 6:21 pm

I had bruxism before I was diagnosed and started treatment. I feel certain I was grinding my teeth during the struggles to breathe.

Once on cpap the bruxism ceased.

I told my dentist he might be able to alert patients to the possibility of osa when he observes damage from bruxism.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 6:37 am

I have noticed that the first hour of my sleep I never have any AI..maybe an HI or two is about all. I have also noticed I seem to take in the most air the first hour or two of sleep. With that in mind I upped the ramp or settling from 0 to 45 minutes the last two nights. It drastically reduced the amount of air I was swallowing.

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 7:08 am

I'm finding position to be critical in control of this problem. Even now that I have the auto and the pressure is down most of the night.

Last night I slept on my side and had terrible dreams of farting and burping constantly in all kinds of awkward situations! When I woke up at 5 am, I felt like a balloon! Luckily for me I took off the mask and must have god rid of the rest of it in my sleep because I woke up 2 hours later deflated.

I'm finding relief by sleeping on my back. However I am concerned. I'm planning on getting pregnant soon and in the last trimester you are told you should sleep on your side because sleeping on your back cuts off oxygen to the baby. Yikes. Who wants to be hugely pregnant and pumped full of air every night!

Jen

JimInAL · Post by **JimInAL** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:21 am

I have also found that my aerophagia is much worse when side-sleeping than when on my back.

I've been a side-sleeper all my life and training myself to sleep on my back is not going as quickly as I'd like, but it's still better than waking up feeling like a balloon.

Talk to you OB about what to do during pregnancy, they may have other patients in similar situations.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:03 am

doing ALL the things you do to fight GERD (elevating headboard of bed, watching diet, not eating too close to bedtime, taking a PPI or antacid like Prilosec), other things that help are:

1. Lower pressure
2. Bipap

I have NO idea if using a machine like the new A-Flex would help you any. Anyone saying that at this point would only be guessing. With a Bipap you are assured you will have the adjustments needed to offer some relief in that area yet still maintaining some kind of therapy support.

So if you are going to "gamble" on a machine, I would go with the sure thing over a machine which at this point is unproven if it will assist with aerophagia.