Still battling acid reflux

[j_dow]

My cpap machine gives me acid reflux. If I don't use it it goes away. I have been on Cpap now for about 3 months. The acid reflux started in about a week after using Cpap. I went to the doctor, she started me on Prilosec and claimed Cpap does not cause acid reflux it only makes it go away. My pressure is 10 I lowered it to 9 but I can tell it's not enough pressure because I wake up and do not feel as rested, so I put it back to 10. The sleep dr told me I have severe sleep apnea. I was in sad shape before falling asleep at my job, fighting to stay awake while driving. If I get 7 hours on my machine I can stay awake all day long. Now I have this constant burning in my chest and I often feel sick from the reflux and the Prilosec. Prilosec knocks down the burning some but no cure. If I dump the machine the burning gradully subsides. I weigh 175 pounds and am 5'10" tall. I must be really weird, everyone is saying the machine makes acid reflux go away. I don't have problems using the machine, I really am not a complainer, I just don't understand why my body is reacting this way. My machine is set up so the pressure goes down when I breath out. Has anyone found a solution to this problem?

[Darkat]

Hi there, i don't get acid reflux from the CPAP, however i have a Hiatus Hernia which causes acid reflux, i suffered severely for years, i had a endoscopy performed and the found the hernia, my doctor prescribed me Rainni a medication to control indigestion ect. This did absolutely nothing! I went to a different Doctor, he prescribed a Medication called Pariet (20mg) which contains rabeprazole sodium 20mg.

Since taking these i have never had a problem with reflux or indigestion.

The Company that makes this medication is

Janssen - Cilag Pty Ltd
1-5 Khartoum Road,
North Ryde NSW 2113
Australia

[msheda]

I found that Yogurt twice a day for a week or two helps when my heartburn kicks up. (providing you aren't lactose intolerant). It can't hurt and some of it is quite tasty. I get the fat free variety. Good luck, it's certainly no fun.

[Wulfman]

I would suggest going to the top of the page and doing a couple of searches.
One on the word "reflux" and the other on "GERD".......you'll have LOTS of reading.
This therapy didn't "cause" your condition, but it's creating another situation that you'll have to deal with in order to make your therapy successful.

Good luck.

Den

[late_hops]

I have acid reflux (pretty bad as far as I'm concerned). I started on prescription pepcid (like 4 x OTC dose). It worked for a little while then the GERD got worse again. Next i tried prevacid - did not work at all. I work for a hospital and the had a deal the the manuf. of Protinix (dirt cheap for me), but it was just like being on nothing at all. Finally got on Nexium

It has been the only one that worked for me. I can eat almost anything!

Don't give up if one doesn't work! It took me 8 months to get on something that finally worked.

cheers,

david

[socknitster]

I can understand your frustration and that of your doctor. It seems counterintuitive. Perhaps you should see a GI specialist or an ENT (ear nose throat) to discuss this issue?

My silent GERD (GERD without heartburn, thats why its called silent) made my apnea worse. Maybe you had silent GERD before and it is flaring up now during treatment. I always had a feeling of phlegm in my throat that I couldn't swallow or get rid of by clearing my throat. My ENT said that was the number one symptom of silent GERD.

You need to continue treatment--since you have seen how it can improve your life and your health. You may just need to make a few further adjustments. Due to my GERD issues, I sleep on a wedge to keep my head higher than my stomach to keep the food down. I also try to sleep on my left side predominantly because that is the best position for GERD. Eating smaller meals throughout the day can help. Another important thing to do is to not eat any food 2-3 hours before bed. That makes a big difference to me. On occasion I indulge my desire for a late night bowl of popcorn--my gerd acts up and my therapy isn't as effective on those nights.

I hope these things will help. Perhaps if they scope your throat they can see if you actually have esophogeal damage. If you do (like I did--remember I had no heartburn!) then this has been going on longer than you think.

Jen

[RipVW]

Ask you doc to let you try Nexium, the "purple pill." I had the worst acid reflux for years, tried all of the over the counter remedies . . . nothing worked, until my doc prescribed Nexium--haven't had a problem for years now. Maybe it will work for you. Certainly, you cannot give up your CPAP therapy, and I know you cannot live with the reflux either.

Ted

[Slinky]

Oh horsepuckies! What is aerophagia but swallowing air? Quite a few CPAPpers encounter a period of aerophagia at sometime during their CPAP therapy. Usually during the first few months. Sometimes lower air (farting), sometimes "upper" air (belching), sometimes both. No one is going to convince me that that isn't hard on the LES. And that it couldn't eventually contribute to weakening the LES.

A weakened LES (lower esophageal sphincter) can be aggravated by CPAP pressures. Aging can lead to a weakened LES. Excess weight can lead to a weakened LES .... I wouldn't say CPAP "causes" reflux - BUT - it sure as the devil can aggravate it and bring something that was waiting to happen come to the fore. And then, of course, there is "silent reflux" which CPAP can bring out of the "silent" realm.

Cut a piece of 2"x4" into 6 blocks 2"x3". Make two thicker blocks by nailing 2 of the 2"x3" together so that you have 2 blocks 3"x4". Put one of these on each side of your bed between spring and side rail to raise the head of your bed. About 1/3 to 1/2 of the way down on the side rail between spring and side rail. However far down the length of the side rail needed to support the spring. That effectively raises the head of your bed 4". (6" is often recommended but hubby and I ended up at the foot of the bed w/that much of a raise). This is better than pillows because your body stays straight as you sleep rather than bent at the waist which just adds to reflux problems.

Or experiment, try sleeping in a recliner w/your CPAP on and see if you still encounter the reflux or not.

[Country4ever]

I have GERD that is finally under control.
I agree with Slinky that swallowed air can cause you problems. It could even push your acid upward.
Elevating the head of your bed is a good idea. I have a couple other suggestions. Try to cut back on your consumption of carbohydrates. One theory is that modern man eats more carbs than our GI tracks can handle, and it ferments in our stomachs/intestines and leads to GERD because of the fermentation and pressure.
Second, don't eat anything in the evening. Eat dinner, then nothing else. I find that even water sometimes gives me reflux.
I also noticed that I quit getting heartburn after I started taking Calcium/magesium daily.
So I think there's things you can do, without changing your CPAP. Give these changes a good couple of weeks. Stick to them, and I think it will help.
Also....its best to raise the head of your bed, and not try to sit yourself up with alot of pillows. You can end up bending yourself in a bad spot and make your stomach pressure worse.
Good luck to you.

[j_dow]

Thank you all your helpful advice. I suspect I have had silent GERD for years and CPAP is bringing it out. I think sticking with a PPI drug and losing 15 pounds is my answer. I am doing the yogurt thing and that does seem to help. It was just was a let down to have this problem after thinking my lack of sleep was finally licked.

[echo]

Elevating the head of your bed is a good idea. I have a couple other suggestions. Try to cut back on your consumption of carbohydrates. One theory is that modern man eats more carbs than our GI tracks can handle, and it ferments in our stomachs/intestines and leads to GERD because of the fermentation and pressure.

I just had to jump in on this as well. For me & the people in my family who also have/had GERD quite badly, doing the "montignac" diet really helped. But in essense, this entails avoiding carbs and fats at the same meal. If you have bread, no cheese. If you have meat, no rice or potato or bread... Carbs includes anything with starch or sugar. This immediately eliminated my reflux, and also helped me lose quite a bit of weight. And it stabilized my blood sugar. After a while, you can start putting back small amounts of whole carbs (i.e. whole wheat, whole oats) without any detrimental effects.

[John, RN]

very funny. Cpap made my gerd go bye bye. off all stomach meds now-x3 years. started 'papping in 12-2004. The best few things i've discovered is cflex, using a good chinstrap w/nasal mask (after using ffm for 2 years), heated humidity and aussie hoses, and NO MORE REFLUX! strange how that worked out.

[sleepycarol]

You might want to check with doctor about two Prilosec -- one in the morning and one in the evening. My insurance won't cover any of the prescription reflux meds and so doctor has me taking two of the Prilosec and it helps. I also take some Reglan -- but not all the time as it causes fatigue in me.