Swallowing air

Misterdux · Post by **Misterdux** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:11 pm

Hi folks. Been on CPAP for six weeks and then changed to APAP 10 days ago. Last night and during a nap today I woke up belching up air. During the night I walked around once I got up and burped up some more air on two occasions before I went back to bed. Are my settings too high or does this happen to lots of folks? Dave

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:17 pm

Your APAP doesn't have EPR in the APAP mode, Your old CPAP, may have had exhale relief. Remstar APAP, has exhale relief in the APAP mode(C-Flex)

Jim

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 4:26 pm

As Jim indicated, it's very possible that your cpap had exhale relief which helps to exhale and not swallow air. Your new machine, apap, does not have exhale relief unless you change to the straight cpap mode.

Also, make sure your apap isn't set for a "wide open" range. It's possible that it's running away and getting too high. It should be set to no more than 2 below and 2 above your titrated pressure.

And as Jim said, a Remstar Auto has cflex relief in auto and straight cpap. Thus, if a person needs an Auto and exhale relief, the Remstar is the way to go.

Misterdux · Post by **Misterdux** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 4:49 pm

Thanks Linda and Jim. My titrated pressure was 10 cm. For ramping up on the initial CPAP machine it started at 4 and then went up to 10 once I was asleep. Used a nasal mask but my mouth always dropped open.

I changed to a full face mask and the APAP machine was initially set at 4 to 12 and the first five days of data read by the home care tech showed a 95th pressure centile of 12 cm. Median pressure of 9.7 cm and AHI of 17.7 events per hour. Then the tech set the upper limit to 16 cm. So my range now is 4 to 16 and you say it should be 8 to 12 if I am titrated at 10 cm. ? It does seem to get blasting away on me. I will try 8 to 12. I do have mixed events with centrals thrown in.

I see in the manual, Jim, that EPR is only available in CPAP so I have some work to do. Thanks to you both and God Bless You and all the "hoseheads' using this website. I'd love to see an article about who started the site and when. Dave

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 4:55 pm

The site is sponsored by cpap.com. They are a great place to buy equipment, plus they will match competitors internet prices. Many insurance companies allow us to purchase online and get reimbursed from the insurance company. A win-win situation for everyone.

I've only been here a little over a year, but I know I've seen posts dated from 2 years ago.

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 4:59 pm

And, did you know that you can read those "numbers" yourself? You don't have to wait for a tech to read them. I don't have that machine, but I've read that you need to read the display before noon.

And 16 is probably way too high. If you were mouth breathing, then you were having apneas. I'm surprised the tech would bump it up that high without consulting a doctor first.

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 8:34 pm

Linda wrote:

As Jim indicated, it's very possible that your cpap had exhale relief which helps to exhale and not swallow air.

I'm not sure how it is that exhale relief helps one to not swallow air. Can you esplain it to me, Lucy?

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 8:46 pm

WillSucceed wrote:Linda wrote:
As Jim indicated, it's very possible that your cpap had exhale relief which helps to exhale and not swallow air.
I'm not sure how it is that exhale relief helps one to not swallow air. Can you explain it to me, Lucy?

I don't know if it does or not. It's just one part of the changes, that could be made in his treatment, that might have made it worse. If he was using EPR or CFlex, and getting along ok, and now doesn't have it to use and isn't getting along ok, it could be the cause. I would want to have it available to use. Jim

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 10:14 pm

Maybe I am misinformed, but I thought exhale relief (cflex) was to help exhale against the incoming pressure. It just kinda makes sense to me that if a person isn't able to exhale properly, then they would swallow some air.

Isn't that the way it goes?

blarg · Post by **blarg** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 10:28 pm

Well, and just to be clear, when you have aerophagia, you aren't always "swallowing" the air, it tends to just force its way into your stomach. Swallowing implies that you're actually, well, swallowing the air. Exhale is when that usually happens (at least for me), and cflex made it happen a LOT less often for me.

Of course, there are others who say that turning cflex/EPR OFF is what cured their aerophagia.

I just know what worked for me, and that was starting at a lower pressure (where my AHI was around 3) and then easing the minimum pressure up one a week until I arrived where I am now. (AHI of < 1) No more aerophagia for me.

Sleepy-eyes · Post by **Sleepy-eyes** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:25 pm

I've heard so many different ways to "cure" aerophagia that I don't know what to think any more. I'm beginning to wonder if I wore a red sock on my left foot and a green one on the right, and a stocking cap on my................well, it might just work! Seriously, though, I wish there were a simple answer. I'm beginning to think there are no pat answers to many of our questions concerning this therapy. I'm right there with you on the aerophagia problem though and would sure like a solution.

blarg · Post by **blarg** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:01 am

It could very simply be that most peoples' bodies adjust to the xPAP over time, and that most of the things we do to try to fix it result in one of them working (simply because we've adapted), thus, "When I wear a tin foil hat, no aerophagia!!!"

If your pressure is over 15 though, then pretty consistantly, BiPAP seems to help.