Link between GERD and Sleep Apnea

[flocof]

Hi all, I am a new CPAP uer, a couple of months now. I am in Australia and we call it GORD here, but I notice a few of you have mentioned it as GERD...
I was on medication for it, Nexium, for years, and it helped but was becoming worse pre CPAP and I was only able to eat a very small amount for dinner and not be able to have a late dinner. When I first used the machine, I noticed that I no longer suffered and that if I forgot to take my Nexium, I only got mild reflux after lunchtime. Whereas before I was in pain within a couple of hours of having breakfast.
I told this to my sleep doctor and he said that it was the first time he had heard of it! Has anyone else had this experience?
The downside is that the novelty of being able to eat in the evening has meant that I have put on a couple of kilos

[greatunclebill]

when you have an apnea episode, you stop breathing. when you stop breathing and your body is struggling is has an effect of drawing the reflux from your esophagus because it can't get air moving in the windpipe. so relux should definitely go down with cpap therapy. the technical experts can probably explain this better than me.

i have had bad reflux with the hiatal hernia pains for 40 years and was first diagnosed with apnea 22 years ago so i'm all too familiar with the relationship between the two. remember your medicine every day and take it exactly as directed. i take nexium once a day and carafate before meals and before bedtime and sleep with my head elevated because i get reflux even with cpap.

[LSAT]

I believe that the air pressure from the CPAP keeps acid/reflux from traveling up the esophagus. Also ...if using the CPAP forces you to sleep on your left side, that also reduces night reflux.

[wally13]

I have been taking Prilosec and now Prevacid for over 12 years now for Acid Reflux (GERD). I started using CPAP 13 months ago and I have noticed my acid reflux has been a lot less noticeable. My doctor told me on my last visit to cut down to 1 pill every other day rather than everyday. His reasoning ...there is some evidence from a long term few study of proton pump inhibitor daily pill users that bone density especially in the pelvic area was reduced. He said that there are a lot of daily pill users to counter acid reflux. Doctors do not know what the long term use of these pills do to the body overtime. He further said that this was only one study and more studies need to be conducted to conclusively say that they could negatively affect a persons bone density to any large degree.

[ozze_dollar]

The main thing to remember is reflux and Sleep apnea often occur in over weight people,perhaos thats the link. I can say that because I am overweight and I hope you wont be offended. Some years ago I had a weight loss band fitted and it stopped my reflux. I have been on VPAP now for 9 months and I have no change in that status.

Hey I see you are also an Aussie,where are you from?

[greatunclebill]

The main thing to remember is reflux and Sleep apnea often occur in over weight people,perhaos thats the link. I can say that because I am overweight and I hope you wont be offended. Some years ago I had a weight loss band fitted and it stopped my reflux. I have been on VPAP now for 9 months and I have no change in that status.

Hey I see you are also an Aussie,where are you from?

my reflux comes from hiatal hernia, not affected by weight. i've been all different sizes and shapes over the last 41 years since age 21 when i first had reflux. some people have reflux without the associated hiatal hernia.

[ozze_dollar]

The main thing to remember is reflux and Sleep apnea often occur in over weight people,perhaos thats the link. I can say that because I am overweight and I hope you wont be offended. Some years ago I had a weight loss band fitted and it stopped my reflux. I have been on VPAP now for 9 months and I have no change in that status.

Hey I see you are also an Aussie,where are you from?

my reflux comes from hiatal hernia, not affected by weight. i've been all different sizes and shapes over the last 41 years since age 21 when i first had reflux. some people have reflux without the associated hiatal hernia.

Ok I accept that you may not be overweight. However it is common for sufferers of hiatal hernia to be overweight. I have a good friend that had exactly that.Never mind. Never mind, I tried.Are you really an aussie.

[flocof]

Yes I am an Adelaidean Aussie!
I am a bit overweight but even when I was slim I still had bad reflux problems, it started when I was pregnant and never left. I don't know how long I have had sleep apnea, probably for years, I have been grumpy and tired for years!

[Mr Bill]

I have probably had GERD long before I started having problems with CSA. I really suggest raising the head of your bed by six inches. !!! It made a tremendous difference with just a couple days for me. Downside is I have to sleep on my back or the GERD comes back. However, I now typically do not have to take acid inhibitors, except on occasion. Also, this really helped my asthma. I had terrible sinus drainage all the time from the GERD and it nearly disappeared once I sloped my bed. I still get that cough when I am extra tired but no longer all the time.

[jenn1270]

I've always had GERD but since starting CPAP it has been much improved. No more waking up in the middle of the night coughing my brains out.

My sleep doc said the GERD would get better but I didn't believe him. Boy was I wrong

Jenn

[greatunclebill]

The main thing to remember is reflux and Sleep apnea often occur in over weight people,perhaos thats the link. I can say that because I am overweight and I hope you wont be offended. Some years ago I had a weight loss band fitted and it stopped my reflux. I have been on VPAP now for 9 months and I have no change in that status.

Hey I see you are also an Aussie,where are you from?

my reflux comes from hiatal hernia, not affected by weight. i've been all different sizes and shapes over the last 41 years since age 21 when i first had reflux. some people have reflux without the associated hiatal hernia.

Ok I accept that you may not be overweight. However it is common for sufferers of hiatal hernia to be overweight. I have a good friend that had exactly that.Never mind. Never mind, I tried.Are you really an aussie.

it's easy to say it is common for sufferers of hiatal hernia to be overweight. it is also equally easy to say it is uncommon for sufferers of hiatal hernia to be overweight. it could also be said that it is common for people with normal blood pressure to be and not be overweight. hiatal hernia is a physical thing that you do not outgrow and does not go away with weight loss. weight loss may relieve symptoms somewhat, but the hiatal hernia does not go away.