aerophagia and heartburn?

[absurdlyTired]

I have had heartburn probably 3 times in my entire life. However, I just received my first device (S9 VPAP Adapt) on Monday and the aerophagia has been intense. My stomach and everything just feels all messed up right now. And I have had heartburn that doesn't quit for 2 days now.

[SethW]

I used to wake up some nights with stomach acid in my throat. It happened pretty infrequently and nearly always after I had eaten something really acidic close to bedtime (which is a bad idea to start with). That has not happened since I started using my device (the acid part, I mean--sometimes I still eat way too late!). I think for most people, CPAP is going to make them better off and less prone to acid reflux, but I found this thread in the forum by searching for "heartburn," where someone described having a similar reaction:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=85284&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... rn#p775553

I've read frequently on this forum that people sometimes need a little while to adjust to CPAP therapy (in general, not because of heartburn). You might want to give it a few days for things to settle down. But if you think it is a problem or it continues to be a problem, ask your doctor for help.

[ChicagoGranny]

Put blocks under the legs at the head of your bed for reflux. They are about four inches high and are made for this purpose.

I believe Bed, Bath, Beyond has them.

Aerophagia - that may be a little harder to solve. Give it some time is the best advice I have.

What are your pressure settings?

[absurdlyTired]

Thanks.
It's an ASV device set at 11. I was originally told that they might be able bump it down to maybe 9, then gradually work up to 11, but they then reviewed my results of my 3rd sleep test and decided that 9 might even make things worse.
I'm just going to have work through this.

[Denial Dave]

I had bad heartburn every night prior to CPAP therapy.. It was beginning to appear that I was part owner of the maker of Tums.

Heartburn went away about 2 week after starting CPAP

Aerophagia arrived in it's place....Some mornings, I was in extreme pain... 10 minutes on the treadmill at a slow pace followed by 10 mintues in the bathroom in the morning helped it subside Aerophagia continued for 3 months for me.

aerophagia went away about a month ago, when I dropped my orginally prescribed Bi-pap pressure of 21IPAP/ 15EPAP to my self adjusted level 20 IPAP / 14 EPAP.

Aerophagia is gone now.

yippeee !!

[KrisasMan]

I have found that Rooibos tea in the evening kicks most of my heartburn. Do you get it in the AM or PM?

[archangle]

Heartburn can be a sign of heart problems, so be aware of that.

I found that my heartburn is less if I raise my minimum pressure on my APAP.

Check the links in my signature line for a YouTube video for one possible way to prevent aerophagia.

[TheUglyTruth]

Check the links in my signature line for a YouTube video for one possible way to prevent aerophagia.

That LankyLefty is an absolute idiot. Telling people to sleep with their head propped up at a 45-degree angle.

Any spine doctor will tell you this is setting you up for disaster. Everyone of them strictly recommends sleeping with the head in a neutral position.

The same for awake posture - head should be in neutral position.

[KrisasMan]

I don't believe they are suggesting your head only, but your upper torso. Keeping the digestive tract at an angle prevents the air migrating down... bubbles rise in water. You can keep your head and spine in a neutral position by simply placing the hips on up on the incline plane, though 45 degrees seems a bit severe, I would guess 15-20 degrees would do it.

[archangle]

I don't believe they are suggesting your head only, but your upper torso. Keeping the digestive tract at an angle prevents the air migrating down... bubbles rise in water. You can keep your head and spine in a neutral position by simply placing the hips on up on the incline plane, though 45 degrees seems a bit severe, I would guess 15-20 degrees would do it.

If you're talking about the video, yes, he's talking about just the head. The idea is that the bend in the neck keeps the passage to your stomach closed. Look at the video and you'll see.

[TheUglyTruth]

I don't believe they are suggesting your head only, but your upper torso. Keeping the digestive tract at an angle prevents the air migrating down... bubbles rise in water. You can keep your head and spine in a neutral position by simply placing the hips on up on the incline plane, though 45 degrees seems a bit severe, I would guess 15-20 degrees would do it.

Yes Krisas, It is hard to believe but that idiot LankyLefty is advising people to sleep lying flat with a pillow folded up under the head so that your neck is at a 45 degree angle to the rest of your body. Watch IdiotLefty's video.

but your upper torso

This is bad also Krisas. Most of the wedge pillows cause your torso to bend at the stomach which can make reflux worse and cause other problems including spine problems.

If you insist on a wedge use the one that is long enough that you bend at the hips. This allows your entire upper torso to remain at a neutral angle. I believe it is made by MedSlant - can be found with Google.

But usually the easiest and most effective thing to do is riser blocks (4-inch) under the legs at the head of the bed.

[McSleepy]

As long as you don't have GERD, you may not need to resort to medications (like Omeprazole), but tilting your bed can only be helpful, so that's one advice to follow. Acid reflux has one common cause with aerophagia, so, since you have both, it might be something to consider. It's a condition that most people develop sooner or later, called hiatal hernia and is a widening of the opening in your diaphragm where your esophagus connects to your stomach. The CPAP pressures force it open and stomach acids escape up the esophagus easier. Other than playing with pressures, you can help this condition by exercising your muscles (e.g. crunches). But ultimately, you learn to keep it closed, one way or another. I had bad aerophagia with pressures as low as 13 cm, I ended up controlling it with pressures up to 20 cm. In my case, though, it helps that I sleep on my stomach and, thus, have pressure on it, which helps keep it closed. Most people have resolved that problem, and so will you, if you're persistent.
McSleepy

[SockPuppet]

Other than playing with pressures, you can help this condition by exercising your muscles (e.g. crunches).
McSleepy

That is interesting. How do you know this? Personal experience? Medical studies?

[McSleepy]

Other than playing with pressures, you can help this condition by exercising your muscles (e.g. crunches).
McSleepy

That is interesting. How do you know this? Personal experience? Medical studies?

I was told abut this (exercise to improve hiatal hernia) by my gastroenterologist (an excellent one) years ago. Being a scientist and engineer, I cannot claim for certain that it has helped me (i.e., that exercise is what helped me, as opposed to the other things I did), but I would say at the least it can't hurt. Finally, if you think about it, the diaphragm is a voluntary muscle and as such you should be able to exercise it; if you do, then it becomes stronger but also tighter; and if it is tighter, it is more likely to squeeze the cardia (the part that protrudes) strong enough to close it. Once again, what works for one person does not necessarily work for others. For example, I can control my diaphragm so well that hiccups are never a problem for me. Or I can open it to ingest air (cool trick when I was a kid - burp on demand ).
McSleepy