Aerophagia help please!

[snorenomore123]

I get a bubble in my throat when I wake up at night and am just slipping back to sleep due I think to aerophagia. (Some people have suggested this and also I often have a big burp in the morning) I was wondering if I could get some suggestions on how to help this? I use a Resmed Autosense 10 For Her and a resmed AirFit N20 CPAP nasal mask. Here are other stats:

max pressure: 12.2
min pressure:8
epap: 1 (all the time)
ramp 30-40 min
My pressure usually ranges from 8-9, rarely getting to 10.
AHI usually below 1
Leak rate median usually hovers around 10, but I've also noticed some nights will rocket up into 30s. (I haven't replaced mask for 2 years, could this be a problem maybe?)

I think I did see a little help with this problem when I reduced my pressure, but I think it raised my AHI. Other suggestions? I do eat a bit before sleep (potential gerd?), perhaps I should stop this? Should I increase my epr?

[ILoveFlowers]

Hi, you will get some good advice from people here but I thought I'd mention, I have been working with this problem, too, since switching to the AirSense machine. It is more responsive than my System One was and it's taking me some time to get used to it. Some things that have helped me so far are turning up the EPR to 3, setting the response to soft, and lowering the max pressure. I'm going on 3 weeks and it's getting more comfortable. Here is the thread in case you are interested in looking at it. Dog Slobber and Zonker were of great help viewtopic.php?p=1387256#p1387210

[snorenomore123]

Hi, you will get some good advice from people here but I thought I'd mention, I have been working with this problem, too, since switching to the AirSense machine. It is more responsive than my System One was and it's taking me some time to get used to it. Some things that have helped me so far are turning up the EPR to 3, setting the response to soft, and lowering the max pressure. I'm going on 3 weeks and it's getting more comfortable. Here is the thread in case you are interested in looking at it. Dog Slobber and Zonker were of great help viewtopic.php?p=1387256#p1387210

Thanks so much for the reply. I was definitely thinking of turning up my epr. I have had it at 1 for a long time. Did you go up gradually or just turn it straight to 3? Did you actually get up to your max pressure? I have my max pressure set high but it usually never gets even near there. (I would probably think of leaving it there in case needed higher pressure due to high epr)

[ChicagoGranny]

I have had it at 1 for a long time. Did you go up gradually or just turn it straight to 3?

Set EPR at 2 for one night. If you think it would help to go to 3, do it the second night.

have my max pressure set high but it usually never gets even near there. (I would probably think of leaving it there in case needed higher pressure due to high epr)

Yep. Leave it at max. It won't raise the pressure unless it senses the need.

I get a bubble in my throat when I wake up at night and am just slipping back to sleep due I think to aerophagia. (Some people have suggested this and also I often have a big burp in the morning) I was wondering if I could get some suggestions on how to help this?

If it is just one awakening during transition to sleep, can you not just ignore it?

Also, nothing wrong with one big burp in the morning.

You can also try putting the head of your bed on bed risers.

[chunkyfrog]

Also, you might reduce your ramp time.
If you fall asleep before full therapy air is being delivered,
you may be straining for enough air.

[snorenomore123]

I have had it at 1 for a long time. Did you go up gradually or just turn it straight to 3?

Set EPR at 2 for one night. If you think it would help to go to 3, do it the second night.

have my max pressure set high but it usually never gets even near there. (I would probably think of leaving it there in case needed higher pressure due to high epr)

Yep. Leave it at max. It won't raise the pressure unless it senses the need.

I get a bubble in my throat when I wake up at night and am just slipping back to sleep due I think to aerophagia. (Some people have suggested this and also I often have a big burp in the morning) I was wondering if I could get some suggestions on how to help this?

If it is just one awakening during transition to sleep, can you not just ignore it?

Also, nothing wrong with one big burp in the morning.

You can also try putting the head of your bed on bed risers.

I wish I could ignore it, it happens right as I'm falling to sleep and the muscles relax. Some theorize the air slips up from the stomach at that point.

Elevating the bed head seems good. Would need to research how to do this with my tatami mat.

[Julie]

You can buy foam wedges (but get full length, not ones that bend in the middle) online.

[snorenomore123]

You can buy foam wedges (but get full length, not ones that bend in the middle) online.

You can buy foam wedges (but get full length, not ones that bend in the middle) online.

ok, something to look into, thx.

[1speechpick]

For me, it helped tremendously to take an over the counter medication for GERD and to stop eating two hours before I go to bed.

[snorenomore123]

Hi, you will get some good advice from people here but I thought I'd mention, I have been working with this problem, too, since switching to the AirSense machine. It is more responsive than my System One was and it's taking me some time to get used to it. Some things that have helped me so far are turning up the EPR to 3, setting the response to soft, and lowering the max pressure. I'm going on 3 weeks and it's getting more comfortable. Here is the thread in case you are interested in looking at it. Dog Slobber and Zonker were of great help viewtopic.php?p=1387256#p1387210

Did you have any difficulty adjusting at first to higher epr? I couldn't do it last night, felt like the machine was giving out on every outbreath!

[ChicagoGranny]

Did you have any difficulty adjusting at first to higher epr? I couldn't do it last night, felt like the machine was giving out on every outbreath!

That is an indication you need to turn EPR down or off. Many don't use EPR. As you know EPR lowers the pressure on exhale. Your aerophagia is more likely to be caused on inhale.

[snorenomore123]

Did you have any difficulty adjusting at first to higher epr? I couldn't do it last night, felt like the machine was giving out on every outbreath!

That is an indication you need to turn EPR down or off. Many don't use EPR. As you know EPR lowers the pressure on exhale. Your aerophagia is more likely to be caused on inhale.

Oh? The impression I got from the veteran folks is that increasing EPR is one of the first recommendations for aerophagia? I think I saw one say that the transition from inhale to exhale is the most vulnerable period for swallowing air?

[ChicagoGranny]

I got from the veteran folks is that increasing EPR is one of the first recommendations for aerophagia?

It is. But you said,

Did you have any difficulty adjusting at first to higher epr? I couldn't do it last night, felt like the machine was giving out on every outbreath!

[ILoveFlowers]

Thanks so much for the reply. I was definitely thinking of turning up my epr. I have had it at 1 for a long time. Did you go up gradually or just turn it straight to 3? Did you actually get up to your max pressure? I have my max pressure set high but it usually never gets even near there. (I would probably think of leaving it there in case needed higher pressure due to high epr)

I went ahead and set my max pressure at the pressure Oscar was showing I usually went up to through the night before I switched machines. I used to have it set at 12 on my System One but it rarely actually went up above 7.5. However, the AutoSet was blowing right past 7.5 quickly, and that's when I was getting bloated up with air. I found it was comfortable to keep it set at 7.5 and I slept well and didn't have too many events. I've inched it up a little since then and still doing okay. I can't take too much pressure or the air goes into my stomach instead of my lungs, so I have to balance the AHI against taking care of my stomach, but my AHI is usually under 1 now and often quite a bit less, and I feel like I'm sleeping well, so I'm happy.

As far as the EPR, I went up a notch and it felt a lot better to me, so I went ahead up to 3 and that is comfortable to me. I think sometimes you just have to try things to see what works, you just have to keep track and do it in a sequence so you don't get mixed up on what you tried and what your results were. Different things work for different people. If it felt uncomfortable to you, I would think that's not the right setting for you.

I really appreciate the help I got here. I thought I would take my settings from the System One, transfer them to the AutoSet, and voila. But it was not so simple, the machines have different ways of doing the job, I guess, and you kind of have to work out your best settings again.

[Julie]

Nice to see someone actively trying things to help themselves... there's only so much others can advise.