aerophagia

[carol oliver]

Hi guys.... I haven't been on in years, but I have a question. I have enough gas (especially in the a.m.) to power a small country. I recently had to switch masks because the amara view isn't available any more. I have something similar now and the gas seems worse. I feel as bloated as a beached whale. HELP !

[Julie]

Have you spoken to your MD re the gas and/or anything else it could relate to?

[carol oliver]

I have had trouble with my stomach for years, but notice a difference lately.

[robysue1]

Carol Oliver,

First, I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with aerophagia issues. They can make everything seem so much harder because you feel so miserable.

You write:

I have had trouble with my stomach for years, but notice a difference lately.

Let's start there: How have you managed the stomach issues in the past? And have you ever consulted a doctor about them?

Next, what's your favorite sleeping position? And what position are you sleeping in while using the CPAP?

Finally, what are your pressure settings? And how often do you think you are waking up in the night for any reason?

Here's why those questions are important:

1) If you've had GERD in the past, it is possible that GERD may be part of the issue with the aerophagia. Make sure you are doing everything that you've learned in the past to minimize the stomach issues.

2) Aerophagia is caused by air getting inside the stomach. The usual way that happens is swallowing air that gets into your mouth because the tongue has moved down out of its proper position touching the roof of the mouth behind the top incisors. But it's also worth remembering that if there's any weakness in the valve between the stomach and the esophagus, lying on your right side can make it easier for that valve to partially open and allow air to leak into the stomach.

3) Aerophagia is often a bigger problem at higher pressures. If you are using an APAP, this can happen if the machine is often raising pressure due to flow limitations or snoring rather than in response to apneas and hypopneas. Sometimes it helps to limit the max pressure to what the stomach can tolerate even if it does mean there are more flow limitations or snoring (or even a few more obstructive events) if you are still waking up feeling pretty decent and have enough energy to get through your day. Frequent wakes or arousals can also lead to more swallowing, which of course, then leads to more aerophagia. It can become a vicious cycle when you're dealing with a lot of SWJ with mini-arousals that leads to pressure increases as well as more SWJ: The more you arouse, the more air you swallow and the more it triggers the aerophagia, which in turn leads to more arousals and more swallowing of air.

[ChicagoGranny]

I have had trouble with my stomach for years, but notice a difference lately.

CPAP-induced aerophagia is common.

I recently had to switch masks

Which mask are you using?

These tips are dated, but some of them might help - wiki/index.php/Aerophagia

[McSleepy]

I would add to the things that may help one of those back-brace lumbar support belts they sell on Amazon for around $15. It's easy and cheap to try, and shouldn't require any significant changes to sleeping habits.

McSleepy