Thanks everyone for your help on my question about raising the pressure. I'm now at 11 - up from 10. It's only been a few nights.
This gas problem has been ongoing for I don't really know how long ( maybe several months). I wake in the morning with a bloated and gassy feeling. It sometimes is there when I get back into bed and set up with CPAP during the night. I call it "uncomfortable" not a hugh pain. I also have Rheumatoid arthritis and so have considerable pain sometimes. I'm on a lot of meds for the arthritis. I don't know if they are the cause of the gas "pain" in the morning or if it has to do with sleep apnea. I've been on the arthritis meds for many years - long before sleep apnea diagnosis. I have a chin strap now and I tried taping last night. These measures don't seem to help. I am waiting to see the sleep specialist again but the waiting list is long. I would like to deal with this gas problem. I live in Canada and there is a product called Gas X. It is suggested it can be taken after meals and at bedtime. I don't want to get onto another drug so am asking here for any suggestions. Thanks
Gas pain
4 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Gas pain
_________________
| Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine |
| Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear |
| Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier |
| Additional Comments: Backups- FX Nano masks. Backup machine- Airmini auto travel cpap |
-
LavenderMist
- Posts: 361
- Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 5:09 am
- Location: In the Mist
Aerophagia, bloating, swallowing air
Finding Neverland
This may be a temporary condition as you adjust to xPAP or a new mask, or it may be recurring or ongoing. Symptoms range from being painful to being merely socially embarrassing. See your doctor to rule out other related digestive disorders.
From https://www.cpap.com: “AEROPHAGIA. The word "phage" in Greek means "to eat." Aerophagia is literally to eat air. In the modern context, it means swallowing too much air, a common cause of gas in the stomach and belching. This is sometimes a result of CPAP Therapy. Unfortunately, the best solutions for this problem are not a catch all but instead an attempt to find the middle ground between needed CPAP pressures.
Here's what you can do:
1. Tell your CPAP prescribing physician. It may be better to decrease the CPAP level a bit and put up with some minor airway problems if we can significantly decrease the bloating. Sometimes this works great, sometimes not at all. An auto adjusting CPAP should also be considered as these machines reduce the average pressure the user receives. Get help setting the maximum pressure on the auto as the highest pressures can make things much worse.
2. As the chin of a CPAP user nears the chest, air has a greater chance of entering the digestive tract. Where possible, keep chin up in relation to the torso.
3. Sleeping in a position different than normal helps keep the air out of the stomach. Try different sleeping positions. Left side, right side, inclined with pillows, or flat.”
More ideas to eliminate aerophagia:
• Try a bed wedge to sleep with the head elevated.
• To keep your chin up, try a PAPillow at http://www.talkaboutsleep.com, neck pillow, or memory foam pillow, but make sure it’s compatible with your mask when you sleep on your side. You should be able to fit your fist between your chin and chest.
• Try an APAP machine. If already on APAP, reduce your top pressure, as long as your AHI (apnea hypopnea index) continues to remain low; or try the straight CPAP mode.
• Try a BiPAP machine or auto BiPAP machine.
Ideas to cope with aerophagia:
• Drink carbonated water or a fizzy beverage in the morning to help belch out gas.
• Use wind-relieving yoga postures that compress your abdomen in the privacy of your bathroom or boudoir.
• For digestive gas in the stomach, try over-the-counter simethicone products like Gas-X.
• For digestive gas in the intestines, try over-the-counter activated charcoal tablets.
• Read Controlling Intestinal Gas
http://www.aboutibs.org/Publications/gas.html
Sources: Based on personal experience with obstructive sleep apnea and gleaned from the collective wisdom of cpaptalk.com contributors, and Answers at https://www.cpap.com.
Want more? See the blog peer coaching articles on Machine Choices and Solving Common Equipment Problems at http://smart-sleep-apnea.blogspot.com .
Not written by healthcare professionals. The information and opinions offered are not intended or recommended as a substitute for professional medical advice. © Mile High Sleeper, September 2006. Permission to use for free educational purposes.
Finding Neverland
This may be a temporary condition as you adjust to xPAP or a new mask, or it may be recurring or ongoing. Symptoms range from being painful to being merely socially embarrassing. See your doctor to rule out other related digestive disorders.
From https://www.cpap.com: “AEROPHAGIA. The word "phage" in Greek means "to eat." Aerophagia is literally to eat air. In the modern context, it means swallowing too much air, a common cause of gas in the stomach and belching. This is sometimes a result of CPAP Therapy. Unfortunately, the best solutions for this problem are not a catch all but instead an attempt to find the middle ground between needed CPAP pressures.
Here's what you can do:
1. Tell your CPAP prescribing physician. It may be better to decrease the CPAP level a bit and put up with some minor airway problems if we can significantly decrease the bloating. Sometimes this works great, sometimes not at all. An auto adjusting CPAP should also be considered as these machines reduce the average pressure the user receives. Get help setting the maximum pressure on the auto as the highest pressures can make things much worse.
2. As the chin of a CPAP user nears the chest, air has a greater chance of entering the digestive tract. Where possible, keep chin up in relation to the torso.
3. Sleeping in a position different than normal helps keep the air out of the stomach. Try different sleeping positions. Left side, right side, inclined with pillows, or flat.”
More ideas to eliminate aerophagia:
• Try a bed wedge to sleep with the head elevated.
• To keep your chin up, try a PAPillow at http://www.talkaboutsleep.com, neck pillow, or memory foam pillow, but make sure it’s compatible with your mask when you sleep on your side. You should be able to fit your fist between your chin and chest.
• Try an APAP machine. If already on APAP, reduce your top pressure, as long as your AHI (apnea hypopnea index) continues to remain low; or try the straight CPAP mode.
• Try a BiPAP machine or auto BiPAP machine.
Ideas to cope with aerophagia:
• Drink carbonated water or a fizzy beverage in the morning to help belch out gas.
• Use wind-relieving yoga postures that compress your abdomen in the privacy of your bathroom or boudoir.
• For digestive gas in the stomach, try over-the-counter simethicone products like Gas-X.
• For digestive gas in the intestines, try over-the-counter activated charcoal tablets.
• Read Controlling Intestinal Gas
http://www.aboutibs.org/Publications/gas.html
Sources: Based on personal experience with obstructive sleep apnea and gleaned from the collective wisdom of cpaptalk.com contributors, and Answers at https://www.cpap.com.
Want more? See the blog peer coaching articles on Machine Choices and Solving Common Equipment Problems at http://smart-sleep-apnea.blogspot.com .
Not written by healthcare professionals. The information and opinions offered are not intended or recommended as a substitute for professional medical advice. © Mile High Sleeper, September 2006. Permission to use for free educational purposes.
-
deglorious
- Posts: 169
- Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2007 1:40 pm
- Location: Texas, USA
You need to ask your arthritis Dr. before you take the GasX. I am also on many meds for rhuematoid arthritis and I know that you really have to be careful about what over the counter meds you can take. Good luck.
Deglorious
Deglorious
_________________
| Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear |
| Additional Comments: Pad A Cheek Nose Bridge Protection Pad |
gas x
There is no problem with taking Gas-x or mylicon or mylanta or any of the other defrothicants except for the fact that they do not work for aerophagia.
Some come here and say they took these and their problem improved.
It may have, but not because of the meds.
Simethicone works to reduce surface tenion in metabolic gas that has formed as very small bubbles.
It breaks them up into one big bubble by reducing the surface tension.
In Aerophagia, the air is swallowed and it is already a big bubble.
This will not prevent someone from coming in and saying how much Gas x worked for them.
Do not conse them with facts, their minds are made up.
Farewell time for Hillary? Hope so. Is Her clock striking 12?
Some come here and say they took these and their problem improved.
It may have, but not because of the meds.
Simethicone works to reduce surface tenion in metabolic gas that has formed as very small bubbles.
It breaks them up into one big bubble by reducing the surface tension.
In Aerophagia, the air is swallowed and it is already a big bubble.
This will not prevent someone from coming in and saying how much Gas x worked for them.
Do not conse them with facts, their minds are made up.
Farewell time for Hillary? Hope so. Is Her clock striking 12?
4 posts
• Page 1 of 1