thanks & air swallowing & discouraged

[crowhaven]

I'd like to thank everyone who answered my questions regarding a gurggling humidifier and water in the hose, I am embarrassed to say it was an overfilled humidifier and the problem is solved thanks to all your help.

I have not done well on CPAP and sleep worse than I did on my own. After two weeks I've only had one night where I lasted 5 hours the rest about 2 hours before I wake up and I can't force myself to go back on the machine. I now have a great mask, so leaks are no longer the problem. Last night for the second time I had bloating. My face seems to fill up with air and then my chest. I have read nearly all the posts on GED and aerophagia and it's not that bad. It just seems ther is always something interrupting my sleep, something that needs tweaking or adjusting. I was truly looking forward to CPAP therapy, I believed everything my doctor said about how it would improve my energy. MY energy is improved but I believe that is more to a drastic change in diet and exercise than a couple of hours a night on CPAP. When will it work, cause I am seriously thinking of calling it quits.

[Linus]

Give it more time. It will take getting used too, but worth it. Without CPAP you will start to feel very tired again.

[Gerryk]

I have the same problem with the air. I am swallowing alot of air.
I have had problems with acid reflux for some time and have been taking Nexium for acid reflux most of the time I have had it.
I have had days where I have not swallowed much air at all when I was sleeping and days were I have large amounts. I have even woke up in the middle of the night with my stomach hurting from so much air.
Until I figure out what I am doing different when I don't swallow much air I do what I have to to get rid of it. I roll onto my right side, then back, then left side and then back and right side. I stay in that position until I pass the air. I used to burp or belch a lot when I first started on cpap but not any more so I am past that.

Good luck, don't give up.

[wlenz]

I could point you to an overwhelming list of articles that explain why you should continue with xPAP. But you have done a lot of reading and your doctor has been consulted, so let's just say it is necessary and we should move on from there. There are little problems that need your attention. And, it takes some people a few weeks just to become comfortable with their equipment. My initial settings and equipment were ok. The BiPAP machine, mask, epap & ipap settings, humidifier, they were all good. My only problem that required changing were to disable the RAMP and switch from a 6 ft hose to an 8 ft. I am claustrophobic and that was my biggest problem. But, I noticed that each nite I would sleep a little longer than the night before. The first night I woke after 2 hours of use. I had enough sleep that it was not possible to return to sleep with the mask on my face. So, I only used it 2 hours the first night. But, I stuck with it and each nite was better than the night before. The ramp feature was starting with too low a pressure setting and I was gasping for air. So, I found out on this forum how to turn it off. The people on here are real people that use their equipment. So the advice they give is not theory, or something they read about. Listen to them, they know what they are talking about. I could list the names of the people that helped me, and they would be great for you to focus on, but I might accidently leave a few names off and that would be a shame. They all were sincere and a great help.
The bottom line is this, your life will be shorter, you could develop cognitive problems, blood pressure problems, irritable with friends and family, cardiac problems..., the list is long and real.
Hope you stick with us and work out your problems.
Bill

[crowhaven]

Thanks for the bucking me up, I'll stick with it. This forum is such a lifeline, thank you all.

[Pad A Cheek]

Hello crowhaven,

I know that swallowing air can be a discomfort. This is a pretty common occurance especially for new users of CPAP. I found for me if I tipped my chin away from my neck that the air swallowing stopped. I did tend to sleep all curled up with my chin tucked, now I am aware that I push my chin out when I get all comfy to fall off to sleep. I do not have air swallowing any more.
I think this positioning makes the airway a bit less resistant to the pressure and the air goes down the proper tube.

I hope this helps with your air swallowing.
Keep on trying things, we all go through an adjustment period when we start before we really get the whole process tweaked just right.
Welcome to the forum, and the best help for CPAP users online.

Karen