It never ends - now it's aerophagia

chicagocard · Post by **chicagocard** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 7:46 am

This forum is my lifesaver! Having survived my first head cold since beginning CPAP, I have just experienced my first bout of aerophagia. I had no idea what was wrong when I woke at 4 am thinking I had the stomach flu but knowing something was different (primarily, I wasn't vomiting). Then the light bulb went off - CPAP related? I searched the forum and found the necessary information. I now know that I'm not ill, dying, or crazy. Let's see what tonight brings.

Lee Lee · Post by **Lee Lee** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 3:15 pm

I had the same thing happen to me 2 nights ago. It's really painful. Also, it seemed to have just come out the blue.
I'm wondering if it happens because your nose is stuff, and the air has nowhere to go, so it goes down your throat?
You said you had just gotten over a cold, and I know I was having major congestion.
I hope you have a better night.

chicagocard · Post by **chicagocard** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 6:09 pm

thank you, Lee Lee. Isn't it strange? I had all this stomach rumbling. I hope that it is connected with the head cold because I don't want to experience this again!

yardbird · Post by **yardbird** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:46 am

I had one bout of aerophagia. One night only. I turned my cflex down one notch. I don't know if that's what prevented a second night, BUT ... I am now strongly of the opinion that I simply got into a sleep position that kinda allows aerophagia to happen more easily. Like maybe my chin was tucked into my chest or something. I'm careful now to not fall asleep with cpap on AND with the wedge pillow I use to sit up and watch TV in bed. Seems I slide down and scrunch up my neck so I tuck my chin down hard into my chest. I think that may be what caused it.

inacpapfog · Post by **inacpapfog** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:20 pm

Yardbird, I think you are right about the sleep positions! I've noticed the same thing! I am a mouth taper and I have found that before I drift off to sleep, I relax my tongue from the roof of my mouth to check to see if air enters my mouth (cheeks puff out .) If this happens, I move my head until I find a position that does not allow air to enter my mouth. Once i find that ideal position, I fall asleep. I have learned that if I keep the air out of my mouth, I do not "swallow" the air into my stomach to cause the aerophagia.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 5:51 am

RE aerophagia, I used to get it (15 cms) and believed it was a byproduct of CFLEX at too high a setting when I was using my Remstar AUTO.

But two nights ago I set my EPAP pressure on my bilevel up from 8 to 10 (IPAP is my titration recomm of 15) and noticed the awful symptoms (and the complaints from my wife).

I dropped my EPAP back to 8 and the aerophagia went away again. So for me aerophagia is an exhalation related side effect that occurs when my exhalation cms is too high for me.

Good luck

DSM

(PS Aerophagia was the reason I went to a BiLevel)

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