Severe aerophagia

[Sunpoppy]

I don't see how lowering the exhale pressure will make much of a difference. It's on inhale when most of the pressure leaks into the stomach.

What I have found (in my short amount of time) is that while I have had the machine going whilst awake is that it is difficult for me to exhale. I sort of feel like I am being forced to inhale when I am really trying to exhale. This is making my me kind of panic and gag and it makes me feel like i want to swallow. Now, since I am awake I can of course stop myself from doing this....but I am probably not so good at stopping the reflex while I am asleep.

I just changed to an EPR of 3 and found that while I am awake (no time for an actual nap ) my breathing does seem to be much more natural. I am hoping this carries on into my sleep tonight.

Of course an EPR of 7 is still one cm higher than my straight cpap setting of 6 from two years ago. But I am determined to make this work.....third times a charm right?

Thank you 2B...I will try that tonight!

[hopingitworks]

As I said to you in a previous thread I am still a newbie but I believe I read somewhere that the ResMed Elite was not a data capable machine. Hopefully someone will clear that up if I am mistaken.

The S9 Elite is a data capable machine, it's the Escape that is not.

Thanks for the clarification! Sorry to the OP for confusion.

[kaiasgram]

Sunpoppy, that is one happy-looking baby! So cute!

[Sunpoppy]

Well...I got 3.3 hours in last night. I was still feeling full up but not as bad as before. I can do this thing! Thanks everyone for all your all your help.

Sunpoppy, that is one happy-looking baby! So cute!

Thanks! That pic was snapped in the first few seconds of us seeing each other for the first time. 5 years on and she is still one happy happy smiley little girl!

[kaiasgram]

Well...I got 3.3 hours in last night. I was still feeling full up but not as bad as before. I can do this thing! Thanks everyone for all your all your help.

Sunpoppy, that is one happy-looking baby! So cute!

Thanks! That pic was snapped in the first few seconds of us seeing each other for the first time. 5 years on and she is still one happy happy smiley little girl!

I would like to have seen poppy's face in that first meeting too -- I bet you were glowing as bright as that sweet little face was! (I'm assuming you're "poppy").

Back to business: Good that you got 3.3 hours last night with less severe 'inflation.'

I was initially titrated at home and ended up with a pressure range of 6-10 cm on the S9 autoset. With encouragement and help from Pugsy and robysue I started slowly lowering that max pressure and keeping an eye on my numbers and graphs using the SleepyHead software. Now 5 months into the 'game' I have my pressures at min=8 and max varies a little bit never goes over 9. I often just run my machine in straight CPAP mode at 8 and still have apnea-hypopnea free nights. Optimizing my therapy is still a work in progress for me because my sleep is not exactly refreshing yet, but the aerophagia is better and is rarely problematic.

For what it's worth, I think time and the whole adjustment process also takes care of at least some of the aerophagia, many on the forum have mentioned that with time (even without changing pressures) their aerophagia has improved.

[Sunpoppy]

So I finally got around to downloading SleepyHead. It shows that I went from an AHI of over 13 on Friday night with my pressure set at 10/10 to an AHI of 2.4 with the reduction on the exhale to 7 on Saturday night.

I think I must just be gagging and gasping like crazy with the higher pressure on my exhale...no wonder I've had such a hard time with the aerophagia!

Hope I do better tonight by getting in more than 3.3 hours!

Practice. Practice. Practice.

[kaiasgram]

So I finally got around to downloading SleepyHead. It shows that I went from an AHI of over 13 on Friday night with my pressure set at 10/10 to an AHI of 2.4 with the reduction on the exhale to 7 on Saturday night.

I think I must just be gagging and gasping like crazy with the higher pressure on my exhale...no wonder I've had such a hard time with the aerophagia!

Hope I do better tonight by getting in more than 3.3 hours!

Practice. Practice. Practice.

Well done!

[archangle]

I don't see how lowering the exhale pressure will make much of a difference. It's on inhale when most of the pressure leaks into the stomach.

Some things don't work the way you expect them to in CPAP. What you say may make sense, but many people find EPR or bilevel does help.