49er wrote:It's amazing to me how some in the health care profession can be so unwilling to accept that, maybe, just maybe, something they have not ever seen is happening. You're right, it shouldn't matter. He basically told me I was wrong. I believe it's coming to an end with him. I have not heard back yet but I have a feeling he will say there is nothing else that he can do, I have failed CPAP, and refer me back to the ENT. That's what I think is going to happen.
Not to sound like a broken record but it is time to see another sleep doctor.
I hate it but you're probably correct. I found this in an older thread and thought it was interesting:
Re: I Can Say One Thing About Aerophagia
Postby SacramentoGranny on Sun Mar 08, 2009 1:21 am
One thing I can say about aerophagia...DON'T GIVE UP TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION. After almost two years of suffering from what I would call severe aerophagia (due to my hiatal hernia) I finally took things in my own hands. I had been getting the same stupid answers...raise your head (just means the gas comes out but will resume going back in), take GasEx (worthless), etc. I changed masks but all the time it was the straight CPAP machine that was the problem. I read what other patients had done to alleviate the gas and figured an auto-titrating machine might do the trick.
Of course my initial request (through my doctor) for an auto-titrating machine was turned down. I was told I could "grieve" the decision and I did. Their answer was to send me to the HMO's sleep lab (newly expanded), which tested me on several machines and eventually prescribed a RemStar Series M Auto BiPAP. Only one problem -- it was not set on "auto", just BiPAP. The straight BiPAP continued to shove air into my stomach during inhalation so the aerophia persisted.
So back to the Sleep Lab I went to request another machine. This time an auto titrating machine was prescribed (similar to the one I had originally requested last fall) but DME drug their heels. In the meantime I noted the "auto" on my machine and realized (DUH) that WAS an auto-titrating machine. After some research and purchase of the programming directions (isn't EBAY wonderful) I set the thing on auto and have been in heaven ever since. My min and max settings were the same as the straight CPAP (even went to 12 instead of 11 to insure I was getting relief). Now that I can also monitor my progress I have noted that my AHI average is 1.4 (was diagnosed at 36 before treatment). After waking up every one to two hours before using the "new" machine I am beginning to sleep for four and five hours at a time...and hopefully will soon be asleep all night.
I did fax the Sleep Lab with the programmed settings so they would be aware of what I had done. Having heard nothing in the meantime I assume that I am headed in the right direction.
From where I see things now, the best treatment for aerophagia is an auto-titrating machine, preferably with BiPAP (worked best for me,anyway).
