severe aerophagia runing life

Hello everyone,
I'm an experienced CPAP user (5 years) who is suddenly facing severe, completely debilitating aerophagia, and I'm at my wit's end. I've had mild aerophagia before (just some burps/gas in the morning), but this is a totally different, severe problem that started relatively recently. 21M 60kg bmi - 20
My Current Symptoms are Extreme:
• Immediate Air Swallowing: I can feel air going straight into my stomach the moment I put the mask on, even while fully awake.
• Rapid Fullness: After only 5 minutes of wearing the mask, when I take it off, I burp violently for the next several minutes.
• Next-Day Debilitation: If I manage to wear the CPAP all night, I am severely nauseous and feel completely full the entire next day, unable to eat anything.
• Lingering GI Issues: I stopped using CPAP last week because of this, and while the severe nausea is gone, I still feel full much faster than I used to and have slight, persistent nausea.
What I've Tried (Nothing Works):
• Masks: Tried both Full Face Mask (FFM) and Nasal Pillow (no difference).
• Settings: Tried changing the pressure (up and down), adjusting PS (Pressure Support), changing rise time, and toggling EasyBreathe on/off.
• Ancillary Devices: Used mouth taping and a chin strap.
• Position: Tried supine (back), side, stomach, and sleeping inclined.
• Meds/Timing: Tried antacids, anti-gas meds, and not eating 3-4+ hours before bed.
• New Device: Bought a tongue retainer device 3 days ago but cannot tolerate keeping it in.
The Puzzling History:
This severe issue is new. My usage was fine for years. In March this year, I fell and injured my nose. Since then, my CPAP usage has been limited to 2-3 hours due to some discomfort, and I noticed my appetite was reduced, but the aerophagia was not bad at all—just minor morning burps.

I desperately need to get back on CPAP, but I literally cannot function the next day if I use it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I'm planning to call my sleep specialist/PCP again, but I want to go armed with ideas.
Thank you!

Sounds like you are mouth breathing and swallowing air.

carsun wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 27, 2025 8:22 am

Immediate Air Swallowing: I can feel air going straight into my stomach the moment I put the mask on, even while fully awake.

Are you practicing keeping the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth? The tip should be close to, if not touching, your two front teeth.

carsun wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 27, 2025 8:22 am

I fell and injured my nose

Have you had an ENT examine your nasal airway?