Silent Gerd and Sleep Apnea

It appears Restedgal may have diagnosed my problem.
Thank-you.

Since I am now on Prilosec and sleeping with a wedge my numbers are much better and I feel very good.
My question from reading the other posts is does this interefere with therapy because the acids cause the airway to spasm?
Also, how can something so bad have no other symptoms? Why don't we feel it?
Is the cure to be on medicine the rest of your life?

Thanks,
Kurt

Hi
Silent GERD is also called Laryngopharyngeal Reflux or LPR. It does have symptoms like hoarseness, burning in the back of the throat, and sometimes it feels like there is something stuck in the throat. I think if you try GOOGLE for just LPR you will find lots to read and a comparison of the two types.

I had that diagnosis at the same time I found out about OSA. Nice double whammy. I went to the ENT doctor who used the endoscope to look down my throat to see the area of the laryngx. Doesn't hurt at all, just feels a bit odd. It often is treated with something like the purple pill for 3 or 4 months. That is what happened for me, but you may have a different outcome.

For me, it had none of those awful symptoms of reflux, and I argued that I did not have it until I understood the difference. I did have hoarseness which I thought was allergies. I am doing fine with it now, symptom free. The doctor checked it again after a month and saw improvement, and I will go back for a recheck when the course of medication is completed so he can see what to do next.

Sleeping on a wedge seems to help both types of reflux, so that is a good start and doesn't require a prescription.

Good luck with it. I feel fine and I hope you continue to improve.

kurtr wrote:It appears Restedgal may have diagnosed my problem.
Thank-you.

Since I am now on Prilosec and sleeping with a wedge my numbers are much better and I feel very good.
My question from reading the other posts is does this interefere with therapy because the acids cause the airway to spasm?
Also, how can something so bad have no other symptoms? Why don't we feel it?
Is the cure to be on medicine the rest of your life?

Thanks,
Kurt

You know I often thought of making a special bed frame, it is one with a lever on the side, you flip the lever and it raises the headboard end of the bed up by 8-10". Unlike an adustable bed frame like a Craftmatic, that bends at the waist and knee, this one doesn't bend the bed at all it only raises the headboard end so the mattress always remains flat (elevated but flat).

the advantage of this Elevated bed frame is:

You can elevate the bed in the evening and drop it back down flat in the morning so for appearances sake everything remains the same, much better than placing cinder blocks under the headboard or wedge under the mattress.

Since the mattress always remains flat and elevated, you can sleep on your side, stomach or supine without any discomfort.

Elevating your headboard end of the bed helps eliminate GERD. It also reduces edema to the head and helps the sinuses drain more completely as they do during the day. There are many benefits of elevating your bed, nearly every GI specialist and Cardiologist I've ever gone to recommend it.

I have a Select Comfort bed with the adjustable frame, I don't use it because it doesn't allow me to sleep on my side or stomach. I paid $1400 for the frame alone.

I have no idea if this elevation frame would have a place in the market or what someone would be willing to pay for one, but I know I could easily make it for less than half of what a Select Comfort or Craftmatic adjustable bed frame costs even at today's steel prices and be made a lot better. During my younger days I was a certified welder and sheet metal guy, actually enjoyed it but it was a dirty job and didn't pay that much.

I should make a proto-type and see how it goes.

Snoredog wrote:You know I often thought of making a special bed frame, it is one with a lever on the side, you flip the lever and it raises the headboard end of the bed up by 8-10". Unlike an adustable bed frame like a Craftmatic, that bends at the waist and knee, this one doesn't bend the bed at all it only raises the headboard end so the mattress always remains flat (elevated but flat).

What an excellent idea, Snoredog. Go for it! (Easy for me to say.... ) Please promise you won't let DMEs jack the price up tooooo much when your "EleFlat" bed frame hits the sleep/GERD market.

**Already thinking about how many pairs of pantyhose tights to stock up on, for making a comfy little harness for non-slide sleeping.**

Seriously, sounds like a very good idea.

kurt, I'm very glad to hear that things are going better for you. I really must hasten to say, though.... two posters nicknamed -SWS and mikesus are the first ones I saw describing the connection between acid reflux, GERD, and/or VCD to interference with good cpap treatment. I'd never have thought of any of that myself. The credit is all theirs. I'm just the packrat that hangs onto links when I read something interesting.

Hope you have many more smooth treatment nights.

rested gal wrote:

Snoredog wrote:You know I often thought of making a special bed frame, it is one with a lever on the side, you flip the lever and it raises the headboard end of the bed up by 8-10". Unlike an adustable bed frame like a Craftmatic, that bends at the waist and knee, this one doesn't bend the bed at all it only raises the headboard end so the mattress always remains flat (elevated but flat).

What an excellent idea, Snoredog. Go for it! (Easy for me to say.... ) Please promise you won't let DMEs jack the price up tooooo much when your "EleFlat" bed frame hits the sleep/GERD market.

**Already thinking about how many pairs of pantyhose tights to stock up on, for making a comfy little harness for non-slide sleeping.**

Seriously, sounds like a very good idea.

I'm pretty sure I could sell them on ebay, I searched for one like that before buying the Select Comfort (its really a OEM Craftmatic or who ever holds the patent). I bought the SC so I could steal the electrical elevation actuator off it, but that adds a lot of expense, so I'm leaning towards a mechanical elevator

I also once had GERD and a peptic ulcer the size of a tennis ball, it was all healed last endoscopy exam but can come back any time.

I'm new here, but I'd be willing to entertain the idea of buying a elebed.

My GERD went bye bye as soon as I started CPAP. Also the position you are referring to w/ head elevated but NOT bent at waistline is called Reverse Trendelenburg. I learned a lot about GERD working with severely retarded children on G-Tube feeds at Arlington Developmental Center in TN. They put concrete blocks under all of the beds. Little tikes with reflux often sleep on a triangular wedge in a portuguese sling as well. Reverse Trendelenburg also helps patients with left sided congestive heart failure (CHF) or other issues with Pulmonary Edema. Reflux is also a main suspect in SIDS and other Apnea issues in infants.

John, RN
aka Snorkdaddy.....

[quote="John, RN"]My GERD went bye bye as soon as I started CPAP. Also the position you are referring to w/ head elevated but NOT bent at waistline is called Reverse Trendelenburg. I learned a lot about GERD working with severely retarded children on G-Tube feeds at Arlington Developmental Center in TN. They put concrete blocks under all of the beds. Little tikes with reflux often sleep on a triangular wedge in a portuguese sling as well. Reverse Trendelenburg also helps patients with left sided congestive heart failure (CHF) or other issues with Pulmonary Edema. Reflux is also a main suspect in SIDS and other Apnea issues in infants.

John, RN
aka Snorkdaddy.....

kurtr wrote:It appears Restedgal may have diagnosed my problem.
Thank-you.

Since I am now on Prilosec and sleeping with a wedge my numbers are much better and I feel very good.
My question from reading the other posts is does this interefere with therapy because the acids cause the airway to spasm?
Also, how can something so bad have no other symptoms? Why don't we feel it?
Is the cure to be on medicine the rest of your life?

Thanks,
Kurt

I didn't have the silent GERD, mine was pretty loud, ha, ha! -- but I have had no symptoms and needed no medication since I started CPAP therapy. Apparently the air pressure in my throat helps keep the acid down, and now I can drink orange juice and tomato soup again. So happy!

Perhaps after you've been on CPAP a while, you'll also see some improvement in your symptoms.

M.

[quote="Snoredog"]


update:

Well, that search just let the wind out of my sails, someone already beat me to it, dang it, back to the ole drawing board

I have been diagnosed with this also. I am two meds and they are only marginally effective. I tried jacking up the end of the bed and I have also tried a 7" wedge. Both were ineffective for me. The wedge was also uncomfortable to sleep with.

The thing that really worked for me was simple, but difficult for me to do. Now, I do not eat anything within 3 hours of bedtime. When I follow this rule, no problems. When I break it, I notice problems right away, every time.

The problem that I have with raising the headboard is that if you have any right sided heart failure you need to keep the feet up to reduce feet edema. I am taking Ranitidine just before bed time and using the ResMed auto Spirit I noticed that the maximum pressure recorded by the machine was reduced by 23% in my case.