Aerophagia: May we discuss this again?

roster · Post by **roster** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 6:07 am

Of course there are many good posts on aerophagia, for example viewtopic.php?t=18768&highlight=aerophagia, but I hope we can discuss it again.

I have been 16 months on cpap (10 cm), using the Hybrid mask for about eight months. I have had some nuisance aerophagia all along, but now for about three weeks it has suddenly become much worse. Worse to the point that my stomach is visibly distended and I am awakening after about four hours of sleep and then hardly sleeping at all. Now I have become badly sleep deprived.

A few questions,

1. I have the impression that aerophagia is worsened when I am sleeping on my side. Is this others' experience? I sleep on an eight-inch wedge and a "normal" pillow.

2. This aerophagia attack coincided with our pollen season and some allergy problems causing stuffiness. Could this be a factor? I am a mouth breather year round.

3. My sleep doc is about a 50-minute drive from me, but there is now a highly recommended sleep doc 5 minutes from my house who is practicing with a top notch ENT practice. Should I just go see this doc?

Very basic questions, but I would appreciate some renewed discussion before I call one of the docs Monday.

Thanks for any help,

rooster

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Awakening, CPAP, aerophagia

JimW · Post by **JimW** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:22 am

Yes to your first question. No idea on the others.

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:26 am

I was getting mild aerophasia when sleeping on my side. Then I got the papillow. It seems to keep my head and neck straighter and haven't had a problem since. I think mine was because I have a tendency to curl up and it would close the airway some allowong air to get in my tummy.

Brenda

blarg · Post by **blarg** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:50 am

Have you considered looking into BiPAPs?

SleepySandy · Post by **SleepySandy** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 10:43 am

1. I have the impression that aerophagia is worsened when I am sleeping on my side. Is this others' experience? I sleep on an eight-inch wedge and a "normal" pillow.

I have no idea. I always wonder how people know what position they're sleeping in. You're sleeping - how do you know? Even if you wake up in that position, how do you know you slept that way?

2. This aerophagia attack coincided with our pollen season and some allergy problems causing stuffiness. Could this be a factor? I am a mouth breather year round.

That's quite a coincidence so I would seriously consider this to be the cause. I'm a mouth breather as well but I don't mouth breathe all night. I suspect you are the same. With the new stuffiness you're probably breathing through your mouth more than you have in the past. I got aerophagia in the beginning of my CPAP use and it went away after a few weeks. You might find that it will go away as your body gets used to the new breathing pattern.

You could also do some things to try to reduce your stuffiness so you breathe through your nose more. Allergy meds might help. A sinus rinse might help, but don't it right before bed - you need to give it time for the water to drain back out. I use NeilMed and I get residual water dripping out of my nose up to an hour after doing the rinse. Also, check your CPAP filter.

3. My sleep doc is about a 50-minute drive from me, but there is now a highly recommended sleep doc 5 minutes from my house who is practicing with a top notch ENT practice. Should I just go see this doc?

I wouldn't call the doc yet if it were me unless there's no way for you to clear up the stuffiness on your own. And, unless the regular allergy meds like Zyrtec don't work for you, I would seriously consider an allergist.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:37 am

Go see a GI specialist, they will give you some PrevAcid for 12 weeks and tell you to come back. But they most likely will want to do an endoscopy if you have had GERD for more than 5 years as it is the leading cause of stomach cancer.

If that is not a problem they send you home with the PrevAcid so your LES can heal (they may even repair it when doing the endoscopy).

But before Nighthawke can come in again and confuse fact for his fiction, my guess is you would have more difficultly sleeping on your right side vs the left, that is because the opening to the stomach is not on the top, it is actually on the side of the stomach (see picture below), so when you lay on your right side you place the opening to the stomach down so stomach fluids can more easily run out (with a compromised or dysfunctional LES from years of GERD). Laying on your left side places the opening to the stomach UP so its contents are less likely to go with the flow of gravity.

As for the fact or fiction part? Taking his law of physics out of the picture this is the way it actually is:

roster · Post by **roster** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:16 pm

I have never had any symptoms of gerd.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:34 pm

rooster wrote:I have never had any symptoms of gerd.

You may not "think" you have had any symptoms of GERD, but if are having problems with aerophagia you better look up those symptoms again.

Because a damaged or compromised LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter) valve being bathed in stomach acid won't seal properly and will allow CPAP pressure to by-pass it and travel into the stomach and abdominal area. Can be very painful experience. And where is the LES?

In the circle #6 above in the picture at the opening to the stomach.

If your LES is healthy and sealing, you shouldn't have problems with aerophagia especially at your pressure.

Hey don't take my word for it, google it up for yourself.

LyleHaze · Post by **LyleHaze** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 3:02 pm

I'm not yet on my machine.. But I am really hoping that this won't be a problem for me.
I have a long history of GERD, and I have had surgery to my esophagus to prevent reflux. As an unfortunate result, I no longer burp. Any gases trapped in my stomach can only be passed by a more offensive route.
If we are going to start pumping air into my stomach, my wife may require a separate bedroom, and I wouldn't blame her.

Hmm, if anyones spouse is complaining about a draft from your mask, try telling them about my condition. They can find some gratitude there!

LyleHaze

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 3:53 pm

Snoredog wrote:But before Nighthawke can come in again and confuse fact for his fiction . . .

Still hurtin' from the last time I proved you wrong huh? Well, it happens to all of us, Snoredog. Get over it, man. Life's too short.

Regards,
Bill

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:13 pm

NightHawkeye wrote:
Snoredog wrote:But before Nighthawke can come in again and confuse fact for his fiction . . .
Still hurtin' from the last time I proved you wrong huh? Well, it happens to all of us, Snoredog. Get over it, man. Life's too short.

Regards,
Bill

No hurt here. You still haven't figured out which pressure does what. I didn't make anything up and try to confuse fact with fiction like you did in that other thread which led to this one. Go read it for yourself, not hurting here, but when someone asks:

Where's Bill?

I can honestly say he left cause he got tired of being wrong all the time.

LOL!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 04, 2007 7:12 am

rooster wrote:I have never had any symptoms of gerd.

Many people with GERD don't have typical symptoms. I when I was diagnosed with stage II erosions, I didn't have symptoms, either. The medications take pretty good care of it. Though I was nervous about the test, it wasn't bad at all.

RosemaryB · Post by **RosemaryB** » Fri May 04, 2007 7:15 am

I forgot to log in. That last post was me.

roster · Post by **roster** » Fri May 04, 2007 7:57 am

Anonymous wrote:
rooster wrote:I have never had any symptoms of gerd.
Many people with GERD don't have typical symptoms. I when I was diagnosed with stage II erosions, I didn't have symptoms, either. The medications take pretty good care of it. Though I was nervous about the test, it wasn't bad at all.

I assume by test you mean an endoscopy. Those are not just routinely given. What were the symptoms that caused your doc to do an endoscopy?

Thanks.

RosemaryB · Post by **RosemaryB** » Fri May 04, 2007 8:23 am

rooster wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
rooster wrote:I have never had any symptoms of gerd.
Many people with GERD don't have typical symptoms. I when I was diagnosed with stage II erosions, I didn't have symptoms, either. The medications take pretty good care of it. Though I was nervous about the test, it wasn't bad at all.
I assume by test you mean an endoscopy. Those are not just routinely given. What were the symptoms that caused your doc to do an endoscopy?

Thanks.

Yes, it was an endoscopy. My dad died of cancer of the esophagus and had GERD, so there was family history. I had some vague discomfort in my back and something like deep inside, but nothing that seemed related to heartburn or the esophagus. So I shouldn't say I didn't have symptoms, but these were vague and not apparently related to heartburn. When I asked the doctor if I could be tested, he said no. The next time I saw him, I reported problems with heartburn, reminded him of my family hx, and asked again and said yes. This last was a bit of an embellishment. All my life I've had trouble with spicy food. I don't eat it normally, but if I do, I have heartburn, so it wasn't a total lie . At that time I had stage II erosions.

I'm seeing a different doctor now, one who doesn't skimp on the tests. He's not as quick with the prescription pad, but actually tries to find out what's going on first (bless him). He's the one who sent me for the sleep study. The first doctor had denied that some years ago, too. That doctor had me convinced I didn't have it.

Rose