Gas and Stomach pain

Hi everyone its been almost three weeks since I started with my cpap my problem has been that I feel like my stomach is full when I wake up and it is causing discomfort during the day I guess they are gas pains. Also it seems that I am hurting myself when I exhale like I am fighting the machine My machine is set to ramp up from 4 to 10 I am using nasal pillows I am thinking that tonight I might not use my machine . Thank you for any help joekel (Joe H)

Hi, Joekel! There's a fancy name for that gas. It's aerophagia (basically swallowing air). If you do a search for that word, it will bring up TONS of posts for you to read since it's a pretty common complaint among CPAPers, as I understand it. I'm am no expert, but this is what has been suggested to me to try. Try raising your head, like with a wedge pillow, and try turning up your humidifier. Those are what my DME told me anyway. Some take Gas-Ex or Phazyme, that kind of thing. If nothing else seems to help, you might have to eventually explore APAP or BiPAP, which sometimes can give some relief.

Again, I am no expert, since I am not even a month in yet, so I guess my best advice would be to go to the Search feature and enter in "aerophagia". You'll find way more there than I can bumble through for you.

Good luck!! It's a bugger to put up with, and I haven't found the secret yet, although going to APAP seems to have helped me with mine, so far at least in the last four nights.

And as to fighting the machine on exhale, if you are starting your ramp at 4, that is totally understandable. Even at 6, I feel like I'm just not getting enough air. Do you have C-Flex capability on your machine? If you do, you can set it so that it will feel more comfortable on the exhale. I'm not familiar enough with the model you listed to know what the capabilities are, but if you're just new to CPAP and are having problems with aerophagia and fighting the exhale, you might still be able to do an exchange at the DME or have your doctor consider moving you to an APAP.

I'm sure others will chime in, but I thought I'd respond, limited though my knowledge is, just so you'll know there *is* help to be found here, especially by using the Search feature and reading the articles under "Our Collective Wisdom" under the yellow light bulb just above.

Peggy

Thanks Peggy no my machine is set by the tech Thanks joekel

Then honestly, Joe, if I were you, I would be on the phone to my DME and asking, "What changes can you make to make me more comfortable? This isn't working for me." Because, trust me, this CPAP @#$@#$ is not easy to stick with, period, and if you are fighting it every step of the way in the night and then miserable throughout the day from the aerophagia, your next instinct is to -- well, I think you're already there, if I recall your post. Seems like I read something along the lines of --

I am thinking that tonight I might not use my machine

Maybe you have got some fantastic insurance and you are not paying one dime for the CPAP equipment. Me, I'm paying through the nose for mine, a nose which is tender from being abused by numerous crappy masks. And, personally, if I'm going to part with my hard-earned money on something that isn't even fun, then I want some value for my money. If the machine sits collecting dust 'cause I don't want to fight it anymore, then there just isn't much value in it, is there?

Joe, I hate to break it to you, but this is an area where, if it don't squeak, the wheel ain't gonna be greased, so to speak. You need to get on the phone and tell them, unless something changes where you can get through your nights more comfortably, you're not going to use the machine. Maybe, if they've already gotten their money, they won't care if it sits in a closet. But if you're renting and they know it's coming back...hmm. Or maybe you'll get lucky and they'll actually care that you're about to quit on therapy that you very obviously need and will want to work with you and you'll end up with a better machine or at least a better setting on it that you can more easily live with.

Sorry to get on my soapbox, but I am extremely frustrated today. I want to breathe freely and get some frickin' restful sleep, and I am tired of fighting the @#$@@#$# masks that these manufacturers are making a fortune off of.

So ignore the rant, but please don't just sit back and accept, "Well, the tech set the machine and I am stuck. I just won't use it." You've got to at least try to get something you can live with. And, in this arena, that live with comes down to being pretty literal for some.

Good luck, Joe!

Hi again, Joe. Sorry to hear about your problems. Try not to let it get you down.

joekel wrote: Hi everyone its been almost three weeks since I started with my cpap my problem has been that I feel like my stomach is full when I wake up and it is causing discomfort during the day I guess they are gas pains.

There are just a couple of things I've found which really help aerophagia. One is an APAP machine; the other is a BiPAP machine. The APAP reduces aerophagia by virtue of allowing you to spend a good part of the night at lower pressure than your titration pressure. Most folks need higher pressure for only a portion of the night, most often during REM sleep. The BiPAP often accomplishes the same thing for many folks by virtue of the fact that it alternates pressures every breath. Same result though, you sleep at a reduced pressure for much of the night so less aerophagia.

How's your doc to work with, Joe? If he's been good, then he'll want to help you through your aerophagia issues as well. Just tell him that you can't stomach (pun intended) your CPAP therapy and that you need relief from the discomfort and pain of aerophagia. I'd recommend you ask him to prescribe APAP to help reduce your aerophagia. Depending on what kind of insurance you have, there's a good chance an APAP won't cost any more out-of-pocket for you. If he balks at APAP, then inquire about BiPAP. Although it will mean more out-of-pocket to you, BiPAP is well documented in the medical literature as providing relief from the gas pains of aerophagia.

This is when the going gets a little tougher. Lots of us have found it necessary to take a much more active role in our own therapy because the medical professionals simply weren't getting the job done. But really, things don't really get all that tough. It's mostly that physicians and DME's are surprised when a patient takes active control of their therapy.

joekel wrote:Also it seems that I am hurting myself when I exhale like I am fighting the machine My machine is set to ramp up from 4 to 10 I am using nasal pillows I am thinking that tonight I might not use my machine

Kinda sounds like you're gonna want another Respironics machine which has C-flex (or A-flex). According to reports here, Respironics has the best pressure relief available on the market currently. I'd recommend either the Respironics APAP or the BiPAP-auto. Both will also provide the added advantage of recording your events to provide an indication of how well your therapy is progressing.

Good luck with your therapy, Joe.

Regards,
Bill

Thanks guys for the advice I am calling my Dr this morning. My DME said I need to get the change okd through my DR Thanks again you guys are great joekel Joe H