Gastric Insufflation/Lowering Pressure

They set my machine at pressure 10 to 20. I was getting AHI of 3.0 but gastric insufflation was very painful and interrupting my sleep.

I called the doctor's office and they told me to give it more time. They said I should not lower the pressure because I need at least 10.

I lowered the min pressure to 8. The gastric insufflation is reduced and I am sleeping more. AHI for three nights went down to 2.8.

I would like to lower the pressure to 7 to see if the gastric insufflation goes completely away. Do you advise this? A friend gave me the software so I can check what happens every morning.

My friend also recommended this forum. I read many of his posts and many other posts. Excellent forum!

Maybe I can answer my own question. If I lower the pressure to 7 and it causes a bad night then I will see it the next morning in the reports and can raise the pressure to 8 for the next night. I had many, many very bad nights before I was diagnosed so one more bad night probably won't kill me.

I think you answered your own question quite well. Given that your AHI at 8 cm was really quite acceptable, I would be surprised if at 7 cm it was totally trashed. It might go up some but I don't think it will go up horribly high.

Check your data. It might be that you can tolerate the 10cm, but that the machine is running you up toward 20 (or well above 10) at certain times of the night, and THAT'S what's causing your aerophagia.

The aerophagia issue for me is why I lowered my maximum from 20 down to 16. When the machine would run pressures up above 16-17, I ended up with aerophagia that night. (Plus the mask would leak a lot.) As long as the pressures stay below 16, I'm much more comfortable.

My normal pressure range is in the 10-14 range (it bounces up and down depending on my sleep position).

Might keep in mind that the AHI number of the machine is not the same as the AHI definition that the sleep lab uses. I am all for using how I feel above basing my treatment the numbers the Sleep Apnea machine report gives, but I can not know how much better I could feel if I could tolerate the pressure. Or to put that another way: As you play with the settings on your machine, you are saying that those who did the titration got it wrong. I feel that the one thing those doing the overnight Sleep Titration can not do well is judge whether aerophagia will be a factor for the patient.

One of the ways to treat Aerophagia is with a Bi-Level machine; Bi-LeveI means it can have one pressure for inhale and another for exhale. I still point the finger at those who manufacture Sleep Apnea machines in that, as best as I know, the Bi type machines are the same hardware as the Auto Full Data machines we use (which cost half the price or less) just the Bi machines have some different plastic outside and different firmware. What I am getting it is the big companies should not be marketing crippled machines to justify an extraordinary price for bi machines. Just minimal increase the price above the current Auto with Full Data machines to make it a BI, to pay for the companies investment in creating the firmware, the programming of a Bi-Level machine and do not market crippled machines. I do not think the companies lose any money on marketing primarily Auto Bi-Level machines with full data, but would greatly help those of us who need a Bi-Level machine, and must work the doctors, insurance companies to get a Bi-Level machine and then often we can not afford the huge price of a Bi-Level machine, or in my case, even co-pays.

Yes I know that these machines would have to have some additional adjustments in that their are a few ways some of the lower functioning machines work which the top of the line Bi-Level machines do not.

Sorry if I seem to be taking the OP off course, but what the OP is really concerned about is the same driving factor in what my desire to see Bi-Levels machines, (a software selectable option) be the minimal machine sold.