Air in my stomach

[Old Bert]

After ten years of CPAP use I am now getting major air in my stomach .  My esophagus had felt dry and scratchy since my last problems with the lingual spasms. I’ve had a recent bout of acid reflux as well. I feel like asthma symptoms in my chest. It feels like my esophagus is dry and scratchy, my nose dry and my eyes are dry.  

I assume this acid reflux is coming from the air getting into my stomach. The ENT doctor says he doesn’t see anything wrong with me.

I went to my sleep apnea doctor’s office and talked about it with them today. I let them know about the major acid reflux I’ve been having, and that my stomach is full of air. I let them know that I am not using my cpap and sitting upright in a recliner just to try and sleep.(I wake up kinda gagging from the dry scratchy esophagus ) they agreed with me thinking that the acid reflux is probably from air getting into my stomach. I asked if there was anything that we could do to drop the air pressure since I’m sitting upright in the recliner. They said yes and the Lady there give me the unlock sequence for my dream station. My pressure had been at 18, and she talked about working it down a little by little until you find a place where the air is not dumping into the stomach. I got all the way down to 11 this morning and it’s still dumping into my stomach.

After my last visit here to the form I took everybody’s advice and ordered a Aircurve 10 vauto BiPAP. I ordered it without the modem they tell me it should be here pretty quick.

I haven’t really slept all week, and I’m pretty defeated. Does anybody have any advice or words wisdom they can offer?

Of course as you pace the house for the third night in a row, it feels like there’s no solution for this and your stuck. I do hope with the bipap and maybe some advice from you folks there might be an answer.

[Brazen]

Have you tried a different mask?
Are you using humidity?


The bilevel will give you more available settings to manage the aerophagia. 

Have you had a cardiac workup?  Cardiac issues can be mistaken for acid reflux.

[Old Bert]

I haven’t tried a different mask I am using humidity and I’ve tried several different levels and I did have a bit of a cardiac work up done back in june.

[OpalRose]

Are you able to post an OSCAR chart so we can see how it is set up?

[clownbell]

Can you reduce the pressure further while keeping an acceptable AHI?

The experts really do need Oscar to give meaningful advice.

[Old Bert]

Maybe you can help me understand about Oscar. My machine is One of the recalled dream stations my pressure is normally set at 18, I used no ramp, lately I have tried every setting for humidity. The last night I used the machine was the 7th it ran for two hours. I can try and post those from the 7th they will be with a pressure of 13.5. (as they told me to play with it.)  But it only ran for 2 hours. Will you be able to see enough with that? If you think you will I will fight my way through and try to post them.

[Old Bert]

Sorry I did not realise there are more then one day saved. I will post more.


   
   
   

[ejbpesca]

Same air problem here.  It is called aerophagia.  I found that name by accident on the net.  I thought my acid was the cause of all the air, I now realize the aerophagia causes acid.

I am in the process of attempting to find settings for my AirSense 10 APAP that will give me therapy but not put air in my belly.  Why after 15 years of CPAP this has started, I am not sure but it could have to do with age, (70) or maybe damage done by an endoscopy.

I was at 12/20 pressure. (I think that was way too high.)  I took it down to 4/8 which is not enough pressure.  I am up to  6.6/10 for last night and adjusting upward daily.  Aerophagia is down but therapy is lacking at current pressures.

This is why I just joined this forum and look what I see as the latest post, another CPAPer with the same problem.

I will be posting lots of data on a daily basis for any pros here to see.  I have no access to a technician nor doctor who knows anything about CPAP machines and how to set them so I must do it myself.

[Old Bert]

I am with you, after 10 years of use it has started.  I have never had acid reflex like I have been having it since June.

[Old Bert]

If I should post some other dates let me know. I tried to get a mix of dates that would sort of show a range through out the time I have been having trouble.