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(10-29-2019, 11:54 AM)bonjour Wrote: Let me also welcome you to the apnea board. I am beerdujour on reddit.
8 is a better pressure for you, but take your time getting back there, your comfort, how you feel is far more important than your numbers at this stage. Your doctor will be extremely pleased with any of your charts.
Hey there! I thought that name looked familiar : So you think 8 would be better? I am curious as to why? It seems the aerophagia is my biggest issue which seems to be a bit better at 6 but I know this is going to be trial and error for a bit. And thank you!
Without question aerophagia is your biggest issue, This will definitely take time to resolve. I would raise pressure slowly, 0.2 at a time with no more than a change every 4 or 5 days. Your numbers are such that you are in no hurry. Why 8, The charts that you showed looked a bit better with a lower AHI, BUT your comfort is the overriding factor here, NOT your numbers. So How do you feel?
Gideon - Project Manager Emeritus for OSCAR - Open Source CPAP Analysis Reporter
Every day is a new adventure. I slept pretty good last night but today was very strange...I felt spacy and out of it. I'm thinking of dropping back to my original setting of 5 for now. I heard back from my doc via email who apparently reviewed my data and said my numbers look good and he ordered a titration test in the sleep lab(something we had discussed at initial consult).
Yep, every day IS a new adventure! It is actually for that reason that I would suggest sticking with your current pressure settings. There are all kinds of possible reasons you are feeling spacey today. One of them could just be normal variation in the quality of your sleep; others might be unrelated to sleep. Try giving the settings a few days and see how things look then.
so here's my last 2 nights. 1 step forward 2 steps back I apologize for wrong format on last nights graph AHI was 3.6 +- Oops!
not sure if this is TMI but hoping someone can shed some light. This is a note I sent my sleep doc.....
" something that never came up in our original consult is my gut issues. I have had ongoing issues which have yet to be officially diagnosed. Gut doctor suspected "silent reflux" and potentially eosinophyllic esophagitis(never actually confirmed). I had a narrowing of my esophagus which had to be stretched. Anyway, I didn't think it would have any impact on CPAP treatment or vice versa but hoping you can help out.
Is Aerophagia a relatively common side effect of CPAP treatment? I originally assumed aerophagia was causing the diarrhea I am experiencing. In the limited research I was able to do, there is some question as to what the correlation is but my main symptom is diarrhea now. Some days it is less than others, but today for example it is pretty bad. The aerophagia-specific symptoms(bloating, upset stomach) are still present but manageable and not nearly as bad as the diarrhea. Should I take pepto bismol? Will increasing the pressure have an adverse impact? My sleep seems to be getting better some nights but very choppy and still waking often. "
Are you experiencing Aerophagia? If so, as at least a temporary measure you need to lower your max pressure. I'd suggest to 8 and expect further changes. I would also set the min to 7 to take better advantage of your EPR. Try these and repost your charts
Gideon - Project Manager Emeritus for OSCAR - Open Source CPAP Analysis Reporter
Yes varying degrees of aerophagia which sucks but is at least manageable. The diarrhea is the main problem - I'm still unclear if this is considered part of the aerophagia. It hadn't occurred to me to lower the max as I haven't come close to it according to Oscar - my max is set at 20 and I think the highest I've gone is like 12 and only for brief periods. I was thinking upping the minimum to 7 would actually make the aerophagia worse, no? I did try 8 one night and 7 another night and it seemed to make the aerophagia/diarrhea worse but not sure now ??
6-8 min on inhale pressure is low, EPR will drop exhale pressure by 3 to 4-5. This should be comfortable and we will address the aerophagia again if it is an issue. That is a real low max as it is.
Gideon - Project Manager Emeritus for OSCAR - Open Source CPAP Analysis Reporter
Mike, for what it's worth, you did seem to find earlier that 7 was OK for aerophagia, plus you are rarely much over 7. I haven't read other people reporting diarrhea associated with aerophagia -- flatulence yes, diarrhea no. I see no harm in trying an over-the-counter remedy for the diarrhea and seeing what happens. If it persists, see the doctor. In the meantime, be sure to stay extra-well hydrated.
My doctor also thought I had silent reflux, though eventually an upper GI endoscopy showed I didn't. It's a hard diagnosis to make, apparently. I'm sure your ENT has suggested dietary guidelines and perhaps some medication. It's always worth giving these low-risk treatments a try, I think.
The good news in your recent post is that on some nights your sleep is getting better. I can really sympathize with a sense of urgency to get to good sleep fast, especially for a problem-solver, which you seem to be. But sometimes patience and a willingness to let things settle in is the best approach to take. Give the suggested range a try, leave it there for at least 3 days, and see how things go. Well, I hope!
Thanks for input. I have to say I am amazed that no one seems to see the connection between aerophagia and diarrhea. I assumed it was just part of it. Aerophagia upsets your stomach, no? Which in turns leads to diarrhea? Not trying to be a smartass but it is obvious to me. Whenever I've gotten diarrhea in my life it's been this way. Am I living in an alternate reality? I am only half kidding. I actually saw a previous poster(different forum I believe) which had the same issue as me and she basically got mocked and made fun of to the point where she stopped responding?? That's partially why I was reluctant to even bring this up.
Again, not trying to be a smartass and I really do appreciate all the input.
(10-29-2019, 11:54 AM)bonjour Wrote: Let me also welcome you to the apnea board. I am beerdujour on reddit.
8 is a better pressure for you, but take your time getting back there, your comfort, how you feel is far more important than your numbers at this stage. Your doctor will be extremely pleased with any of your charts.
Hey there! I thought that name looked familiar : So you think 8 would be better? I am curious as to why? It seems the aerophagia is my biggest issue which seems to be a bit better at 6 but I know this is going to be trial and error for a bit. And thank you!
Without question aerophagia is your biggest issue, This will definitely take time to resolve. I would raise pressure slowly, 0.2 at a time with no more than a change every 4 or 5 days. Your numbers are such that you are in no hurry. Why 8, The charts that you showed looked a bit better with a lower AHI, BUT your comfort is the overriding factor here, NOT your numbers. So How do you feel?
So you think 8 would be better? I am curious as to why? It seems the aerophagia is my biggest issue which seems to be a bit better at 6 but I know this is going to be trial and error for a bit. And thank you!
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