What condition could cause/worsen aerophagia?

[urachan]

Hi,

I've been struggling with aerophagia for a year. I've tried many different setups but they all seem to lead to air getting stuck in my stomach and me waking up after 1-2 hours of sleep. Pressure does not seem to affect my aerophagia - I've tried as low as 4cm, up to 10cm, with no EPR and EPR 1-2-3 and it's all the same. I'm starting to believe that it has something to do with my body.

I'm looking for ideas as to what could potentially cause it. So far here's what I tried:

- Cervical collar seems to give me aerophagia 100% of the time
- And yet, sleeping with my neck nice and straight (without cervical collar) seems to help me not trigger aerophagia (my head tends to drop while I sleep, so making a conscious effort of keeping it straight sometimes allow me to sleep 4-8 hours, but only at 7cm max). However I don't feel rested at all, so the pressure is most likely too little for me to feel the benefits of CPAP. This technique doesn't work above 7cm for some reason.
- Sleeping with my chin against my chest gives me aerophagia as well.
- Wedge pillow didn't work either.
- I haven't tried lately but from what I remember, back sleeping does not give me aerophagia at all. Problem is I'm a side sleeper.

I really don't understand why back sleeping is fine, but cervical collar is not, and keeping my neck nice and straight is 50/50. I even tried recording myself while sleeping but I didn't find anything worthwile.

I do have digestive/burping issues, so maybe that could be related? Maybe GERD? I'd love to hear your opinions/experiences. Maybe I could try some over-the-counter GERD medicine and see if it helps my aerophagia?

The last thing I could try is a chin strap. Maybe my jaw dropping could lead to gulping air? The knightsbridge one is out of stock for now so I'm waiting until it restocks before trying this. I already have a cheap chin strap but it pulls my jaw backwards and it hurts. I forgot to mention it but I'm currently using a full face mask, although I started off with a nasal mask and I had the same issue.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

[Jay51]

The most common cause of aerophagia is pressure that is too high to tolerate.  GERD could possibly damage the esophageal sphincters that close of the esophagus/stomach.  All of the things you mention could be worth a try IMO.  Simply try a few nights to see if any of them work.

[SarcasticDave94]

GERD definitely, hiatal hernia as well.

[BoxcarPete]

GERD is linked to issues like aerophagia, but unfortunately the medications involved generally do not address the underlying issue (loose sphincters) but instead lessen the harm of the reflux itself to something the body's natural processes are able to handle (reducing acid strength usually).

My experience is fairly limited with FFM, but I personally found that aerophagia was a little bit worse for me using an FFM compared to nasal mask.

As Jay said above, this issue is usually from excess pressure (which is different for every individual) and if you are noticing it at very low pressures I hate to say but it might be an uphill battle for you.

[HalfAsleep]

How about posting your Oscar charts so you can maybe get insights there?

Also, my doctor thought I had GERD, and convinced me to raise the head of my bed 6-8 inches. You put blocks under the legs. Turns out, I don’t have GERD, but have kept the head of the bed raised. This is a standard GERD hack, and shouldn’t contribute to sleep posture issues, since the whole bed is tilted, and the neck shouldn’t kink any more than if the bed was flat.

I did learn that if your bed is a short size like a full, raising the head of it by 8 inches is a non-starter, because the angle is ridiculous.

[urachan]

Thank you guys! 
I have scheduled an endoscopy for tomorrow. I'll let you know what comes up in case someone happens to be in my situation.

From the research I've done, I also suspect that it might be either GERD or hiatal hernia. I'm jealous of you guys who don't suffer much from aerophagia, it's been awful for me. 

I could still try to learn to sleep on my back as it doesn't seem to trigger aerophagia, or I could try taking GERD medication (if I happen to have it). I did find an old reddit thread in which somebody said taking GERD meds cured their aerophagia, so that might be another way.

[urachan]

So in case anyone is in a similar situation, I've just done an endoscopy and have been diagnosed with GERD and gastritis. Currently waiting for the results of the H. pylori breath test. 

The doctor said my stomach was normal so most likely no hiatal hernia. I hope treating GERD will help with the aerophagia.

[cps22]

You mentioned burping issues. Are you unable to burp? If so, do you know about Retrograde Cricopharyngeus Dysfunction (R-CPD)?  

I ask because that is what I have, and the aerophagia from the CPAP is intolerable. I just had the Botox treatment for it a few days ago, and hope it will eliminate or at least reduce the problem.

[Jstalez]

So in case anyone is in a similar situation, I've just done an endoscopy and have been diagnosed with GERD and gastritis. Currently waiting for the results of the H. pylori breath test. 

The doctor said my stomach was normal so most likely no hiatal hernia. I hope treating GERD will help with the aerophagia.



Hey, I am dealing with aerophaigia as well where unfortunately low pressure isnt working either. Were you prescribed anything  that has helped?