Every morning I wake up feeling like throwing up, and having stomach pain, because air blew in my stomach all night.  After I get up, and burp a few times, I feel better, but it's an unpleasant way to wake up every day. Also, I know that if the mask leaks air, I'm not getting enough pressure in my lungs. Is it possible that if air is going into my stomach, I'm not getting enough pressure into my lungs? Is there any way to keep this from happening?

I have the same problem, but I don't think it's hurting your treatment as far as stoping the apnea.  Some people's bodies get used to the pressure and the problem with air in their stomach goes away after a few weeks or months.  For others like myself it really hasn't gotten better yet, but I'm on a high pressure setting.  
 
If your on a regular CPAP, one thing your doctor and DME can do is switch you to a CPAP with "C-flex", "EPR", or to a BiPAP where they can make it so your not getting the full pressure when you exhale.  This way you should fill up with less air.  Your doctor could lower your pressure on your CPAP, and that may help with your stomach, but could make your apnea worse.
 
If you have questions, the chat room is a good place to ask others.
 
Good Luck,
Mark

You can also use an over the counter product like Gas-X to deal with the painful bloating. I had the same problem initially, but I pop a pill before going to bed and it really helps with the bloating from the CPAP air.


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<--Will-->
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Cpap treatment has nothing to do with forcing air into your stomach. It forces air into the airway to keep it open. What you are having is called aerophasia. You should discuss this with your doctor or RT. You may need a different machine or a pressure change.

If CPAP has nothing to do with the air in my stomach, (And it does. This started happening the night I got the cpap, and ONLY happens when I have it on,) then why would I need a pressure change?

bdp522 wrote:

Cpap treatment has nothing to do with forcing air into your stomach. It forces air into the airway to keep it open. What you are having is called aerophasia. You should discuss this with your doctor or RT. You may need a different machine or a pressure change.

So a lot of us just mysteriously started getting painful stomach bloating overnight when we started CPAP? And for some reason it only seems to happen on nights when we use our CPAP machines? And CPAP really has nothing to do with it?


_________________
<--Will-->
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I was thinking faster then I could type and should have proof read what I wrote...SORRY. I meant to say that cpap does not force air into your lungs! The air can get forced into the stomach and that is why a change in pressure or machine may be warranted.  Again, I'm very sorry for my mistake and I hope it didn't upset too many of you.

Air entering the stomach will not, by itself, impair the CPAP working to keep your airway open.  However, in my experience, aerophagia (starting at day 1 of CPAP) did interfere with my sleep and tolerance of the CPAP significantly.  As I've mentioned in previous posts in other topics, a change to APAP resulted in a dramatic decrease in this, even more than a 1 cm drop in pressure.  (Was originally on CPAP without expiratory pressure relief at 14 cm.)

Hi,
  My first sleep study, now about 7 years ago, I slept on my back for the titration, and was prescribed a pressure of 18.  
  At home with my cpap, I slept on my side, and got painful areophagia (air in stomach)
My pressure at 18 was more than I needed for side sleeping, and a followup sleep study reduced my pressure to 16 - no more areophagia! My thrid study a couple years later resulted in a pressure of 14, as I tummy slept the entire time, refusing to "roll on my back" for a while.  I didn't want to be titrated for a position I never sleep in.
  About a year into therapy I bagan using an autopap.  Because it gives lower pressures when I side or back sleep, it also works well for stopping areophagia.  
  Many doctors will allow a drop of one or two pressure reports without repeating a sleep study, if you tell them you are having painful air, and that you side or tummy sleep routinely.
  As for GasX type medications, I found they were not effective in treating "air pumped into my tummy" which is different than gas that forms as a result of the digestive process.

I only got my bi-pap (with humidifier) for 3 days now, and I wake up with lots of gas in my stomach all the time. I'm wondering if this is because I breath through my mouth most of the time during my seleep. I can tell because air is blowing into my mouth and make my mouth dry. First day was the worst, and it gets better later because I learnt to keep my jaw close together (but mouth still open). However, as I fall asleep, my jaw would drop eventually. I can't breathe through my nose freely at night, and my ENT doctor had recommended for a surgery. However, I'm trying to postpone it and give the bi-pap a try. Now, I'm wondering if bi-pap is a no-no for a mouth breather like me.

MouthBreather wrote:

I only got my bi-pap (with humidifier) for 3 days now, and I wake up with lots of gas in my stomach all the time. I'm wondering if this is because I breath through my mouth most of the time during my seleep. I can tell because air is blowing into my mouth and make my mouth dry. First day was the worst, and it gets better later because I learnt to keep my jaw close together (but mouth still open). However, as I fall asleep, my jaw would drop eventually. I can't breathe through my nose freely at night, and my ENT doctor had recommended for a surgery. However, I'm trying to postpone it and give the bi-pap a try. Now, I'm wondering if bi-pap is a no-no for a mouth breather like me.

This stomach gas "my opinion only, but I did read it somewhere" is from swallowing the air. So first it gets into yur mouth and then it is swallowed. I tape my mouth and I now have a full face mask and I have no more problems with pain..but the gas that I pass ..oh boy! Especially first thing in the morning. My wake up sounds!

I must swallow some air since my stomach growls like crazy in the mornings. However, it's not enough to cause any pain.  Some days it doesn't do it at all.  I haven't been able to figure out yet what causes me to swallow air only on some nights.


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Acronyms and Often Used Forum Phrases
Respironics? M-Series Auto w/ HH & C-Flex; Flexfit? Hybrid? Mask, Encore Pro 1.8i

i get air in my mouth some time's and all so swallow it.it happen's when i get real relaxed and i am about to go to sleep i catch the corners of my mouth open just a little.  


_________________
jerry

ResMed S8 Elite With EPR / ResMed HumidAire 3i
ResMed Mirage Quattro FF Mask / Ultra Mirage FF Mask / liberty FF
Optimum Pressure 10 cm
Oxygen Saturation W Events 82% / Oxygen Desaturation 8.33%
Ahi-7.0 / total # of A & H- 49 / Plms 60 /

I'd had air swallowing in the begging. It is getting better. Mine wasn't painful but it did cause some impressive belching when I got up.

Have you tried some simethicone in the AM to help you bring up the air when you get up? Warm baking soda water would work too but it isn't recommended (old folk remedy) due to the sodium content. I still use it in a pinch though.

I have also been experiencing air going into my stomach and also air apparently going out my mouth even though I have a Resporonics chin strap.  In fact my tongue gets real dry and is somewhat painful and has almost a burning sensation.  Has anyone  gotten diverticulitis from this forced air pressure, because I got this soon after I started with machine.  It might or might not be related.Also, why are we calling the air in stomach "Swallowed air"?  Would a person have to actually swallow for the pressurized air to get into the stomach    I am wondering if a person gets too much air in his/her stomach, could this put pressure on bladder as well?  I am asking this as I started having real frequent urinations after starting with machine.  Thanks for any comments or experiences, ideas.