Continuing Problem with NO end in sight

[rairs9]

Have used Resmed AutoSpirit and UltraMirage FF mask for some time now (2 years).
Have no basic problem with equipment but ... I continue to have bad aerophagia or intestinal gas. Many nights (not all) around 3 - 4am I wake up with terrible gas and have to remove the mask so I can sleep on stomach and have a chance at sleep. Have poor ability to breathe through nose so nasal mask or pillows not going to happen. Sleep doctor shows carefree attitude and says adjust pressure and hope it works. This is the second sleep doctor I have tried and neither seem to give a darn. Computer program tells me I have reasonable leakage on mask and apnea/hypopnea readings are reasonable but not great. Any suggestions ?

[HH]

The Spirit has two pressure settings - the lower limit and the upper limit.

If the upper limit is set close to your "cpap pressure" you may well get aerophagia as the Spirit cannot drop the pressure below the lower limit.

I have my ResMed autopaps set at about 5.5 (going to 6 when I get a cold) and I have the settling featured turned off. This allows the Spirit to go as low as 5.5 or 6.0 during the night if more pressure is not needed.

My feeling is that the lower limit should be at the lowest level you are COMFORTABLE breathing at. For most people that is in the 5.0 to 6.0 range and one RT called it the persons anatomical pressure. If you have a deviated septum like me then you should have a Breathe Right strip on when this lower pressure is set.

If you can set you own pressures limits with your software then you should be able to adjust the lower limit fairly easily. You can also check to make sure that the Spirit has not been set to the "cpap mode"! If it is then set it to the autopap mode and set your lower limit as suggested above and the upper limit to 3 or 4 higher than your "cpap pressure". After a few weeks you can reset the upper limit to 20 so it can support you in the event of a medical emergency - meaning a trip to the hospital.

The other thing you can do, if you breathe through your nose OK is to try the Activa Mask AND a chin strap. With a FF mask it is easy to breathe through your mouth and this might increase the air getting to your stomach.

[RickRed]

There is something else you should know about the treatment of apnea that Sleep Dr's don't tell you about. You might want to check out the Dental Sleep Medicine Forum. An increasing number of us, myself included hated apnea treatment. After a year of little success (I partly blame that on my enlarged turbinates which no one bothered to check)
I did the following:
1. Had the Pillar Procedure done
2. Had a Nasal Somnoplasty

Both procedures involve very little pain. However I was still snoring after both so I didn't want to get a sleep study performed until I got a dental device. Within a week of using this device I felt better than I had for the entire previous year on CPAP. This phrase came to my mind and it's true, a bad day with a dental device is better than my best day on CPAP. Went for a sleep study and it confirmed I no longer need CPAP.

Most all of us who have had a study with a dental device were the FIRST people ever tested at our respective sleep clinics using a dental device. At the moment I can't recall a single person who did not have sucessful experience getting off CPAP.

Most Sleep Dr's do not work with a dentist whose speciality is Sleep Medicine, I don't know why other than they don't want to lose their patients. If you are having trouble with CPAP that can't be resolved, or you don't like CPAP look into a dental device. Using this gave me my life and my energy back! It may sound to good to be true, but most of us went back to Sleep Clinics to confirm our success. Each week it seems some one else is putting away their CPAP for good. I don't think you'll be disappointed when you look into this.
Rick

[Less Sleepy]

Actually, my sleep doc was going to suggest a dental sleep specialist, if I couldn't get better relief with BiPAP. He was also going to send me to Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottsville, since we are reaching the end of the road with what can be done locally. I'm doing a little better now, and may eventually go to the teaching hospital, but I'd like to lose weight first and see if that helps.