Thank you for this feedback everyone. In terms of the weight gain, it is really strange. I have always been slim and tall and 175 lbs max. After CPAP, I puffed up to 215 within 7-8 months. It seemed to also correlate with the changing of a machine and mask, but I can't assume that was the cause as it was the same pressure settings and the mask was more confortable.Janknitz wrote: ↑Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:06 pmCan you clarify something here?
You saidAre you in bed already an hour after eating? If so, that needs to change immediately. The burping up food is likely GERD (but it could be something else like some sort of esophageal stricture so you really do need to see a GI doctor!). In any case, you should not try to go to sleep until at least 3 hours after eating. If this is happening when you haven't gone to bed in the evening yet, it's clearly NOT CPAP related.I now burp up food an hour or so after eating it, and my throat seems to be getting swollen and closing.
You will be prescribed Proton Pump Inhibitors to lessen the inflammation. But note those are for SHORT TERM use (your doctor may tell you differently, but I highly suggest you research long term effects). They should not be used indefinitely. They treat symptoms, not the underlying issues, and can make the underlying issues worse by interfering with your digestive tract's need for acid. The long term effects are nasty (dementia being one). Few doctors address the underlying issues.
If it is GERD and not some mechanical obstruction (again, you MUST be seen by a GI doc for a diagnosis--check out your options for help with medical expenses as this is serious stuff), then there are two books that you should read: Why Stomach Acid is Good for You by Dr. Lenard Wright, and FAst Tract Digestion: LPR, Acid Reflux and GERD Diet Cure without Drugs by Norman Robillard, Ph.D.
If the CPAP pressure is causing aerophagia, you may need to make some simple adjustments to your pressure or you may need a machine with a lower exhalation pressure (BIPAP). A simple fix to try is training yourself to sleep with the tongue on the roof of the mouth (practice all day when you are not talking or eating) because in most (not all) people that seals off the mouth from the airway and reduces or eliminates air swallowing.
The scary thing is I do NOT overeat. In fact, i've been eating maybe 1-2 regular sized meals a day, yet EVERYTHING gets burped up in at least some amount or other. Even just some cereal, and I can expect to seem some of it within an hour in the sink. Its terrifying, and the sleep doctor I have thinks its absolutely preposterous to assume its CPAP related. He says if I were retaining air, it would come out within a few hours and now last all day. I disagree, as I've always had constipation issues.
Anyhow, I may get the scope done, even though its $3000 out of pocket, just so I can get to the bottom of this.