Cross Posting from Sleep Apnea - Air in stomach?

A note about hacking the machines...

There is software available that will let you put the card from your CPAP in your computer and read off the same data the doctors look at. It's not something they like patients to do, but some of us are stubborn little jerks about it. LOL.

If you can get the software and look at your own numbers, and feel confident doing it, you can manage your pressure and make sure your AHIs aren't going up as you decrease the pressure.

Mind you, I'm not advising you to do that, but if you were determined to do so, the tech is available. ;)

Thanks for the info! I'm an extremely compliant CPAP user (unlike my post RNY choices) but this makes sense. I can't seem to get in for a few weeks and the air in the stomach is pretty miserable.

This past weekend I was packing up my apt and found an old "backup" CPAP that stopped working - but it actually WORKS just at a really low pressure. I tried sleeping with it and my BF said I snored and stopped breathing at least once. This affirms my suspicion that I still need it, at least. Now to find a happy middle ground between air in the stomach and suffocation :)

It's really worth the time and money to get another sleep study done to see if you need your settings adjusted or if you need the machine at all.

I put this off and ended up getting a very rare complication called Vesticular Neuritis. This was a viral infection of the nerves in my inner ear -- that left me with some hearing loss and and 6 weeks of vertigo -- 2 so bad that I was unable to do anything but lay in one position with my eyes fixed on one spot. I couldn't read, watch tv, nor move my head. The Cleveland Clinic advised it was from too much pressure that pushed a viral infection into the inner recesses my ears and nasal cavity.

I would hate for anyone else to suffer this, too.

OH god! That sound horrific!!!

FYI, before my husband lost weight he had severe sleep apnea. All his sisters have it too. He is an electronics geek and found a self adjusting cpap. It would automatically adjust pressure to his needs . He had previously figured out how to tinker with the machine and adjust it himself but the self adjusting one was the best. Pricy maybe but worth it. Eventually he was able to get rid of it completely. I think it comes from Resperonics. Diane S

what a great idea!