Ear pressure

I had my shoulder surgery 8 days ago. Ouch...yip..yip...yip...YIPE!
The whole purpose for me getting my BiPAP when I did was so I could sleep on my back after surgery.
I had a nerve block to the shoulder. Only thing, it was put in my neck artery, and the right side of my neck, arm, and right lung was numb. This caused respiratory problems as I have chronic asthma. The first 36 hours until the nerve block wore off felt like I had an elephant on my chest. Then my lungs filled up with gunk. I think I was close to getting pneumonia. I tried wearing my mask and it is like there was gunk that blew into my estachian tubes, because there was a great feeling of pressure in my ears, like all the air was blowing in there. I could actually feel the sound deminish, also.
As a result, I haven't worn my mask for a while. I've been getting along pretty good, and actually have been able to sleep on my left side and even a bit on the surgery/right side...only partial turn.
I can't do antihistamines because there is something I'm allergic to in them that causes my scalp to itch and keep me awake all night.
Have any of you ever had congestion or whatever make the air practically blow out your ear drums?
I haven't been online much because I have to spend 6 hours a day in a therapy chair, with my arm strapped to a moving arm rest. Then I spend 2 hours every morning getting ready for, going to, and coming back from personal PT at a clinic. Add it up and there's not much time for anything else. Take care of the 2 parrots and fix dinner, clean up, finish up on the chair and time for bed.
Betty

I take benedryl (for allergies) to help with ear pressure and to help me get used to the machine. I'm new at all this mask business. I go to Costco/Sam's Club and get a 400 unit bottle of 25 mg. for $3.99. That's a penny each. At the sleep clinic, one of the nurses told me she takes benedryl to fall asleep also, only she takes 4 pills while I only need one. Make sure your doctor agrees before trying any medication.

I haven't tried Benedryl, so I might give it a go. that is, if I ever get a break from therapy so I can shop!
Thanks for the input.

My ears get plugged the first couple of times I swallow every night, but then seem to be okay by morning. I use a steroid nasal spray which helps keep the tubes open all of the time. By the way, How was your experience having surgery? Did you just have the block or did you have general anesthetic as well? I'm most likely having ankle surgery and I am kind of freaked out about the whole general anesthetic/CPAP thing. Sorry ot answer your question with another question, but I've wanted to ask you for a while and saw my chance now.

Thanks.
Sue

Hi, for some reason I have never gotten up tight about having surgery. My sister does, but I just don't.
I had general anesthesia besides the nerve block. They thought initially I had a torn rotator cuff and was prepared to do a 1 1/2 hour surgery. Once they got in there, there was no torn cuff. But my shoulder was frozen (stuck down front to back, and I had two different sets of bone spurs. One set in the shoulder and another set on the shoulder blade where it goes into the shoulder. Those had to be shaved off, then he took off extra bone to widen the space so rubbing wouldn't cause more spurs to form.
Since I have asthma, they required me to have a pulmonary function test ahead of time, which I aced. Even so, it nearly gave me pneumonia.
I was awake 20 minutes after surgery, but my arm was like a limp noodle for about 36 hours. That freaked me more than anything, because when I took it out of the sling to get into the therapy chair, it hung and swung like there were no bones in it.
I took my BiPAP. They said I wouldn't need it during surgery as they'd keep my airway open, but I found they didn't use it at all after surgery, either. I guess I woke up pretty quick and didn't need it for those 20 minutes. They said I wasn't having any trouble, but I find that hard to believe.
I think they just didn't know how to put it on me and didn't want to mess with it. I wish I had known that, because I emptied it out the day before and dried everything, packed it up and didn't use it the night before surgery so I wouldn't have to do all that early the day of.
Good luck to you with your ankle. I think a super-calm attitude like I had, much like I had an appt. to get my hair done or something, helps. Keeps stress hormones down and all your organs at peace.
Betty