Back pains

artfiend · Post by **artfiend** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:01 am

Hey guys, first time poster here. Hope everyone's doing ok.

I have a question for you guys about the CPAP machine. When I first got mine it was great. I had full nights of sleep, I wasn't grumpy anymore, life was good. Then, abotu three months ago, I started waking upo with these crazy back aches. Granted, they would only last an hour or so after I woke up. But they were bad enough to wake me up periodically at night. A bit of research and I found out that because of my machine I had a tendency to stay on one side for a long period of time I woke up with these pains. My question to you dear friends is how do you deal with these pains ( those of you who do have them anyways?)

Thanks!

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:59 am

Welcome to the forum.

I would suspect my mattress first thing. I have a long history of back pain but from injury and arthritis.
Memory foam topper helped some but eventually it gets tired. Finally time to bite the bullet and new mattress.
Huge, huge difference in morning pain reduction with the sleep number bed.

So I would look at the bed and see if there was something that needed improvement there first.

NancyAZ · Post by **NancyAZ** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:05 am

I had a real problem with that for awhile at first and I figured out it was because I was being so careful not to cause leaks with my mask that I would spend most of the night flat on my back. As I got used to the mask and moved around more during the night, the back pains went away. I hope you are able to figure this out because the back aches were miserable.

Nancy

giantred · Post by **giantred** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 12:39 pm

Hey Artfriend,

I've experienced the same thing with both my neck and back for some time now, and I made a decision not to use the CPAP equipment for a long time, I AM NOT SUGGESTING THIS FOR YOU, I did it , and I'm really messed up now with the Apnea & related problems. I won't go into the details of my problems, but maybe we can work together to figure this out. Please, I pray for You, I truly do, don't let it control and destroy your life. There has to be a solution to it. I went through many mattresses and spent $$$ on it and maybe it's the foam pillow, I have no idea. Does your mask have the straps that go around the neck? It might start from there and go down to the back. I noticed when I used CPAP, within an hour or so the neck/back problems started, so I made a decision not to use the equipment. Maybe the best solution is to use CPAP for the first 4 hours, and then not use it after that so we get some oxyen. I can't use nasal prongs, because I had a septoplasty and the conern is the nose might bleed again.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 1:05 pm

Since OP stated he/she did fine for 3 months that was why I suggested what I did.

giantred wrote:Does your mask have the straps that go around the neck? It might start from there and go down to the back. I noticed when I used CPAP, within an hour or so the neck/back problems started, so I made a decision not to use the equipment. Maybe the best solution is to use CPAP for the first 4 hours, and then not use it after that so we get some oxyen.

If it is a strap problem maybe the solution would be to try a different mask with different strap placement. To suggest not using CPAP so someone could get more oxygen is counter productive and just plain wrong.

OP complained of back aches. To me this means lower back. He/she didn't say neck aches or headaches. While it is possible for us to put ourselves in odd positions trying to keep the mask from leaking and such, this could bring on back aches...if I had done fine for 3 months and suddenly started having back pains, I would suspect the bed or maybe just plain old back strain. I certainly would not automatically blame cpap and decide that going without therapy would be the best thing to do. A different mask might help or it might not. Going without CPAP sure won't supply MORE oxygen and will do more harm than dealing with back pain by other more productive measures.

Samba · Post by **Samba** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 1:09 pm

I used to have 2 pillows to sleep & when I removed 1, the neck & back pain went away.

giantred · Post by **giantred** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 1:24 pm

Did you use a feather pillow or a foam pillow? Also did you let your mask rest at the end of the pillow or did it sink in the middle of the pillow?

avi123 · Post by **avi123** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 3:03 pm

artfiend wrote:Hey guys, first time poster here. Hope everyone's doing ok.

I have a question for you guys about the CPAP machine. When I first got mine it was great. I had full nights of sleep, I wasn't grumpy anymore, life was good. Then, abotu three months ago, I started waking upo with these crazy back aches. Granted, they would only last an hour or so after I woke up. But they were bad enough to wake me up periodically at night. A bit of research and I found out that because of my machine I had a tendency to stay on one side for a long period of time I woke up with these pains. My question to you dear friends is how do you deal with these pains ( those of you who do have them anyways?)

Thanks!

I have the same problem but only after I get up and start walking. My pain is in the lower back. So I decided to increase my visits to the gym to 3 a week, without missing any as I have done recently, and hoping (in my case "knowing") that it will take care of it.

scrapper · Post by **scrapper** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 3:29 pm

giant red wrote: Maybe the best solution is to use CPAP for the first 4 hours, and then not use it after that so we get some oxyen.

This is the ABSOLUTE WORST SOLUTION. You use the cpap to keep the airway open. It does not decrease oxygen unless the airway is not open. You will not get more oxygen by not using cpap--just the opposite most likely.

Back pain has little or nothing to do with oxygen in this situation. It's most likely postural related, as all have stated.

Welcome to the Forum artfiend!

BlackSpinner · Post by **BlackSpinner** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 4:13 pm

giantred wrote:. I noticed when I used CPAP, within an hour or so the neck/back problems started, so I made a decision not to use the equipment. Maybe the best solution is to use CPAP for the first 4 hours, and then not use it after that so we get some oxyen.

Oh great so now you have no neck pain but your brain cells all died off for lack of Oxygen. Because only through dead brain cells could you get that really, really stupid idea that taking off your cpap would increase your Oxygen, like as when you stop breathing without the cpap do you think you are getting it by osmosis?

giantred · Post by **giantred** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:25 pm

Maybe I'm an idiot, I just don't know anymore. I think now I don't even have any communication or grammar skills left. Doesn't it make sense that if you use the CPAP machine for 4 hours compared to no hours that you would get some oxygen compared to if you didn't use the CPAP machine at all. My theory is that if I use the CPAP machine for the first 4 hours and then take it off, I would get some oxygen at night so I'm at least using it for a few hours compared to not using it at all. In addition, If I use it for 4 hours, that means that I wouldn't experience as much back and neck pain since the CPAP gear wouldn't be on my face the entire night? Am I not clear? Please let me know? More than one person criticised my comment. I'm not criticizing them, only myself. I would like to know. Thank you.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:33 pm

Giantred, the way you worded your response gave us the impression that more oxygen was being delivered off cpap. I now see what you mean. Half a night with CPAP better than no night with CPAP.

I still don't agree though. Half a night causing damage to whatever instead of trying to solve the problem and get a whole night on CPAP. I would take back pain any day over starving my body of oxygen and the damage that causes.

scrapper · Post by **scrapper** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:48 pm

Giant Red: I also did not understand your point initially, as I do now that you've communicated further..............and while I agree that your point is better than no cpap, I'm still very much in favor of finding the cure the initial cause of back pain.

I sleep a log since I've been on cpap--about half of the time I stay in one position all night long. After I got a new mattress, pain and stiffness from being in one position is no longer a problem.

giantred · Post by **giantred** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 1:07 pm

What kind of pillow do you use?

artfiend · Post by **artfiend** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:46 pm

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your responses. Just to touch upon some of the points made here:

I work out 3-4 times a week. My body is in tip top condition and don't have arthritis, so that rules that out. When I did my sleep tests, because of all the exercise I do I was getting about 95 - 98% oxygen to my brain...when I wasn't holding my breath during sleep of course.

And yes Pugsy, it is my lower to mid back. It takes about an hour and a half for the pains to go away.

I've tried the foam mattress, and without the CPAP machine it feels great. my mattress is a little firm but I love it like that. I don't think it's the mattress as I've never had this problem before CPAP.

Another reason I know it's not the mattress is because when I sleep without the CPAP, I wake up fine, a little groggy, but fine.

My pillow is one of those foam ones, great for my neck. I varied between a regular pillow and this one and it made no difference to my sleep; I still woke up in pain.

Like giantred had suggested if I did a half night of sleep with the mask then the other half without it I'd get a decent sleep. I think that's the way I'm going to go for now.

Samba claimed that he had two pillows, got rid of one and the pains went away. I had three, put two between my legs and sleep on the foam one, and it helps...a little.

Something I should add guys is I've finally decided to go with a Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. The nose and throat specialist suggested it to me, claiming I was a prime candidate. My tonsils are unusually large. The surgery will help me immensly and I had reservations about surgery but not with this CPAP issue I think I want to rid myself of the machine for good.

But for the next month, I'll be using it off and on. Like Giantred said, it's better to use it half night than not at all.

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