can high pressure = chest pains?

[nomad]

I've been a CPAP'er for about a year and a half or more. A month and a half ago I started having mild aches in the upper left chest area (and occasionally on the right - the pain kind of moved around but stayed mostly on the left side). After a visit to the ER and a cardiologist for a stress echo test, I was told my heart is perfectly fine. Chest xrays also showed nothing. They said it might be acid reflux, but after being on medication for a month (Protonix and Pepcid) and eating nothing but bland food, I still have the aches. Even after stopping the medications, the aches are exactly the same. I really don't think stomach acid is the cause.

Right now my pressure is at 11 and the Cflex is at 1. I run the humidifier at 5. Could there ever be a point where things change (with your CPAP treatment) and your pressure that you're use to simply becomes too much? Could this excess pressure cause problems... the types of aches I'm describing?

After a couple of visits to my doctor and a few phone calls later, I am beginning to think he believes I'm either making this up or am exaggerating things. I'm the type of person who will use super glue to close a cut instead of going to the doctor for stitches. I don't take pain relievers most of the time when I probably should. In other words, I'm not the hypochondriac type... but this has me slightly concerned.

On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being almost unbearable pain), I'd say this ache I have is a somewhat constant 0.5 to a 1... or on occasion a 2. It's with me (noticeably) for about 75% of the day. I tend to notice it less when I'm out walking, exercising or doing something else to exert myself. I don't have a cough, I'm not spitting anything up and to the best of my knowledge, I never pulled any muscles in that area. And it hurts the same while I have my mask on right before I go to sleep at night. I can't seem to do anything to make it feel better and at the same time, nothing I do makes it any worse.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Thanks for any and all replies.

[Snoredog]

probably from too much moisture getting into your lungs, I cannot imagine using the humidifier on 5.

Try turning it DOWN to about 1 or 2, if your mouth becomes dry or you develop a scratchy dry throat then turn it back up until that goes away.

If you are over 20% humidity outside you don't need the humidifier on 5.

Getting chest pains in the beginning of CPAP therapy is normal, it is thought to be from the rib-cage expanding and causes muscle-skeletal pains.

[nomad]

probably from too much moisture getting into your lungs, I cannot imagine using the humidifier on 5.

Try turning it DOWN to about 1 or 2, if your mouth becomes dry or you develop a scratchy dry throat then turn it back up until that goes away.

If you are over 20% humidity outside you don't need the humidifier on 5.

With the A/C running, the humidity in the house is roughly 40%. I'll turn it down a few notches to see if that does anything.

Getting chest pains in the beginning of CPAP therapy is normal, it is thought to be from the rib-cage expanding and causes muscle-skeletal pains.

Like I previously mentioned, I've been on CPAP therapy for about 1.5 years and never had any problems with expanding muscle-skeletal type pains... even in the very beginning. This is a fairly recent thing.

Thanks for the suggestions Snoredog... I really do appreciate it.

[Susanm]

I'm interested in hearing how you do with less humidity for a few days ... that's what I immediately thought of. I can't even tolerate the passover humidifier without it causes the ache in the chest ... but then I live in a coastal swamp. Even in the middle of an extended drought the humidity is outrageous.

Susan M

[RosemaryB]

Is there any chance it could be something like pleurisy? I don't know much about this except that my grandma used to get it.

[nomad]

Is there any chance it could be something like pleurisy? I don't know much about this except that my grandma used to get it.

I just looked it up on WebMD and got this:

"What are the symptoms of pleurisy?

The symptoms of pleurisy are chest pain and difficulty breathing. The chest pain usually starts suddenly. People often describe it as a stabbing pain. The pain:

- May always be present, but it usually gets worse when you breathe in. You may avoid breathing deeply to prevent the pain.
- Usually is on only one side of the chest.
- May extend to a shoulder or the belly.
- Is usually worse when you cough, sneeze, or suddenly move.
- May ease when you hold your breath or press on the painful area."

Aside from the "Usually is on only one side of the chest" bullet, the rest of the symptoms don't apply to me. Deep breaths don't increase the pain. Like I said, nothing I do seems to make it worse... if anything, it's just constant.

[USAHASSE]

Hi Nomad,

I mirror your experience exactly - to a tee!

Perhaps the difference being that my pain is more like a 2-4.

I am curious as to if you have received any good advice and/or relief of your symptoms.

USAHASSE

[BlackSpinner]

Hi Nomad,

I mirror your experience exactly - to a tee!

Perhaps the difference being that my pain is more like a 2-4.

I am curious as to if you have received any good advice and/or relief of your symptoms.

USAHASSE

Go and see a doctor in ER ASAP.
Never get get pain advice off the internet only a doctor can rule out life threatening issues.

[StuUnderPressure]

Go and see a doctor in ER ASAP.
Never get get pain advice off the internet only a doctor can rule out life threatening issues.

Especially Chest Pain !

I think you will probably find out that it is nothing, but you DO have to find out for sure.