Pain + incomplete exhalation

[Intunejune]

Got my CPAP in June, pressure first at 5 for one week and then at 10.

Had no trouble with comfort or concerns with the mask, could fall asleep easily.

Progressively over a period of time, I developed pain in my chest muscles. My machine should have been reset to a pressure of 6 in July, but despite numerous calls to the pulmonologist and the RT, the pressure did not get turned down until last week.

My symptoms have not improved, in fact, worsened.

I have severe pain in my chest, upper back, ribs, shoulders and neck. I work with a PT, have for years, he said these were the muscles used in respiration. He could feel the difference.

On the new setting, I am trying to use the CPAP, but exhaling is still a job for me. I cannot completely exhale on the setting of 6, my chest muscles are too tired and painful.

Am I retaining CO2 ????

Should I not use the CPAP until I get a hold of the RT????

Thanks, June

[gasp]

[quote="Intunejune"]Got my CPAP in June, pressure first at 5 for one week and then at 10.

Had no trouble with comfort or concerns with the mask, could fall asleep easily.

Progressively over a period of time, I developed pain in my chest muscles. My machine should have been reset to a pressure of 6 in July, but despite numerous calls to the pulmonologist and the RT, the pressure did not get turned down until last week.

My symptoms have not improved, in fact, worsened.

I have severe pain in my chest, upper back, ribs, shoulders and neck. I work with a PT, have for years, he said these were the muscles used in
respiration. He could feel the difference.

On the new setting, I am trying to use the CPAP, but exhaling is still a job for me. I cannot completely exhale on the setting of 6, my chest muscles are too tired and painful.

Am I retaining CO2 ????

Should I not use the CPAP until I get a hold of the RT????

Thanks, June

[JZ]

June,

If I remember an earlier post of yours, you said your pulmonologist said your sore muscles were from stress, not from the cpap pressure. Well, I guess that is possible, but if the soreness is getting worse, not better, I would recommend another discussion with your doctor. If he is somehow sure it is stress and it is not resolving, then maybe he should consider a very temporary use of a mild, non-addictive anti-anxiety medication. If he is not sure it is stress, he should work with you to figure out what it is.

If it were me, I would keep asking for a machine with exhalation relief. I would let the doctor know I am afraid to keep using the cpap because it is so painful. Do ask the RT and doctor about retained CO2. I have no idea if that is a possibility in your situation.

Would it be possible to get your physical therapist and doctor to talk with one another about your situation? It seems like pulling teeth to get one's health care providers to talk with one another, but the care they are providing is interconnected.

Janna

[Intunejune]

Thanks!

It seems a little bit easier with the reduced setting. I am using the CPAP. The past few nights I have woken up with it on my nose, rather than lying beside me hissing.

When I pull it off at night, I have no recall.... never remember waking..

As the pain is not escalating, I am going to try to hang in, today it MIGHT have been a little less.

As you both recommended, A Flex might be the way to go. In the other similar tread one poster stated since my CPAP is set at a low setting of 6, the exhalation pressure might not be too much lower.

Janna, the doctor and I differ on the stress issue. If this were due to stress at work, it would have started much sooner than the month of June when I started CPAP. (It would have started years ago) Also my son is in Iraq, this is his second tour. That is my all time high stress. No, this started with the use of CPAP, and confirmed by the condition of my muscles of respiration by my physical therapist.

I have learned so much from the thoughtful posters on this forum, thank you so much.

June

[rested gal]

June, does your machine have a blue sticker on top that says "C-Flex"? I'm thinking the older pre-M Plus machines did not have C-flex, but maybe some did and some didn't. At any rate, if there is no blue "C-Flex" sticker on top of a pre-M cpap machine, it doesn't have C-Flex.

That (C-Flex) at the VERY least should have been offered to you by now, given how much pain you've been in trying to exhale using a cpap machine, and how long you've been working at it.

Geeze...such a simple thing...some kind of exhalation relief.

Pressure is a relative thing for each individual. Some can handle 18, 19, 20 with no problem. Others have difficulty in which 5 or 6 can seem like a lot blowing at them. C-flex can make a difference even at a low pressures if you are one who does need exhalation relief at ANY pressure.

If, by chance, your Plus machine does have C-Flex, I wonder if they turned it on?

I'm also surprised the pulmonologist has not considered putting you on a bi-level (bipap) machine. You'd really get great exhalation relief with a bipap.