New CPAP user, about 2 weeks, ribs sore , throat sore.

[TheWeehawky]

So, I have picked up the CPAP after waking up clenching my chest and gasping for air, and after the sleep studies..


It's set 7 to 20 , Philips Resperonics. The first week mimicked the same thing as the sleep study with mask, about 2 hours of sleep and waking up taking the thing off to get some sleep and feeling like someone had came in there and smacked my face with a plastic mallet. So I gave up, went to see the pulmanoglist and he scared me back on it and said never quit using it again so insurance doesn't threaten to make the health care provider pick it up (need to be using it 4 hours a night for atleast 21 nights for 30 days).

Now that I been back on the thing for 2 weeks I'm sore in ribs , tonsils feel swollen and just got done with AmoxClav last week, sore throat staying and the pulmanologist didn't want to hear it. He just wanted to look at the test results off the Dream Mapper and told me to get the averages up some more so insurance wont threaten and got mad when I started pointing out beat up sinus' and ribs tapping on his desk talking about I was sent to him about CPAP theorpy and that's all we're going to do, checked machine to make sure they set it right, sent me home.. come back in 3 months.

So now I'm sore as all get up, still can't stand the thing too much (And in a turn of events he told me he had problems with HIS) to get a long nights rest. I understand that it's helping me get the AHI and holding breath gone, but these side effects of using has to go. I can't keep getting ate up using it. He said I was holding my breath 33 times and waking my self up snoring a lot too and had severe OSA.. Didn't offer anything else other than keep going on CPAP and get back at it so insurance wont threaten.

[Wulfman...]

viewtopic/t172378/Sticky--Newbies-PLEAS ... STING.html

viewtopic/t88983/Pugsys-PointersSleepyH ... Hints.html


Den

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[zonker]

So, I have picked up the CPAP after waking up clenching my chest and gasping for air, and after the sleep studies..

welcome to the zoo! please read the links wulfman provided. the experts here(i'm not one!) can help you with this. you are NOT alone. we're pulling for you.

once you read the links and get set up with sleepyhead software and take other steps, they will be able to tailor advice to you. we are each different in how we go about this cpap journey so we each need specific advice. help them help you by going through the steps.

one of the bits of info they will need is to know which machine and mask you use. please go to the user control panel and fill that out. once you do, you're equipment will show up at the bottom of your posts, just as it does on mine below.

good luck!

[TheWeehawky]

So, I have picked up the CPAP after waking up clenching my chest and gasping for air, and after the sleep studies..

welcome to the zoo! please read the links wulfman provided. the experts here(i'm not one!) can help you with this. you are NOT alone. we're pulling for you.

once you read the links and get set up with sleepyhead software and take other steps, they will be able to tailor advice to you. we are each different in how we go about this cpap journey so we each need specific advice. help them help you by going through the steps.

one of the bits of info they will need is to know which machine and mask you use. please go to the user control panel and fill that out. once you do, you're equipment will show up at the bottom of your posts, just as it does on mine below.

good luck!

I'm not sure on the mask? https://ibb.co/HqHm6jX

I don't have a SD card reader on this machine. I only can pull it on bluetooth on the andriod/ DreamMapper .

[Muse-Inc]

Sore ribs -- turn on exhale relief! Really helps. Sore throat -- turn up humidification.

You will get used to this. Give it a bit of time.

[zonker]

I'm not sure on the mask? https://ibb.co/HqHm6jX

I don't have a SD card reader on this machine. I only can pull it on bluetooth on the andriod/ DreamMapper .

i'll answer these backwards, cuz that's how i roll!

if the machine is what you've listed, i think it has one. maybe check here-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkBkhGYZSHk

there are too many masks so i'm not sure what that is. can you check here and see what you think matches up?

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks/full-face-cpap-mask

surely, if i'm wrong about the sd card, someone will be along to (gently) correct me.


'

[TheWeehawky]

I'm not sure on the mask? https://ibb.co/HqHm6jX

I don't have a SD card reader on this machine. I only can pull it on bluetooth on the andriod/ DreamMapper .

i'll answer these backwards, cuz that's how i roll!

if the machine is what you've listed, i think it has one. maybe check here-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkBkhGYZSHk

there are too many masks so i'm not sure what that is. can you check here and see what you think matches up?

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks/full-face-cpap-mask

surely, if i'm wrong about the sd card, someone will be along to (gently) correct me.


'

What I meant is my PC doesn't have a SD card reader to use the listed software.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/3b-med ... -cpap-mask is kinda close ?

How would I turn on exhale relief ? I can hear the machine go WHOOOOOM and then slow down.. then WHOOOOOOOM again like it's already on ?

[TropicalDiver]

I had similar issues when I first began. They can get better.

First data, your machine as a slot for a SD card. If a card isn't installed, you can purchase one at most stores (Target, BestBuy, Walmart, etc.). If your computer lacks a card reader, you can buy a USB one for about $10. The reason folks are pushing this is it provides much more data than the products you reference. The data from the card can be very useful in improving your treatment.

Next, sore throat. This tends to occur from either a lack of humidity or a leak. Not sure what mask you have but if it is leaking (including via your mouth), it will dry you out quickly. If you max the humidity function and the heated hose setting, you will get a lot of moisture. Fix any major leaks and ramp up the moisture!

Finally, sore ribs. They suck. For me, they seemed to be caused by working muscles when exhaling and, perhaps, breathing a bit deeper than normal previously. It got better. Took a few months. Heating pads (during the day only!) were my friend during this time. If you exhalation pressure is a bit lower than your inhalation pressure, this can also help.

[TheWeehawky]

I had similar issues when I first began. They can get better.

First data, your machine as a slot for a SD card. If a card isn't installed, you can purchase one at most stores (Target, BestBuy, Walmart, etc.). If your computer lacks a card reader, you can buy a USB one for about $10. The reason folks are pushing this is it provides much more data than the products you reference. The data from the card can be very useful in improving your treatment.

Next, sore throat. This tends to occur from either a lack of humidity or a leak. Not sure what mask you have but if it is leaking (including via your mouth), it will dry you out quickly. If you max the humidity function and the heated hose setting, you will get a lot of moisture. Fix any major leaks and ramp up the moisture!

Finally, sore ribs. They suck. For me, they seemed to be caused by working muscles when exhaling and, perhaps, breathing a bit deeper than normal previously. It got better. Took a few months. Heating pads (during the day only!) were my friend during this time. If you exhalation pressure is a bit lower than your inhalation pressure, this can also help.

https://www.amazon.com/IOGEAR-MicroSD-R ... B0046TJG1U

I guess something like that would make a good add on and cheap ?

The cpap machine does have one because the pulmanologist's nurse was complaining she couldn't get information off of it and then I pulled out the app on the phone to let him look at the results from there when he calmed down and quit getting POd that I was complaining about the thing, telling me he didn't care about the fact that my nose didn't like the CPAP, or that my ribs were sore, tonsils swollen ,etc.

Which leads me to think I need a different pulmanologist. But he did have a point, the big picture is getting rid of heart attack, stroke, etc not the runny nose, throat hurting, ribs hurting.. But I never seen a pulmanologist not say "Man lets get him a chest x-ray and check him out while he's here since I'm a LUNG SPECIALIST!!" .

I'm kind of worried about Pleurisy or pneumonia at this point too. Guess I should head to the regular doctor just to be sure?

[Pugsy]

The sore chest wall muscles...that's common. You are physically doing more "work" in the form of exhaling against the pressure.
It's like any new exercise program...the muscles get sore because they are "worked" in a new manner but with time the soreness will get worked out and fade away.
It feels like costochondritis kind of thing....It's not the ribs but instead the chest wall muscles that are inflamed and sore.

Your doctor does sound like a jackass though...not listening to your problems and not offering any solutions when solutions are available....like maybe your humidity settings need to be adjusted to make your nose/nasal mucosa happier.

Google "cpap rhinitis"...it's a common problem.

I don't know what your humidity setting is but you either need more or less humidity (and needs are highly individualized) to help with the runny nose thing.

There are ways to minimize the discomfort issues you are having but it's going to involve either you taking the bull by the horns and changing stuff yourself or getting a new doctor who isn't a jackass and instead will listen to you and not set the machine up in a manner that causes nothing but huge hurdles to get over.

[TheWeehawky]

The sore chest wall muscles...that's common. You are physically doing more "work" in the form of exhaling against the pressure.
It's like any new exercise program...the muscles get sore because they are "worked" in a new manner but with time the soreness will get worked out and fade away.
It feels like costochondritis kind of thing....It's not the ribs but instead the chest wall muscles that are inflamed and sore.

Your doctor does sound like a jackass though...not listening to your problems and not offering any solutions when solutions are available....like maybe your humidity settings need to be adjusted to make your nose/nasal mucosa happier.

Google "cpap rhinitis"...it's a common problem.

I don't know what your humidity setting is but you either need more or less humidity (and needs are highly individualized) to help with the runny nose thing.

There are ways to minimize the discomfort issues you are having but it's going to involve either you taking the bull by the horns and changing stuff yourself or getting a new doctor who isn't a jackass and instead will listen to you and not set the machine up in a manner that causes nothing but huge hurdles to get over.

I'm thinking about heading back to the regular doctor and tell him the tonsiils still feel swollen and all the new problems, and that the "pulmanologist" basically just didn't want to hear any of the new stuff going on, to find me another one.

[TheWeehawky]

Also another thing I have trouble staying asleep, or wake up and I already removed the mask during sleep.. And my nose is stopped up. Like while ago I slept only about 1h20 mins and woke up with the thing blowing in my face and nose stopped up.

[Pugsy]

What is your humidity setting on your machine?

Did you ever read up on "cpap rhinitis"?

[TheWeehawky]

What is your humidity setting on your machine?

Did you ever read up on "cpap rhinitis"?

I set it to 2, if I set to 1 it's like I feel as if the air coming in is still cold (no heated hose btw), if I set to 3 it's like it's too much and the bottom of the machine is warm as can be.

I read up on it a little bit yes. I also got a new problem, the machine isn't recording time used. I gotta call the company when it opens.


Also I'm nearly to the point to say.. "Man.. I think I tried CPAP..(and it's eating me alive, keeping me sick)" but I don't want to be . The company tech today didn't have the information needed to see if the CPAP compliance end was working on their end, cause it was after hours, and he told me I wouldn't be the first one that couldn't ever figure out how to get CPAP to work for them, but then what ? The pulimonlogist acted like this was the be all end all and only option with severe OSA.

edit: I noticed the DreamMapper was showing usage from today and yesterday now.. But I think it's off. I know I sat on my PC and wore it about an hour yesterday , and it's only showing 1:34 hours..

[Pugsy]

DreamMapper and the machine LCD screen is often wrong about usage because it shows only the most recent session.

You need to use SleepyHead to see for sure what the machine is recording as usage....multiple sessions screws up what it shown on DreamMapper and the LCD screen.
When you turn the machine on and back on again...that creates a new session.

DreamMapper...buggier than all hell anyway. It often doesn't work right even with just one session.

Use SleepyHead
https://sleepyhead.jedimark.net/

Get the heated hose....it will allow greater customization of the humidity being delivered as well as the hose air temp.

Do you want to take the bull by the horns and try to make it work yourself or do you just wish to give up?