upper chest soreness from cpap?

sphere5150 · Post by **sphere5150** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:55 pm

I've been using cpap for about nine months with no real complaints. I've lost about 40 pounds with a change in diet and a little bit of exercise in the 9 months (I still need to lose another 40). About 6 weeks ago I started having mild headaches in the morning. So I talked to my sleep center and and they said due to the weight loss the pressure might be to high. So I got a auto for 2 weeks and sure enough we changed the pressure down to what the average was on the auto. So everything seemed fine. A little while later I started having chest pain, well not really pain, just mild discomfort. I'm 32 years old, but to be safe I went to the ER and they did the EKG, blood tests, x-rays and everything was normal. But I decided to see a cardiologist for a pre-screening. I did the echo-stress test a week later and everything was normal. That was about 4 weeks ago. But I still have a mild discomfort in my chest that sometimes spreads to my shoulders, upper back, throat and neck. Not intense, more like just a mild soreness. Maybe inflamation is a good word to help describe it. It comes and goes, sometimes there, sometimes not. Just mild enough and often enough to be a nuisance.

Has anyone else had this? Is it caused by the cpap? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Lee Lee · Post by **Lee Lee** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:23 pm

When I first started on APAP, I had the same sensation. I think I had not been breathing very deeply for a long time, then all of a sudden I was.The muscles and lungs were sore and achy.
It lasted a few weeks,then slowly went away.
Also, you may be sleeping in a different position now to accomodate your mask, etc, There are a number of posts here about chest soreness.

Let me add, chest pain is never anything to guess about. You've seen the doctor, but if it doesn't go away, persist in getting an answer.
Best ,
Lee Ann

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:43 pm

When you first start XPAP, some soreness happens, the chest is being pushed outward farther than normal, but at 9 months XPAP's probably not what's going on unless you have doubled your pressure. Keep after the Dr's.

The can check you for a heart attact and not find anything, and you can have one going out to your car. Tricky little devils. Jim

Maybe you need to wear a monitor for a while.

Mile High Sleeper · Post by **Mile High Sleeper** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:22 pm

Glad to hear you had your heart checked.
Google "costral chondritis" (sp?). Explains soreness, situation resolves itself.

Mile High Sleeper · Post by **Mile High Sleeper** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:23 pm

oops, it's "costral chondritis" or "costal chondritus", sometimes written as one word

sphere5150 · Post by **sphere5150** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:14 pm

Thanks for the posts.

Lee, funny you mention the sleep position. Before having cpap, there would not be a morning where I'd find all my blankets on the floor. I must have tossed and turned alot (I'm single so no one can tell me how I sleep). when I got cpap I noticed that I would wake up in the exact position I fell asleep in. blankets all in place. At first I thought that might be causing the headaches due to my neck being in the same postion for 6 or 7 hours. I brought this up at one of my follow up appt. at the sleep clinic and she just laughed and said that there was no way I didn't move at night and that wasn't causing anything. So I just forgot about it. But the thought of this at least contributing to my chest soreness is in the back of my mind. But they dismissed it so quickly as not being an issue I just let it go.

I googled Costochondritis (I still can't figure out the right way to spell this) and that seems to explain things. Thanks for that suggestion Mile high. I have a follow up appt with my cardioligist and primary care doc. I will mention this to them.

Mezzaluna · Post by **Mezzaluna** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:12 pm

I just went through this myself this week. I got my machine January 5 and was feeling great. 6 days later I was in for a follow-up CT after having my kidney removed due to a cancerous tumor (which was found early totally by good luck), and when I lay down on the CT scanner bed I felt pain in my upper chest.

I tried to shake it off for a few days but it got worse. By the 15th I called my primary care physician. I saw her PA, who said it was probably due to GERD and that I should have an esophageal scoping (EGD). The pain got worse so I called again. They sent me to the emergency room. By great good luck the doctor I saw told me he's seen 5 or 6 cases like mine. (His name is Dr. Sore- really.) He ran all the right tests on my heart and they were absolutely normal. (My father died at 42 of his third MI, so that was good news; I'm 54.) The ER doctor called my ENT with the findings and told me to get the machine pressure lowered.

Today I saw my ENT (who knows NOTHING about CPAPs). He wrote an order to have the pressure lowered. The CPAP tech I saw later in the day lowered it from 9 to 7.

Now that I've read other people's experiences here, I feel that I can wait out any pain and know that it's not my heart! I'm so grateful to have found this site. Thanks for sharing your knowledge so graciously with newbies like me.

Ann

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): news, CPAP

Sleepy-eyes · Post by **Sleepy-eyes** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 7:10 am

sphere5150,

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I just found it. Curious how things worked out at the doctor's office.

I've noticed that Aerophagia causes me to have pain in my chest sometimes. It's just trapped air, but pain is pain. Wondering if, just maybe, that might be what you were experiencing. Just a thought.

Mezzaluna · Post by **Mezzaluna** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:01 pm

By way of an update: I felt better at the lower pressure (7 vs. 9). Although I still had some soreness it was greatly diminished and I could focus more on the benefits of using the machine.

That was until I flew to Florida for a few days to visit family on Wednesday, January 31. That night I used the machine while sleeping at my SIL's.

At 3:30 a.m. I woke up with excruciating pain- as if someone were shoving a fence post through my chest to my back. It was also present in my upper and lower jaws. It was the same pain as before but much, much more intense. (I am 100% sure it's not cardiac; that's been confirmed.) I'd rate it a 7 or 8 on a 1-10 scale. My sister-in-law is a nurse practitioner and wondered if being at a different elevation (Wisconsin is about 650 ft. above sea level, right? vs. sea level in Florida) would make the difference.

I have asthma, but it's only aggravated by an allergy to mold or by strenuous exercise. 99% of the time it's perfectly under control and I almost never use an albuterol (rescue) inhaler. I take oral meds for the allergies. I do have considerable sinus issues which my ENT is methodically working on.

I'm still a bit sore (today is February 5) and quite discouraged. I know how beneficial a CPAP is for me, but under no circumstances will I use it until I get an answer about this.

Any ideas???

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP

Mile High Sleeper · Post by **Mile High Sleeper** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:50 pm

See an experienced, well qualified sleep doctor if you can find one, perhaps a pulmonologist.

TXKajun · Post by **TXKajun** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:10 pm

Have you had the XPAP pressure output checked? It may be blowing harder than it should, which may explain what's going on with your chest.

Just a thought. Good luck!

Kajun

Mezzaluna · Post by **Mezzaluna** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:25 pm

After all this I finally have a diagnosis!

The pain was persistent enough by February 27 that I went to the doctor again. After describing my symptoms (and being found to have anemia on top of the chest tightness), my doctor sent me for a chest CT that revealed I have a mild case of pericarditis. That was enough, with the pressure of breathing more deeply (plus some fluid around the heart and a tiny bit in my lungs) to cause the terrible pain and soreness.

My doctor and the cardiologist think this and the anemia were caused by a virus I picked up somewhere. (I taught middle schoolers for years and never got this sick!!!! Now that I'm retired I got sick??!!)

I'm on prednisone and this should be resolved in time for our 10-day cruise to the Panama Canal March 19-29. I can't use my CPAP for the time being, but my doctors expect I will be able to resume it.

I'm also pre-diabetic and as I reviewed my blood glucose readings, I can see I've had this infection at least since January! All that pain... from a tiny virus.[/b]

Jeepster · Post by **Jeepster** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:37 pm

I have the same problem ... Chest pain and back pain... My CFlex was at 3 ... I lower it at 1 and the problem disappear!!

Eric

Mezzaluna · Post by **Mezzaluna** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:56 pm

Jeepster, my CPAP was lowered from 9 to 7 at one point and it helped temporarily. If your pain continues please don't delay in seeing your doctor!

Mezzaluna · Post by **Mezzaluna** » Mon May 07, 2007 3:21 pm

Sphere, how's it going?

I'm back to using my CPAP regularly, now that the pericarditis has resolved. I have, however, been diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder (non-specific, but it's similar to lupus) so the pericarditis could recur. The CPAP could act as sort of an early-warning system, now that I know what's what.

I'm back up to the pressure I truly need (9) and all's well. My husband has been using his CPAP for almost as long as I have. Our bedroom is now very quiet- at least during sleep times.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP, auto

upper chest soreness from cpap?

upper chest soreness from cpap?

chest soreness

spelling

It was PERICARDITIS

Machine	Mask	Humidifier