muscle pain?

I am new to this forum and having been using my cpap every nite faithfully for 4 mos. - every nite is a stuggle with a sliding chin strap and dislodged nasal pillow but with on and off "sleep" success- success being a feeling of refreshment upon awakening and energetic during the day... lack of success being awakening with severe muscle pain and all day low energy which leads me to my question...

The pain is in my right shoulder and runs up my neck into my head behind my right ear. The 1st time I ever in my life had this pain was during the cpap tritration at the sleep lab. I did NOT have this pain during the 2-3 years of undiagnosed sleep apnea. The pain recurrs but not every nite. So, it is a mystery as to its cause. I have tried different size nasal pillows, different bed pillows and all sort of riggings on the headgear. I have not found what causes the muscle pain. I am going to get fitted with a full face mask next week. BUT, I know I can sleep well with this stuff but it is inconsistent and I can't figure out why. Any help? Have any of you experienced this muscle pain associated with using cpap?

What nasal pillow interface are you using.

Fill out your profile and it may be easier/quicker for members to provide your with answers.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your attitude towards the treatment. I see more successful treatmetn in your future.

Welcome to the board, bobby.

I've been a hosehead for going on 3 years now and still experience some pain in my neck at times.....the left side of my neck, from about shoulder to ear. Strange thing, I sleep on the right side of the bed with the hose going up to the right side of the headboard (right side as I'm laying down). When I travel and sleep on the left side of the bed in a motel, more likely than not, I'll end up with pain in the right side of my neck. (are you starting to seee a connection?? LOL)

If you haven't tried adjusting your hose, give that a try. There are some posts about fastening it directly above your head, using a scrunchy and a tack or nail in the wall.

As for me, I try to manage my hose a little better when I feel my neck starting to talk to me and it seems to work.

Good luck.

Kajun

I have updated my profile- thx for the suggestion.

AND- thx to Kajun - I will try adjusting the hose tonite!

Bobby

bobbymcg,

Many people have reported here that they experienced muscle pain in their neck, shoulder, back, chest, etc. after starting cpap. Generally it goes away in a few days to a few weeks. It often seems to be caused either by the cpap therapy reducing one's restless tossing and turning and thus laying in one position all night, or by laying in a awkward position in an attempt to accommodate the weird new thing on your face and head.

If the pain gets worse or does not go away, talk with your doctor. Otherwise, work on the hose management as TXKajun suggests, keep trying different bed pillows, and make sure you have a good, comfortable mattress. People on this forum have a wide variety of favorite bed pillows, such as the pappillow, the Target Shapable pillow, memory foam, buckwheat filled, artificial down, etc.

Janna

As Janna said, you will need to experiment. Your body is/will undergo some adjustments, some of which may be temporarily uncomfortable/painful. Persevere and your body will make the adjustments to your new lifestyle and things will get better.

bobbymcg,

Your description of fighting the chin strap and leaky mask during the night makes me think you could be tensing up trying hard not to move and cause problems. That could account for some muscle pain. Another thought is, do any of your straps fit tightly around the base of the head/top of the neck? If so, that could stress the muscles that connect the head and shoulder. You may have better success with different gear if after 4 months it's still giving you trouble. I can't speak for the Swift because I didn't use it very long, but every other nasal mask I've used required an extra strap to stabilize it, reducing movement and leaks.

Best wishes on tweaking your treatment and getting the rest you need.

Kathy