CPAP lung/chest pain

I've been on Resmed APAP since 2016 with no more than just regular struggles/issues. Pressure in the vicinity of 7-15 with EPR usually set anywhere from 1 to 3. F10 full face. My BMI is 25.1

For almost a year, I've been waking up most days with severe upper torso pain. Can't really describe it. Deep, not a sharp pain, feels like it's right behind my heart and emanating to the extent of my upper chest. Enough to ruin my morning for sure. It usually lasts 30-60 minutes, but sometime the pressure/pain can last for several days straight!

Tried alternate pillows, sleep position, softer pillow top for my mattress. Nothing really helping.

In the past several months I've had EXTENSIVE testing done on my heart and spine, plus bloodwork. Everything keeps coming back normal (which is great!, but at the same time frustrating).

I continue to rack my brain and research online what the hell could be causing this. I ran across this today...

"Some CPAP users panic about this pain in the lungs or back, and think they have kidney or heart problems, even heart attack. It's very easy to associate chest pain with a heart problem as the media keep informing us that severe chest pain is a sign that you need to get yourself checked up."

That reaction to the pain couldn't describe me better, basically exactly what I did.

If CPAP is causing this, I think it's strange that after years of no issue, it's suddenly a big problem. I have ENT appointment next week. Does anyone have any insight, or questions I should ask at the appointment to see what I should do/try?

Thanks!

If, as you say, "everything comes back normal", then it may be some form of hyper-ventilation – especially since you also report that "sometimes the pressure/pain can last for several days straight".

The treatment for hyper-ventilation syndrome is doing a certain number of breathing exercises every day. These are best assigned by a medically-trained breathing therapist – one who can supervise you over the first few months, and see that you make progress.

Obviously, the exercises are done in the day-time, but the expectation is that, once good habits are formed, these will percolate into 'while sleeping'.

There may also be some element of your recent sleep apnea set-up which involves over-breathing. If this is going to occur then, for most people, the over-breathing is found in the later stages of sleep.

audihere wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 15, 2024 3:58 pm

I have ENT appointment next week.

I think you'd be better off with a pulmonologist esp. one that specializes in sleep.

I get esophageal spasms, and they cause a very sharp pain in my chest, all the way up and into my ears. I'm not sure how they test for it to rule it in or out (and wouldn't want to suffer the testing in any case), but if nothing else shows up, it might be worth asking about.