Pressure settings causing chest pain

[eseedhouse]

I know it is real and I know the CPAP is causing it. The CPAP helps my breathing greatly but this cheats pain is a real pain. Pressure set at 7 from sleep study and flex at 2. I need your advice please. Thanks, DADfarmacist

You know you are having pain, but from the evidence given I don't see that you can know that this pain is being caused by the machine. A pressure of 7cm is less than 1% of the normal air pressure at sea level and it's hard to see how such a small change could cause this pain. There is either some underlying disease that makes you extra sensitive or there is a psychological reaction to the use of the machine. I am not belittling you - psychological pain is just as real and hurts just as much as "real" pain. As I know all too well.

IF it is shown by medical examination that there is no physiological cause for this pain you might consider some psychological counselling. This can be helpful as, again, I know from my own experience. If it is psychological pain it is still perfectly real and nothing to be ashamed of.

[chill]

I was beginning to wonder the same thing as Ed. Even at 20, that is not enough pressure to inflate a party balloon, which we can easily do with our lungs. Try blowing up a balloon. Does that cause the same pain? If so, take that to your doctor. That should be hard for them to just dismiss. If it does not cause the pain, then the cause is probably not the pressure.

[eseedhouse]

Try blowing up a balloon. Does that cause the same pain? If so, take that to your doctor.

I wish I had thought of that point. I think I'll remember it and use it in future. Good luck getting royalties...

[chill]

Darn! I knew I should have copyrighted it! Oh well, it is Public Domain now.

[holden4th]

A couple of questions. Does exercise/physical activity/stressful situations give you chest pain?

Do you have breathless episodes during the day?

I had similar symptoms for years and by self diagnosis (never a good thing) came up with GERD as the reason. However, GERD had nothing to do with it at all. What I was experiencing was angina from severely blocked coronary arteries. What was happening was the digestive process at night was redirecting blood flow to my digestive system (and away from my coronary arteries). My cardiologist told me this when I asked why I had 'heartburn' soon after eating. This eventuated in a triple bypass.

An ECG will probably not pick up blocked coronary arteries.

Using a CPAP machine requires a bit of extra respiratory effort and this could be triggering an angina response.

I don't know what testing your doctor has put you through but you probably need to insist on something more rigorous.

[Farmacist]

Thanks PaytonA for your suggestion of adjusting the FLEX. I had never used the FLEX setting to my memory which was set on 2. I changed the setting to 3 and now when I exhale it no longer feels like I am blowing up a balloon. Thanks, for now I will try this for a month to see how it goes. I am guessing that I should watch my AHI and expect that it stay the same or even show improvement. Thanks, farmacist

[chill]

You may see a small increase in AHI as the higher Flex number will result in a slightly lower pressure during part of your exhale. Do you still get the chest pain with Flex at 3?

[Farmacist]

Chest pain is gone, 3 nights now and I wake up feeling like my old self again. AH I is holding as it has been for last few months.Thanks to all of you. I will give this a 30 day trial and give a full report then. Thanks again, farmacist

[chill]

Excellent!

[holden4th]

Great news!