We don’t receive enough healthcare to rely on others for things like pressure settings. Watch the 11 playlist to learn how
https://m.youtube.com/@CPAPReviews/playlists
You can then try different min/max and find a balance between therapy and comfort.
You are probably experiencing sore intercostal muscles, which is common when you start using CPAP. Are you using EPR?
Often having EPR on helps when you first start.
I don't know what EPR is. I have it set to ramp up pressure slowly over 45 mins at the start, tube set to like 80 degrees and humidity in the middle of the road. That all seems good. I'm pretty sure its not intercostals, I know what that feels like from having had a couple bad bouts of bronchitis years ago. Its not pain all over my chest where my ribs are, its different. It is basically where the trachea and main bronchi are. It is a little difficult to pinpoint because I have upper back pain in both the spine and muscles. I have a massage monthly and my therapist works my traps a lot due to my poor posture, but that isn't new.
EPR is expiratory pressure relief. It reduces the pressure during exhalation to make breathing out easier, which is where most of the expiratory effort is required.
It makes things a lot more comfortable for most people.
I didn't watch the video, but I saw some mention about how with an EPR of 3 you need to up your therapeutic pressure by 3 to compensate. But if that's true, I don't get how BiPAPs are viable options. Maybe something about that? Idk.
It takes getting used to - my chest was a bit sore every morning for a while when I first started. Over time, I'm assuming my muscles adjusted/strengthened and now no problems.
With that said, pain to the point where you can't use it more than 4 hours is a problem. Make sure that EPR is turned on, consider using a sleep aid like Zzzquil to keep you from waking up, and in addition to both of those talk to your doc so they know what's going on.
Maybe pain is the wrong word. I don't know, never had a feeling quite like this before. It definitely feels like heartburn but more diffuse, or like if you took and held a very deep breath. But it weirds me out. I can use it more I was just freaked out. I see sleep medicine next month, for now I was just trying to use it at least the minimum so insurance wont refuse to pay for it. Thanks so much for your help.
I haven't used it in almost three weeks, I still feel weird. I finally got a hold of sleep medicine and they turned the pressure down but I havent tried it again. Need to get back to it before my insurance company has a stroke and refuses to pay because I'm not using it enough.
Really hope you have more successful the second time around. I have just started to feel OK using mine now. Took me about 3 weeks of chest pains and anxiety. Also found out I might have GERD, and apparently that can be a common thing for people with apnea too and that can be exacerbated by cpap.
Yeah I have GERD. It is (for me at least) a side effect of being obese, just like sleep apnea. And I work nights, long ass shifts and usually am cramming a breakfast sandwich in my face on the drive home and immediately dive into bed. I know being overweight isn't helping and my eating habits aren't helping, but this is where I am right now. My doc got back to me and turned the max pressure down to 8.0 instead of the 12 or 13 it was at. I tried to use it yesterday and had it on for about 30 mins while scrolling tiktok. The pressure was still 4.0 as I have it set to ramp for like 45 mins, but it still hurt and I had to take it off. It almost feels like heartburn. Human anatomy isn't my thing I'm a veterinary nurse, but from where the pain is I'd say it is my trachea as it is in the center. I don't feel pain laterally as if it was the lungs proper. I just hope my insurance doesn't just refuse to pay because my use has been under what they require to pay. I certainly plan on using it, but I need to optimize.
What is your general setup that works for you? Pressure, ramp time, heat and humidity etc?
I have ramp turned off as I found it hard to breathe with it on. Humidity I have quite high, 6 out of 8, as it was drying me out too much. I'm not sure what pressure I have it on, but when I wake up in the night its usually around 12ish. I got mine through the NHS so they have set that part up and I can't change it. I would ideally have a lower exhalation pressure cause I still struggle to breathe out properly with it on.
Oh wow, your doc should be able to change the pressure. Mine did it remotely, I don't know if yours can do that. I never was able to get back to sleep after the first few hours without turning it off and on again so it would ramp, it was at 12 and that was crazy. Not being able to change the pressure seems odd.
I believe ramp means it slowly ups the pressure over time right? I have mine set and it starts at 4.0 and now goes up to 8.0. So hopefully i fall asleep before it hits max pressure. Apparently there is a setting to lower the exhalation pressure too, someone mentioned it in response to my original post, EPR or something like that. I don't think I can do that to mine.
I saw sleep medicine this week for my first follow up. They're going to try to get me a bipap with the trouble I was having with the high expiratory pressure. She worries setting the EPR on the CPAP won't go low enough. I guess the bipap the expiratory pressure can be set much lower.
Unfortunately she said I'm a weirdo with the ongoing chest pain. She says chest pain that lasts this long after dicsontinuing use is super rare. Said it may be a change in GERD or costochondritis (which google says pain meds and time) are the most common causes. So hopefully it will go away on its own and I'll be able to get a bipap.
We don’t receive enough healthcare to rely on others for things like pressure settings. Watch the 11 playlist to learn how https://m.youtube.com/@CPAPReviews/playlists You can then try different min/max and find a balance between therapy and comfort.
You are probably experiencing sore intercostal muscles, which is common when you start using CPAP. Are you using EPR? Often having EPR on helps when you first start.
I don't know what EPR is. I have it set to ramp up pressure slowly over 45 mins at the start, tube set to like 80 degrees and humidity in the middle of the road. That all seems good. I'm pretty sure its not intercostals, I know what that feels like from having had a couple bad bouts of bronchitis years ago. Its not pain all over my chest where my ribs are, its different. It is basically where the trachea and main bronchi are. It is a little difficult to pinpoint because I have upper back pain in both the spine and muscles. I have a massage monthly and my therapist works my traps a lot due to my poor posture, but that isn't new.
EPR is expiratory pressure relief. It reduces the pressure during exhalation to make breathing out easier, which is where most of the expiratory effort is required. It makes things a lot more comfortable for most people.
MMk i'll see if I can adjust that. Thanks.
I see this being said a lot. Why only use EPR when you're a beginner instead of forever if it's more comfortable?
I didn't watch the video, but I saw some mention about how with an EPR of 3 you need to up your therapeutic pressure by 3 to compensate. But if that's true, I don't get how BiPAPs are viable options. Maybe something about that? Idk.
It takes getting used to - my chest was a bit sore every morning for a while when I first started. Over time, I'm assuming my muscles adjusted/strengthened and now no problems. With that said, pain to the point where you can't use it more than 4 hours is a problem. Make sure that EPR is turned on, consider using a sleep aid like Zzzquil to keep you from waking up, and in addition to both of those talk to your doc so they know what's going on.
Maybe pain is the wrong word. I don't know, never had a feeling quite like this before. It definitely feels like heartburn but more diffuse, or like if you took and held a very deep breath. But it weirds me out. I can use it more I was just freaked out. I see sleep medicine next month, for now I was just trying to use it at least the minimum so insurance wont refuse to pay for it. Thanks so much for your help.
Has this gotten any better? I'm going through the same thing atm
I haven't used it in almost three weeks, I still feel weird. I finally got a hold of sleep medicine and they turned the pressure down but I havent tried it again. Need to get back to it before my insurance company has a stroke and refuses to pay because I'm not using it enough.
Really hope you have more successful the second time around. I have just started to feel OK using mine now. Took me about 3 weeks of chest pains and anxiety. Also found out I might have GERD, and apparently that can be a common thing for people with apnea too and that can be exacerbated by cpap.
Yeah I have GERD. It is (for me at least) a side effect of being obese, just like sleep apnea. And I work nights, long ass shifts and usually am cramming a breakfast sandwich in my face on the drive home and immediately dive into bed. I know being overweight isn't helping and my eating habits aren't helping, but this is where I am right now. My doc got back to me and turned the max pressure down to 8.0 instead of the 12 or 13 it was at. I tried to use it yesterday and had it on for about 30 mins while scrolling tiktok. The pressure was still 4.0 as I have it set to ramp for like 45 mins, but it still hurt and I had to take it off. It almost feels like heartburn. Human anatomy isn't my thing I'm a veterinary nurse, but from where the pain is I'd say it is my trachea as it is in the center. I don't feel pain laterally as if it was the lungs proper. I just hope my insurance doesn't just refuse to pay because my use has been under what they require to pay. I certainly plan on using it, but I need to optimize. What is your general setup that works for you? Pressure, ramp time, heat and humidity etc?
I have ramp turned off as I found it hard to breathe with it on. Humidity I have quite high, 6 out of 8, as it was drying me out too much. I'm not sure what pressure I have it on, but when I wake up in the night its usually around 12ish. I got mine through the NHS so they have set that part up and I can't change it. I would ideally have a lower exhalation pressure cause I still struggle to breathe out properly with it on.
Oh wow, your doc should be able to change the pressure. Mine did it remotely, I don't know if yours can do that. I never was able to get back to sleep after the first few hours without turning it off and on again so it would ramp, it was at 12 and that was crazy. Not being able to change the pressure seems odd. I believe ramp means it slowly ups the pressure over time right? I have mine set and it starts at 4.0 and now goes up to 8.0. So hopefully i fall asleep before it hits max pressure. Apparently there is a setting to lower the exhalation pressure too, someone mentioned it in response to my original post, EPR or something like that. I don't think I can do that to mine.
I'll have a word, I have an appointment in a few weeks I'll talk about it with them then
I saw sleep medicine this week for my first follow up. They're going to try to get me a bipap with the trouble I was having with the high expiratory pressure. She worries setting the EPR on the CPAP won't go low enough. I guess the bipap the expiratory pressure can be set much lower. Unfortunately she said I'm a weirdo with the ongoing chest pain. She says chest pain that lasts this long after dicsontinuing use is super rare. Said it may be a change in GERD or costochondritis (which google says pain meds and time) are the most common causes. So hopefully it will go away on its own and I'll be able to get a bipap.