Could use your feedback to know if I'm crazy

[PamelaDV]

Hello everyone. I am a relative newby. I am just finishing up my 2 week titration study at home. I was given a ResMed AutoSet Spirit with heated humidifier and a ResMed Ultra Mirage nasal mask. I have been very happy with what they have given me and with the service from my DME who sent out a RT to my house to set me up. I believe the RT has dealt with sleep apnea, too, since he seemed to have personal experience to share. The RT is coming to switch out my machine on Monday - take the ResMed I have back and read the data in it, but leaving me with the same exact machine (he said probably even newer) as the machine that will be mine. (Yes, my wonderful ENT gave me a RX for an auto-pap. My score was 69.5!) I have had a little bit of adjustment with the mask and some nights I fight it, but more often than not I get a great nights sleep.

I am wondering if any of you have experience a sensation like you have a bubble in your chest. I just don't feel right yesterday or today. I have some pain in my chest that I can't seem to pin point. I have GERD - so I can't tell if it's maybe a really bad case of heart burn, a pulled muscle in my chest from finally starting to work out again, or if I may have swallowed some air (too much?) from my APAP. It's not debilitating or anything - just annoying and fairly consistent. The only way I can really describe it is it feels like a bubble in my chest. And I just don't feel right.

Any ideas or suggestions?

[WillSucceed]

I had tons of chest pain when I first started -ended up in Emerg after the 3rd night as I was having so much pain. This was with CPAP set at 15. I switched to an autopap machine and after a few days, the pain was gone. The autopap machine will give you lower pressures overall; hopefully, you will get used to the air pressure and settle in without further pain.

I don't have GERD -->hopefully, some of the others on this forum that have some knowledge of XPAP vis-a-vis GERD will be able to help you out.

[wading thru the muck!]

I am wondering if any of you have experience a sensation like you have a bubble in your chest. I just don't feel right yesterday or today. I have some pain in my chest that I can't seem to pin point. I have GERD - so I can't tell if it's maybe a really bad case of heart burn, a pulled muscle in my chest from finally starting to work out again, or if I may have swallowed some air (too much?) from my APAP. It's not debilitating or anything - just annoying and fairly consistent. The only way I can really describe it is it feels like a bubble in my chest. And I just don't feel right.

Any ideas or suggestions?

If the pain is related to the APAP it could be any of the things you describe. You may be swallowing air the the treatment (called aerophagia). It may also be that your chest muscles are sore from beginning treatment (I felt this for the first week I was using my APAP). You're not crazy, but probably since it is not that bad, the thing to do is just see if it goes away. If not you may try to elevate the head of your bed a little to let gravity help you to keep the air out of your stomach.

[mary poppins]

speaking of air bubbles....

i am a new user (almost two weeks) and first-time visitor. MY air bubble doesn't stay in my chest, if you catch my drift. in the morning i am threatening to fly around the room because of the release of all my air bubbles.

so this is because i am swallowing air???? elevate the head of the bed? any other suggestions?

thanks for the help!

[LDuyer]

Pamela,

I too had that odd chest pain. I didn't think it was the heart (and I'd just had that checked out anyway), but I was confused.

It went away after a few days. I think Wader was right, that it was my breathing muscles or lungs getting used to the new way of breathing. It did go away. Fortunately I didn't have that gas problem many seem to have. But I've read that this too goes away after awhile. Seems our bodies need to adjust to this. I say give it a chance to adjust first (unless you are really concerned about an emergency situation, then by all means have yourself checked out).

Take care.

Linda

[unclebob]

Hi PamelaDV,

Did you check back to one of the earlier posts on page 38 I think?

This whole subject was discussed at some length and the options as I recall are as follows:

- just what mary poppins suggested, let out a good old fart. mary seems
to be somewhat secretive about this but my understanding was the louder
the better.

- if it's not embedded too deep you might be able to disregard the
poppins procedure and simply belch, again - as loud as you can.

- with all the air now being forced into your lungs you may have developed
a pin hole leak in the chest area which can be detected by your partner
with his ear to your chest but better still if he licks the entire area and
then watches for bubbles of air escaping.

- it could also just be a pimple or boil and you simply have to squeeze it.

- one final discussion was that the continued elevated oxygen levels in the
upper chest cavity led to a stimulated growth pattern promoting the
development of a third boob. Can you believe it many thought this was a
good thing as new wardrobes would need to be acquired.

Personally, I think the feeling can be associated with increased muscle
fatigue at the outset of treatment which will pass with continued xPAP use.
Just don't play with any sharp objects or practice any voodoo techniques until the sensation goes away.

Good luck in passing all that wind.

Bob F

[mary poppins]

uh-oh! i thought i had posted on the cpaptalk forum. obviously, i got redirected to funnyuncles.com in error.

really sorry i brought it up. i was having fun, but also airing (sorry!) a real problem. all i want to know is if this is normal and if there is anything that can be done to prevent it.

thank you.

[PamelaDV]

OH! Uncle Bob! Thank you so much for the much needed laugh. That was hysterical! I'm sure my DH will take a liking (or is it licking?) to the suggestion regarding detecting a pin hole leak in the chest wall.

Thank you very much for the follow up. I'll be sure to make sure whatever I do to relieve the pressure I do it very loud.

[There]

I suffer from GERD, too, but I've only been on my CPAP for about a week now. Haven't noticed a problem related to gas or general chest pain, though. Are you taking anything to treat the GERD? Maybe the air pressure is just irritating matters - if you're swallowing air, you might have a higher incidence of reflux. Definitely call your doctor for advice, just to be safe. Sounds like you hooked up with a good team, so I'm sure they'll be able to give you good info.