CPAP causing breathing problems?

[OldCrow]

It has to come out somewhere

I believe on another post somewhere, someone has mentioned that air gets forced down into you stomach - well you can't burp and it has to come out somewhere - and there's only one available orifice - anyone else noticed playing the trumpet?

[Tricia]

I believe on another post somewhere, someone has mentioned that air gets forced down into you stomach - well you can't burp and it has to come out somewhere - and there's only one available orifice - anyone else noticed playing the trumpet?

Us lady's call it "pooting", and it's a right pain in the said orifice lol!

I've also now developed pain in between my shoulder blades when I waken up. Thankfully it goes once I'm up and about. I'm wondering if this is due to what TF calls "getting a workout"?

[Tigers Fan]

Not that I have a clue really .......

Hi Tricia

......... but the GP sitting next to me says it could be sleeping position, matress or it could be you are holding emotoional issues there (as,apparently, is a clinically observeable phenonomen in a large population).

My guess is sleeping position - now you are a hose head and getting good sleep, thus staying in one position.

Ed has gone now, so I'm guessing some shoulder stretching exercises to loosen up the muscles would be good. After yiour shower or bath, maybe.

TF

[Tricia]

Wow! Quick service TF - I'm impressed - easily, lol!
I'm thinking sleeping in one position could be the reason. It does disappear quickly once I'm up and moving.
My thanks to you and your good GP.

[dial888]

Coming in late here, but yeah my breathing has gotten much shallower as a result of using CPAP. There may be folks who see it as possibly something else but I'm sure there's a direct correlation. I've recently had chest xrays done and a few other tests, I'll find out from the doc next week. If the doc says it's down to CPAP I'll be using that sa a mandate to get the sleep centre to actually do thier job.

[sperea]

Well, I've never smoked and have never had breathing problems but I reckon the CPAP machine's dryness is affecting my chest to some extent. Only since I've been using it has my chest been sore and breathing a bit laboured. I'm sure the constant blast and dryness must have effect. Still not seeing any efffects of CPAP so obvious that I can say its a huge improvement - still an ordeal and yet to have an extended session of sleep with it. But... I too am overweight with the classic "fat neck" syndrome and that's a good part of the problem so currently on long-term diet regime.

i started cpap and 2 weeks in i am short of breath during the day and pain in my right back. had heart stress test, chest xray, blood work all negatuve. feels as though my bronchus has swelled or is irritated or both. i have severe sleep apnea and am struggling to make this work for me. any sugesstions?

[symmit]

i started cpap and 2 weeks in i am short of breath during the day and pain in my right back. had heart stress test, chest xray, blood work all negatuve. feels as though my bronchus has swelled or is irritated or both. i have severe sleep apnea and am struggling to make this work for me. any sugesstions?

I've had pain in my left side but I think that's just that my arm falls out of bed when I'm asleep and now I don't wake up in the night it's pulling it out of position.

Don't get it as much if I deliberately move to the centre of the bed.

It can take a while for your body to get used to the breathing under pressure at night, if I were you after taking those tests I'd be concentrating on finding a way to make the CPAP work - sleep is when the body restores and heals itself and the other things will balance out.

[Fredxx]

breathing uses muscles, and breathing against a pressure makes the muscles work harder. Just like with starting any exercise, the muscles tend to ache a bit at the start, but as your body gets stronger and more accustomed, The muscles that are working harder include the chest, shoulders and lower back

[Berneta]

Filters

Hi Everyone, Sorry you are all having breathing problems. TF is right about one thing for sure--and that is dust and dust mites. If you keep your CPAP anywhere near your bed--you will have dust mites, that could infiltrate your mask and machine. I got a shock a few days ago with my filters. I was ordering some new nose pillows and decided to get some new white filters. One goes in the machine and is covered by the gray/black one. I had checked my white one-- and it looked fine to me. But since my insurance paid for it--I thought I might as well get a new one. When the new white filter came, I compared it to the old white filter and got a shock. The old one that had looked perfectly white to me before--was actually a dingy gray in comparison. I will not let that happen again. I have been battling a head cold that past week--and now think my dirty filter might have caused some of my problems. I have to admit that I wash my gray/black filter once a week--but the white one can't be washed. So after that experience--I have decided to wash all my bedding once a week and shampoo my bedroom carpet or get a new one. (or renew my hardwood floor and forget the carpet altogether) This house was built in 1964--and still has all the same carpets. Bet its loaded with dust mites. My advice is check your filters to make sure they are absolutely clean (even if you think they are), Dust and dust mites could cause some breathing problems when we are breathing forced air. So I am sure going to change my way of thinking about all that. Thanks TF for bringing the dust and dust mite thing up. We tend to forget the obvious--anyway I sure did. Hope everyone feels better soon. Relax Lorraine--stress will only make COPD or Asthma worse. Take your tranqulizers hon, and try not to be afraid. If your condition was extremely serious they would have put you on oxygen, and would want frequent check ups with you. xx Berneta

[sperea]

trouble breathing

ok 2 weeks in with cpap started having trouble breathing. sleep lab nurse says impossible for cpap to do this(its just air). had heart stress test, pulmonary hypertension test, chest x ray, blood tests, all negative. tried to educate myself such as reading comments in your forum and talking with everyone i can at work that might shed some light on my situation. i work in a very large teaching hospital. folks where i got my cpap said they had never heard of cpap causing shortness of breath. finally got to talk with their respiratory therapist who uses cpap herself. she listened and then dropped the bomb. it is the heated hose and she cannot tolerate the heat herself. i slept last night with the plain old hose that came with the machine and humidification turned all the way on. woke up with moisture in the mask and in the hose but guess what i could breath!!!! i will adjust the humidification the next time i use it. my doctor says to give my lungs a few days to heal some and he prescribed a strong anti inflammatory med. i truly hope this helps someone else that is going through maybe some of the same problems with cpap. i was determined to use this thing as i need it so badly.

[ElleCee]

Hi Sperea,
Personally I have my humidifier as low as possible, I like to be able to feel the cold air. If I turn it up the air is warm and it feels like I am suffocating.
As I don't use the heat I don't get 'rain out'.
Hope that helps
Lorraine

[andypandy]

problems with CPAP

Hi I have read with interest all your comments as I too have experienced problems since day one - 14 months ago. When I first started using it I did feel less tired and that has continued but I still hate using it. It seems to take ages before you can settle in a comfortable position to get a reasonable night's sleep and even then some nights it plays all sorts of tunes!!! Anyway to get to the point, I too have developed a similar problem with my chest and have been coughing badly over 6 months now. The doctor said I had asthma and prescribed an inhalant which wasn't the answer. I don't suffer from this complaint but do feel breathless. The sputum I cough up is clear (sorry for too much info!) and I too worry about the lungs. The cough just will not go away and at times I feel very unwell.
Unfortunately I have to take loads of drugs due to my heart but have been doing this for 20 years so it can't be anything to do with that.
I have been shown how to clean the equipment by a representative of the company who rents me the machine and visits every 6 months (we're in France where the service is first class) but do wonder about the dust I could be breathing in. We live in an old house and there's dust a plenty.
What are the wipes you are referring to? Would they help I wonder.
This is a serious problem for me and all those who suffer similarly but there doesn't seem to be an answer.
I was having 7 apnoeas an hour so dare not stop using the machine. My age is 73 so obviously am not a young buck.

[Tigers Fan]

Hi andypandy

You speak of 'dust aplenty' but do not mention how you deal with it re your CPAP machine. Just to eliminate it from the picture, how often do you clean and/or change the intake filters and what sort are they. Sounds very much as if you need a coarse and a fine filter. Which machine are you using?

TF