I've been using CPAP now for 2 weeks, just been released from the hospital for chest pain, no cause could be found although the heart is in great shape and no sign of heart attack, I kept asking if this could be the way I breath at night using CPAP. When I wake up my chest is sore and I notice when first ramping up I feel as though I am trying to keep up with the air coming in. Is behavior modification the key, I am really anxious now and have not had a doctor's appt to even discuss my results of sleep study. the study said I have severe apnea with a rate of 74%. What kind of doctor follows our care, I finally have appt to see family doctor on Thurs. Any feedback would be great. Please help

Peg

Peg2 wrote:

I've been using CPAP now for 2 weeks, just been released from the hospital for chest pain, no cause could be found although the heart is in great shape and no sign of heart attack, I kept asking if this could be the way I breath at night using CPAP. When I wake up my chest is sore and I notice when first ramping up I feel as though I am trying to keep up with the air coming in. Is behavior modification the key, I am really anxious now and have not had a doctor's appt to even discuss my results of sleep study. the study said I have severe apnea with a rate of 74%. What kind of doctor follows our care, I finally have appt to see family doctor on Thurs. Any feedback would be great. Please help

Peg

Hi Peg,

It's good you'll be seeing your doctor.  

I remember feeling pain in my chest during my first two weeks (I started cpap in last November).
Before learning that I had sleep apnea, I had gone to a cardiologist and he said my heart didn't seem a problem.  (My heart would beat hard when I woke up from sleep at night)

I was prescribed with a high air pressure with my cpap.  It's taken me a long time to get used to it.  But those first two weeks worried me, for I wondered if it was my heart.  But after paying more attention, I realized it was my lungs.  They'd been getting a workout with this high pressure.  If it is the lungs or muscles around them, it makes sense.  Our bodies are not used to that kind of treatment.  I tried doing some deep breathing exercises to  help strengthen things, and that seemed to help, but I think mostly my body soon adjusted to it.  

That doesn't mean you shouldn't get checked out.  It might not be the same as my experience.  

Some people do have that problem with the ramp.  Some don't even use a ramp.  You might be able to adjust the starting level of your ramp, don't know.  Or the doctor can prescribe a higher ramp start, I believe.

Good luck to you and let us know how things go.


Linda