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Please help, frightened Bipap user with chest pain
#1
Please help, frightened Bipap user with chest pain
Hello all!  Glad I've found this board.  I've had chest pains for 3 months, and after 4 trips to ER, seeing a cardiologist, many tests and many discussions with my primary doctor, I could not get an answer on my chest pains.  I myself finally asked for iron blood panel (history of anemia) and a sleep test as I was suspecting sleep apnea.  Tests came back with severe iron deficiency as well as severe sleep apnea.  I still can't read my report well, but I was told I had 95 events an hour.  Was given a bipap machine, and I decided on nasal pillows as I'm claustrophobic and didn't know if I could handle the mask.  While waiting for bipap, I've been sleeping upright with an oral appliance I got off of Amazon, and my chest pains have slowly been subsiding and feel I've been sleeping better.  

Last night was my first night of bipap.  MyAir app says I got an 83 score, with 5.5 hours of usage, 2.9 events per hour, 7 on/off masks (one trip to the bathroom, i think the others were my nose kept itching), and good mask seal.  My problem is, I know I woke up a few times with bad chest pain, and at least some of the times, air coming out of my mouth, even though I was using a chin strap.  I've had chest pain all day today and now I'm afraid to use my machine tonight.  I've read some people tape their mouths shut, but that gives me some anxiety.  I feel trapped and don't know what to do.  I'm supposed to have iron infusions sometime in the next week, and I'm hoping with that, my apnea could also somehow improve.  At least with my first night of bipap, I feel I went backwards because of the chest pain, even though my numbers look pretty good.  I think my pressure is 6-11 on the bipap.  Anyone have any advice for me?  I know the chest pain isn't good, and it's taken me so long to get answers, I'm afraid my poor heart is just going to give out in my sleep. I did have a nuclear stress test a few weeks ago and that went well, so I'm trying to take comfort in that.  How much of a role could my anemia be playing in my sleep apnea?  Today was my birthday and I just felt pain and stress all day.  :Sad   

Cyndi
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#2
RE: Please help, frightened Bipap user with chest pain
Cyndi,
Welcome to Apnea Board!
You are using one of the best machines, so I'm sure we can help you.  But we need to see some data.

My advice is to download the OSCAR software.  (Be sure your machine has an SD card in it.)  The card must be in your Cpap while sleeping.  

You can use this link for guidance in setting up your chart from the daily page.  There are examples shown.  Then use the attachment feature to post a graph here for advice.  

http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ganization

Oh... and Happy Birthday!
OpalRose
Apnea Board Administrator
www.apneaboard.com

_______________________
OSCAR Chart Organization
How to Attach Images and Files.
OSCAR - The Guide
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing therapy
OSCAR supported machines
Mask Primer



INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.  ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.  INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#3
RE: Please help, frightened Bipap user with chest pain
I want to second OpalRose's suggestion that you download Oscar and post a chart. There are people on this forum who can give you a whole lot of help if they can see your charts. Let us know if you have any problems with setting up Oscar.

There are correlations between anemia and apnea, though it appears the mechanisms that might explain a connection are complex and not yet well understood. I don't know whether the infusions will help the apnea, but they will certainly help your health, as will the CPAP therapy. Has your doctor started to explore the causes of your iron deficiency? If not, it'd be a good question to raise with him/her.

Do you have a copy of that sleep report? If you do, you might consider blanking out your personal information and posting a scan of it. I'm curious, for one thing, why you have a VAuto. (Terrific machine, just curious why.)

Has your doctor talked with you about the possibility that you are experiencing costochondritis? That's an inflammation of cartilage in the rib cage, and it can cause discomfort in the area of the heart, where the ribs attach to the sternum. One reason this occurs to me is that it can flare up with effort involving the chest, and as you are new to CPAP, that might have involved breathing effort that you're not accustomed to.

At any rate, you might ask your doctor about costochondritis and potential treatment for it. It often resolves on its own, but your doctor may suggest the regular application of cold packs and the use of OTC anti-inflammatory pills to speed recovery.

Once we see a chart, we can help more. Meanwhile, please do your best to moderate your natural anxieties -- and enjoy your birthday!
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#4
RE: Please help, frightened Bipap user with chest pain
Thank you both so much for responding.  I've downloaded Oscar, have my SD card locked and in my computer, and am trying to download the data through the data import, but the only thing showing on the SD card is some kind of windows 10 update.  There doesn't seem to be any data on it.  I've tried a few different things and nothing is working.  I even found a "Using Oscar for the first time" article, and when I click on import data, I click on the drive of my SD card, and the windows update folders come up, nothing else.  Is it possible my machine isn't copying to the SD card?  I was really looking forward to your help! Sad

As far as why I have the Bipap machine, I was told it was because I was so severe, the doctor decided on this.  I haven't even gotten to speak to a sleep doctor yet!!!  I wasn't supposed to even have a "sleep class" until Nov 19th, to get the process started, but I begged my primary to get the ball rolling due to the nightly/daily chest pains.  I picked up my machine and have been on my own figuring it out. I have an appointment with a sleep doctor on the 25th.  

I'm aware of the issues of costochondritis, and I'm pretty sure this isn't it.  It's the same pain I've been having for 3 months, almost certain it's my heart.  I decided to sleep fairly upright with my oral appliance last night, and I slept very well and my chest pain is reduced significantly today.  I ordered another chin strap that will be delivered today for me to try.  I'm thinking of getting an pulse-ox to record what is happening with both the oral appliance and the machine.  They probably should have given me one if I was that severe!  I still can't read my original report, I will include that here and maybe you guys can help me at least with that, which could help explain why they said I was so severe.  I need better access to my care, and it's pissing me off.  I think Covid is causing a possible backlog which isn't helping.  I'm grateful I at least have the nice machine.  But I can't be waking up with chest pain, something is off.
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#5
RE: Please help, frightened Bipap user with chest pain
Was the SD card "unlocked" while in your CPAP machine? Is the SD card new, or previously used?
OpalRose
Apnea Board Administrator
www.apneaboard.com

_______________________
OSCAR Chart Organization
How to Attach Images and Files.
OSCAR - The Guide
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing therapy
OSCAR supported machines
Mask Primer



INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.  ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.  INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#6
RE: Please help, frightened Bipap user with chest pain
it's not unusual to feel a kind of chest pain from the struggle to breathe and at 95 untreated events per hour, you were surely exercised. in addition, some folks first feel this kind of chest pain after starting cpap because a) they're not used to it, and more likely b) the settings aren't optimal. few of us receive adequate settings from a single titration study. doctors are often more focused on insurance issues than actual patient results so good idea to post your oscar charts here for some feedback. btw, if you literally locked your sd card, unlock it or your machine won't write data to it. locking is necessary only for sd cards used in resmed s9 machines when downloading from the sd card into windows computers.
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#7
RE: Please help, frightened Bipap user with chest pain
   

Here is my original report.

(11-11-2020, 04:46 PM)OpalRose Wrote: Was the SD card "unlocked" while in your CPAP machine?   Is the SD card new, or previously used?

I was sure to lock it before putting it in my computer.  It was unlocked when I took it out of the machine.  The whole machine is new, and they are the ones that put the card in, so I'm assuming it's new.  There doesn't appear to be data on it, just a windows update.
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#8
RE: Please help, frightened Bipap user with chest pain
Ok I don't know what I've done differently but now I was able to import it! I'll post shortly....
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#9
RE: Please help, frightened Bipap user with chest pain
Welcome to Apnea Board. You've gotten great assistance so far. Just adding my 2 cents in.

Check the following on your SD card. Since you have the 10 series ResMed, you may safely leave the SD unlocked when inserting it into your PC's card reader. It must be unlocked when inserted into your ResMed or it will not save the data. The SD card must have these attributes or it will not work: a standard SD or SDHC type, 2-32GB capacity, and of any brand not just PAP manufacturer's names. If all that checks, again be certain it's unlocked when inserting it into your VAuto and that it's fully inserted until it clicks and locks. The VAuto orange-ish "read" light will blink on and the on-screen message about the SD writing will appear. See the screenshot below about the exact wording on this message. I include a shot of my ASV also made by ResMed.

First is the SD message and then the orange busy light under the rubber SD door.

[attachment=28061][attachment=28062]
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#10
RE: Please help, frightened Bipap user with chest pain
Locking the card will not be necessary on your Aircurve 10 Vauto. You have one of the best machines available to treat obstructive sleep apnea, and once we can see the settings as well as your results in OSCAR, we will be able to quickly optimize your treatment. When you put the SD card into the Resmed Vauto card slot, the machine will show a message. As long as there is not an error message there will be data. If you only used your machine for the first time, and tried to download the data early today, it's possible it will work now (after-noon). I have seen people unable to get data after the first day be completely successful the second day. Just check the message on your Resmed screen when the card is inserted. If the message just says "please wait preparing card, do not turn off power" or something like that, then the card is working properly. You can try to download it again, or wait until tomorrow and I'm sure everything will be fine.
Sleeprider
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com

____________________________________________
Download OSCAR Software
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing Therapy
Organize your OSCAR Charts
Attaching Files
Mask Primer
How To Deal With Equipment Supplier


INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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