Source of pain finally found - can't believe it is from CPAP!

[JavaKnut 104]

So a couple of weeks ago I was feeling great, had another good day as usual. Ate some good food, had a little bit of a cheat by having some Dol Hua (Taiwanese soy based pudding like food with some sugar in it). That night I had a whole (small) bowl of chicken tortilla Soup and most of the innards of a wrap from Chick-Fil-A. It was honestly the most dinner I have eaten in one sitting since surgery, and felt ok. The next day, I was in so much pain. Almost like what I had post surgery. It seemed to be gas, but was through my whole system. It definitely moved around throughout the day, and I knew I was not blocked as I pooped 3 times that day (normal just once). I was also passing gas and burping like crazy. I could not get relief. It took about 3.5-4 days before I started to feel normal again. I even had to go back on liquids only for a day to reset my system (or so I thought). So I was trying to troubleshoot whether I ate too fast, ate too much, ate some sugar, had a couple carbs, didn't chew enough - all those types of debates internally. All for nothing!

Let's step back to just after surgery. In the mornings I would wake up, because I needed to pass gas. I would shake the walls with my gas in the mornings, over and over. No smell at all, but just sheer volume was crazy. Loud enough to wake my wife in the night and in the morning. That was daily, and thought it was going to be my new normal because of my stomach and intestines being so much smaller (sleeve and switch done).

So back to a couple weeks ago. I was going to bed a few days after my pain weekend from hell, and noticed that I felt what sounded like my son's whoopy cushion being filled, in my chest...and immediately felt I had to burp, but my machine was forcing air in my mouth, so I couldn't. I started to put two and two together. Sure enough, it happened again. I started to noticed that I could feel my machine forcing air into my stomach. I know my mask doesn't fit as well because of all the weight I have lost in my face, but didn't think anything about the pressure being a problem.

I ended up trying to sleep without my machine for a night, and I did. First time in over 8 years I have ever slept without my machine...and I didn't snore either! It wasn't the best night of sleep, but I slept. I also didn't wake up because of needing to blast the sheets off. No immediate blasting of ass, or burping my brains out, and no stomach or intestinal pain...nothing!!

I finally got an appointment at the sleep study place to have them adjust my numbers (without doing a sleep study). The technician told me - they usually see people bump their numbers after even just losing 10 lbs - WHAT THE !$%*&!!? Why had no one told me this???? I am down over 65lbs!! I about punched the technician when they told me it would be another week before the doc could see me and adjust my numbers. I wasn't going to have another day or hour of pain like I had been through the previous week from this fricken machine. Power of persuasion led the technician to opening my range of pressures.

Sure enough - now I have had a few nights on my new lower pressure, and wake up with no excess gas, no pain, no problems at all.

So the moral of the story? If you are on a CPAP - you need to make sure you keep up with your sleep center so they can help keep your pressures under control. I have an auto-cpap, which can adjust itself. The problem is, they had set my range from 9-12. I haven't even come close to 9 since they changed the range from 5-12. I was told that normal titration settings for a machine like that is to set it from 5-20, and let the machine do the work.

I am just shocked that in all my calls with the surgeon, doctors, nurses, dietitians, and every other professional around my WLS - NONE of them ever thought to mention anything about CPAP and the pressures from that being the source of my gas and discomfort.

[SouthernGirl76 74]

That is very interesting, as a health care worker I would have never thought of that! Thanks for sharing.

[FluffyChix 17,409]

Holy hellah wind, Batman!!! Great sleuthing! So sorry you had to experience that, but thank you for sharing your information! Congrats on 65lbs destroyed and on going down so much on your CPAP numbers!!

[Apple203 1,314]

@JavaKnut Hey, this is very useful information for us, thanks for sharing!!

[mylighthouse 782]

Wow, good for you for figuring out what the problem was. It is great that lowering the pressure on your machine has helped you feel better. And yes, it really stinks that noone informed you that changes needed to be made to your CPAP settings.

Very glad that you shared this information. I am getting a little steamed, because I think now, after reading your story, that someone should have adjusted my settings as well.

I continue to wear my CPAP every night after being diagnosed with sleep apnea a couple of years ago. I was 334 lbs or so when starting treatment. Now I am down to 190 lbs. Four or so months back, when my mask started fitting poorly because of the major weight loss, I went in to eee the CPAP tech. I told her I thought I needed a smaller mask. She didn't change the mask size, but did give me new headgear, which has resolved mask leak issues, for the most part. I was having trouble and continue to have trouble now with coughing while wearing my mask and it can get pretty bad....sometimes it brings me to wide awake, pulling my mask off frenzy at 3 or 4 am. My pressure is set at 17. That's where it has been since 2 years ago when I weighed 334. Now why the HECK didn't my tech change my settings a few months ago when I sww her? Seriously, some people and their lack of knowledge, concern, care, incompetence or whatever the heck it is really irks me!!

I know what I need to do.

Thanks again for taking the time to share.

Edited January 28, 2018 by mylighthouse