Suggested Read For C-Pap/bi-Pap Users

[IrishEyes 59]

Today I am 13 days post-op and experiencing pain. Up until the night of day 10 everything has been going pretty smoothly. Then in the middle of the night (3 nights ago) I woke up out of a sound sleep with doubled over pain. Took about 45 min for it to go away. It was strongest when I woke up and gradually faded. I was able to take liquid pain mess (hesitant to swallow ANYTHING) and used a heating pad on my belly. I also took gas-x strips and had to pass a lot of gas.

The 2nd night it happened twice and the discomfort stayed with me a bit yesterday. Luckily I had my first post-op appt yesterday as well. Driving to the appt I was talking to my Mom (she is a nurse) about it. After ruling out things like I am tolerating food fine and no acid issues, she found it strange it only happened when I was sleeping. She guessed it had to have something to do with my bi-pap.

After telling my surgeon about it he immediately said "yes, I believe it to be you bi-pap and I need you to STOP using that until you can get the settings adjusted. I fear it may be pushing air into your tummy and extending it and you are still very much in the healing process right now."

Last night I slept without the bi-pap and no waking up with pain at all.

I placed a call to my pulmonologist and they are sending the settings to the bi-pap distributors. Just waiting for the call to take it in and get it adjusted. It has the capability of being programmed to adjust to my body changes but the Dr never sent in the prescription for that adjustment to be made prior to surgery.

I haven't ever had any pain eating since surgery. The same thing I had for dinner monday, I had for lunch today and it was so painful I had to stop and lay down with the heating pad. I am doing that now and it is feeling better. Guess I will go back to basics for awhile. I had been able to progress to soft food, which is only a few days early by my Dr schedule.

I'm afraid some damage may have been done. Praying it isn't too bad and subsides in a few days. No other trouble so not too concerned to call Dr just yet. If it gets worse or anything else changes I will. He didn't seem too, too concerned yesterday as long as I stop bi-pap and I have.

I am posting this for mostly post-ops that use any machine for sleep apnea. I wish I had known this was a possibility. I would have stopped the first night it happened.

Thanks for your time. Hope this helps someone and spares them pain and possible complications, that would have been worse for me had I not caught it so soon.

[beefalogal 43]

The day I left the hospital the nurses casually mentioned not to use my Cpap any more. I was shocked due to not hearing anyone mention that before. I did manage to go without for several days but really missed the quality of sleep it provided. I emailed the doc and was told I could use it if I needed it but they preferred that I not use it. I compromised by using an older machine that I have that Is programmed to 8 rather than my new setting of 11. So far good.

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

I took my cpap with me to the hospital. Nobody ever said anything, and I've used it every night since also.

[Capt Derel 287]

I took my cpap with me to the hospital. Nobody ever said anything' date=' and I've used it every night since also.

[/quote']

That machine can force air in your stomach if the settings are high. That seems like russian roulette to me with a leak. I hate that machine.

Mine is stored up and I am going to give it to a guy who owns a medical business so he can resell and make some money off of it cause hes a good guy. He gave me some $100 masks. I offered to pay and he said no way. So I feel I owe him one and he deserves it.

[IrishEyes 59]

Yes, my setting was/is high. Setting range 14-8. I am glad to hear it hasn't caused a problem for anyone. Thank goodness. For me I am wondering if I was borderline at my original setting and the little any of loss that I have had combined with physiological changes so soon caused this to happen. A perfect storm kinda thing, happening just a bit too close to surgery to impact my stomach. I bet if my pressure changed later, after healing, I may have not even noticed it. Only reason I did was because the pain of my tummy, expanding I guess from the air.

Pulmonologist sent the order to change my setting range and ordered it to be self adjusting so that when my body changes the machine will change with me.

Can't wait to get it back so I can sleep better. I will be nervous at first and may end up waiting a bit, let my healing progress before I chance it, just in case. However, looking more forward to getting rid of it altogether one day!!

Glad you all didn't have any issues.

[amw157 42]

FYI there are two threads with the same first post. I'm linking to the other thread below, which has different replies. If a moderator is watching, can you merge?

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/54367-suggested-read-for-c-papbi-pap-users/page__hl__cpap