waking up with a sharp pains in chest.

Ive been on a Resmed Cpap machine for several years now, and doing relatively ok. Ive had some mask issues, leaks etc but overall very little apnea when wearing the mask. However for the last year I've been having these attacks several times a month where I'm jolted from a deep sleep with a crushing pain in my chest, feels like I'm having a heart attack. very painful but goes away after 5 seconds or so after I wake. Scares the heck out of me, very painful, feels like the muscles in my chest are constricting. Anyone else experience this?

Thanks in advance, BB

Hi Busterbones

I presume you have sought medical advice and had numerous tests to try to isolate and prevent this?

It doesn't seem like the kind of subject to be bandied about until you have exhausted proper medical pathways.

Perhaps that was a bit blunt. :( What did the doctors have to say about it? What do you think is causing the pain?

I had a stress test and bloodwork. All negative. I have another sleep study coming up, but I'm wondering if this is a symptom of apnea that others are experiencing. I'm guessing that it's from lack of oxygen, basically suffocating. I'm starting to get worried, and the doctors seemed stumped that's why I'm reaching out to the community.

It's a good idea to reach out BB I just wanted to provoke you into providing more info so others would be better able to relate. Personally I haven't experienced anything of that nature although once the heart was eliminated I would be looking at the machine data, if there is any, and also considering anxiety although I am not sure if anxiety can impact on sleep in this way. In any case I am sure some meaningful insights will reveal themselves eventually.

I did read something once that indicated that chest pain with a CPAP machine was usually caused by muscles damaged in the process of breathing out against the pressure of the machine. If so some adjustments or perhaps a change of machine might help? There are others here far more qualified to discuss these types of issues.

An oxygen monitor that tracks O2 during the night is fairly inexpensive, and will give you some more information on what is happening in the night.

I appreciate the reply. I know this is a tough one. It's definitely not anxiety, the pain is severe but only lasts for several seconds after I wake it's an intense several seconds but then I'm fine, Albeit a little shaken. Seems to happen most when I end up on my back in the night.

Hi, I have been using my philips dreamstation (APAP) about 3-4 weeks for severe sleep apnea recently diagnosed, and it's been only in the last 4 days that I've experience air bubbles. I woke up with them and felt like burping all day long. Eventually they went away, but it did cause some chest pain. Unfortunately I got some more last night and woke up rather suddenly this time, but not the first time. You seem like a long time user, so I'd be surprised if that's what it was. You would have known it, I would think.

I picked up a pulse oximeter, and it seems that drops in my oxygen levels are most likely the culprit. When I sleep my oxygen level drops to the 80's and below. It seems that the chest pain happens when my levels drop to severe hypoxemia levels. I'm thinking that I may have deeper issues than just apnea. :( My muscles and joints hurt all the time and having cognitive issues (memory loss, brain fog, anxiety) becoming completely non functional. Bloodwork shows nothing and my Doctor seems stumped. My Mother had Dermatomyositis and died from an aneurism at 35 years old, beginning to think there is a hereditary component here. Just don't know, and with all the tests and doctor visits I'm no closer to an answer. Trying to piece this together before it's too late. :(

I also get occasional chest pains, however my cardiologist (I'm in Canada) has not managed to identify a cause. A friend who is the head cardiologist in the top hospital in Cuba pointed out to me that more than 50% of chest pain episodes are not cardiac related, and in my case there is suspicion that it is musculoskeletal in nature, possibly related to arthritis or spondylitis.