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supplemental oxygen
#11
RE: supplemental oxygen
I would get a pulse oximeter like the Contec CMS50EW which records and has a rechargeable battery inside and fits on your fingertip. I tape mine on with masking (BLUE) tape and record all night. Then I look to make sure I am always over 89% SpO2. I started adding supplemental oxygen five years ago and it made all the difference in the world. I went in to the sleep doc with graphs and stats and he wrote a prescription on the spot and told me I should have gone into medicine. Sic. S9 Auto + oxygen concentrator at about 4 L/M = best sleep ever. Regretably it is still too big to drag around when travelling. So I settle for the blower alone. But I have yet to hear of ANYONE having been Rx'd supplemental oxygen infusion. BTW, understand that it simply increases the O2 in the air being blown a few percent... it is being diluted by that air. The key is to ensure that your SpO2 remains in the 92 - 95% range while you are in REM sleep or your body will arouse you to get you to breathe more deeply. Had a friend on one of the forums that actually worked with me to feed back the data from the CMS50EW in realtime and adjust the flow level using a remote control air valve and some simple electronics. THAT did the job but the valve was about $600 on its own. Ultimately I found it made no difference.
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Educate, Advocate, Contemplate.
Herein lies personal opinion, no professional advice, which ALL are well advised to seek.



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#12
RE: supplemental oxygen
Thanks everyone, I get the message about oxygen being a medication........ and that it can cause serious problems .

So without 02 I have trouble above 8,000 ft.............. my lungs apparently were damaged from pneumonia 35 years back........

For me, I feel good if my night time 02 is above 94% ........... I do not have an issue with having to use oxygen the remainder of my life............. especially if the quality is as good as it has been the past 6 days.................. I am committed to using CPAP............. without it, I would not be here............

But check with doctor, I will.

I wonder what kind of test they would run to check how efficiently my lungs are asorbing 0xy


I have looked across the net to see what is " normal" for SPO2 and I get many varying answers; from the 88% line, to 90% to 92% all the way to 96%
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#13
RE: supplemental oxygen
Just a thought? As a over-the-road truck driver, I drove all over the US. But anytime I spent the night in Vale, Co (every year or so in the summer) I would have a really bad night and wake with a bad headache.

How often and for how long at a time do you stay above 8,000 feet?
*I* am not a DOCTOR or any type of Health Care Professional.  My thoughts/suggestions/ideas are strictly only my opinions.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your Soul, the other for your Freedom."
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#14
RE: supplemental oxygen
(10-13-2014, 12:54 AM)Peter_C Wrote: Just a thought? As a over-the-road truck driver, I drove all over the US. But anytime I spent the night in Vale, Co (every year or so in the summer) I would have a really bad night and wake with a bad headache.

How often and for how long at a time do you stay above 8,000 feet?

These days only when flying in small airplanes; so from 1/2 hr to 3hours, last month I climbed up to 9,000 ft just for a few minutes, and needed to head down quickly to 6,000ft.... .......... in the past I used to climb mountaing out west; and above 8,000 I have troouble getting a "full breath"

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#15
RE: supplemental oxygen
The point I was trying to make is if you don't spend much time at elevation, then even regular people will have issues - not so much in a few minutes like you stated, but multiple hours can create minor issues for many people.

I do not know the ramifications (as a pilot) for your Doc to know that this is an issue, or if he can prescribe O2 to be used during those times when you do need it? I just know that the more you use O2, the more your body will tell you that you need it.

And, every time my father in-law went to the hospital because his O2 levels were in the 70s, they wouldn't let him come home til he weaned down to 2Lm and held 90%. It was a really big deal.
*I* am not a DOCTOR or any type of Health Care Professional.  My thoughts/suggestions/ideas are strictly only my opinions.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your Soul, the other for your Freedom."
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#16
RE: supplemental oxygen
(10-09-2014, 10:21 PM)u2canbuild Wrote: I have an average AHI of only 1.2 .... For the past 6 months, 80% of my events are Central

Hi u2canbuild,

80% of 1.2 is around 1 per hour. As you have found out, doctors and insurance companies are not going to do anything to try to treat your "nice and low" rate of centrals. Conventional wisdom is to ignore such a low AHI. The rate of centrals must be at least 5 per hour with most insurance companies, and with some insurance companies there is no coverage for treatment unless we are having 15 or more per hr. (Less than 15 incidents per hr is considered "mild" sleep apnea.)

(10-09-2014, 10:21 PM)u2canbuild Wrote: I bought a Oxygen Concentrator on craigs list and tried it out for the past 3 days at 1.5 L per min by drilling a hole in my CPAP tubing near where it connects to the CPAP machine.

I have had my best 3 days in over 6 years! Smile SmileSmile My energy level has been up, I have not taken a nap during the day and I feel like a new person.............. like my old selfBig Grin

(10-10-2014, 11:52 AM)u2canbuild Wrote: I use a recording pulse O2 meter all night. without 02 my basal reading for an entire night is usually about 92%, with 02, my basal readings are 94%

Well, I certainly advise you to pay no attention to what I am about to write, since I am unqualified to provide medical advice. The following is, essentially, personal opinion.

SpO2 of 94% to 96% is widely considered optimal. So I think you are not going to harm yourself with the amount of O2 you are supplementing.

In fact, sounds like it is giving you a strong benefit.

O2 supplementation will often reduce centrals, because the more O2 which is in our blood, the more O2 we use, mostly changing it into CO2, and usually the higher the amount of CO2 in the blood the higher is our drive to breathe more, to get rid of the CO2.

But if I were in your position I would keep an eye on what my SpO2 is when I am having no leaks. That is when I would be receiving the richest mixture of O2 supplementation. When I am receiving the richest O2 mixture is when I would be in highest danger of having my SpO2 raise higher than would be beneficial.

If I were supplementing with 1.5 L/minute and if my average SpO2 when there was no leaking was 96% or lower (not paying attention to the occasional SpO2 dips which may go much lower than average, because of apneas or hypopneas), as far as I know I would be safe to continue the O2 supplementation, as long as I was continuing to monitor SpO2.

I believe that when SpO2 is higher than 96% it is a stress on our health, and for some people perhaps even 96% may already be partially stressful on their system. For example, when SpO2 gets too high it may destroy certain types of prescription drugs, meaning we may not be getting sufficient benefit from necessary prescription medications, and that could cause havoc. Also, I believe unnecessarily high SpO2 levels tend to accelerate aging and may accelerate certain diseases.

Moreover, caution would dictate that I should aim for the lower side of that "optimal" 94% to 96% range for SpO2. Especially since most Pulse Oximeters are only specified for +/- 2% accuracy. So when it says my SpO2 is 94%, actually my SpO2 may be as high as 96%.

I've read that SpO2 in the low 90's is probably quite safe for most people, especially when sleeping. However, for me personally, back when I was monitoring my SpO2 most nights, I found that I felt best on days after my pulse oximeter reported my average SpO2 when sleeping had been mostly above 93%.

Take care,
--- Vaughn
The Advisory Member group provides advice and suggestions to Apnea Board administrators and staff on matters concerning Apnea Board operation and administrative policies.  Membership in the Advisory Member group should not be understood as in any way implying medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
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#17
RE: supplemental oxygen
Vaughn, Thanks for your very detailed opinions. I am in my 60's and yes the doctors and insurance companies seem to be happy with just compliance, some improvement, and 92% spo2.

I do have a Contec CMS50EW and after a week now the addition of 02 has been a god-send; I have a new life!

Yet I do need to check the meter against several other good meters to insure the values are not understated as I have been having up to 95.5 spo2 values with almost no desaturation events.

I was unaware of some of the side effects of too much 02 that was brought to light. I will be mindfull to be carefull.

Thanks again! This is good
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#18
RE: supplemental oxygen
(10-14-2014, 07:51 PM)u2canbuild Wrote: Yet I do need to check the meter against several other good meters to insure the values are not understated as I have been having up to 95.5 spo2 values with almost no desaturation events.

By the way, I wouldn't be too concerned about short excursions higher than 96%. For example, I doubt there would be problems caused by spending just an hour or two a night with SpO2 at 97% or 98%. I would be more concerned about what was the average SpO2.


The Advisory Member group provides advice and suggestions to Apnea Board administrators and staff on matters concerning Apnea Board operation and administrative policies.  Membership in the Advisory Member group should not be understood as in any way implying medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
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#19
RE: supplemental oxygen
I did check my Contec CMS50EW against two other finger spo2 meters ........ and it read 2 points lower compared to one, and 3 points lower compared to the second......

( i did several tests on each, same finger, then different finger, left hand and right hand )

ie Contec CMS50EW = 95%
Meter one = 97%,

meter two = 98%



The added 02 contunues to still be a positive thing ............. so far..........
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