SPo2 drop

[cberistain]

any thoughts on why the SPo2 dropped around 3:50AM?
two screen shots attached.

[desaturator]

any thoughts on why the SPo2 dropped around 3:50AM?
two screen shots attached.

I'm afraid I don't know -- but I'd like to, because I have many instances very similar every night (see attached image). Sometimes I have whole runs of this waxing-and-waning ventilation, sometimes just one instance out of the blue, as you show.

I know it doesn't help, but I wanted you to know you're not alone

Best wishes, DS

[cberistain]

My fitbit approximates SPo2 levels.. and sometimes it shows >80% ( the lowest level it will read) .... and those low levels never match up with my SPo2 data ...so I think that shows that the fitbit data is not reliable.

[SarcasticDave94]

Unfortunately I don't think this data will answer your why question. I think to answer why would need other medical testing to find the cause.

[Jeff8356]

It doesn't say in your post which oximeter you are using. Just a guess but CMS50F???
It is possible you moved during your sleep and knocked the sensor around a little bit. I get some odd looking dips like that occasionally but they are not consistent so I just ignore them.

[desaturator]

It is possible you moved during your sleep and knocked the sensor around a little bit.  I get some odd looking dips like that occasionally but they are not consistent so I just ignore them.

Sure, it could be an artefact; but it looks like it takes about 8 minutes to recover. To my mind, that argues against it just being a knocked sensor. I guess the blood circulation might have been interrupted by pressure, or something like that.

Was the minute ventilation constant during this anomaly?

BW, DS

[cberistain]

It doesn't say in your post which oximeter you are using.  Just a guess but CMS50F???
It is possible you moved during your sleep and knocked the sensor around a little bit.  I get some odd looking dips like that occasionally but they are not consistent so I just ignore them.

yes CMS50F  .. and yes I do have some nights where the sensor comes off my finger. sometimes if I'm awake, I'll get it back on before it shuts off. other times I just lose the data for that part of the nigh.

[Ratchick]

Looking just at your flow graph, I wonder what it says before the point it starts. Because it looks like you had a gradual dip then a big breath, which set up the rest of the periodic breathing which led your sats downward. Was there anything visible before 3:46:30 ?

[cberistain]

Looking just at your flow graph, I wonder what it says before the point it starts. Because it looks like you had a gradual dip then a big breath, which set up the rest of the periodic breathing which led your sats downward. Was there anything visible before 3:46:30 ?

here is a screen shot of that time frame... I didn't see anything that would trigger the event.

[Ratchick]

My only suggestion would be that that cluster of what looks like four "half breaths" with a normal inspiration curve but no corresponding expiratory curve of a similar magnitude. Perhaps either that caused enough of a disturbance to trigger small arousal, hence the bigger breath, and that then triggered off the other events? But that's just as much guess on my part.

Honestly, if this was just a once-off, then I'd probably just put a pin in it for now and see how you go. If it was actually an artefact caused by movement, then obviously it's not important. And if it's a one off, then there's nothing else to really do except make sure it doesn't happen more often.