O2 saturation

During the night, with use of CPAP, my O2 saturation is about 98%.
The morning after I removed the mask, O2 saturation falls to 94% of average.
what do you think?
Thank you all.

Breath deeper

Not a sleep apnea issue, if you are awake when you take off your mask. It may have something to do with your sleep, if you took your mask off and then went back to sleep. Is that what happened?

desat to 94 is not to a point it would cause cell damage, but over a long period of sleep it may be disruptive to sleep quality.

GGF

If your O2 is regularly at 94%, then first rule out a few things. Do you have seasonal allergies? Do you have acid reflux? Do you know if you have 'silent acid reflux'? Are you over 50? Are you in poor aerobic shape? All of these things can result in lower O2 levels. The thing is, it will stay with you all day if it is a potential problem. If that is the case, make an appointment with your primary especially if you are feeling weak.

That virus that has been going around this year results in lower O2 levels for weeks, even after you feel better. When you are sick, you get in the habit of breathing shallow, so you have to practice deeper breathing to get back into that normal pattern.

I'm 53 years old, my weight is 120 kg, and I am a strong ex-smoker. I think Palerider rightly, with CPAP my breathing is deeper. During the day, if I'm relaxed, my breathing is "calm" and becomes lighter and more superficial and O2 saturation falls.
When I start to move, my breathing increases and saturation O2 rises to 95-96.

Oltremare wrote:During the night, with use of CPAP, my O2 saturation is about 98%.
The morning after I removed the mask, O2 saturation falls to 94% of average.
what do you think?
Thank you all.

I think you have something else going on... when was the last checkup?
Also try counting your breaths per minute.

Oltremare wrote:I'm 53 years old, my weight is 120 kg, and I am a strong ex-smoker. I think Palerider rightly, with CPAP my breathing is deeper. During the day, if I'm relaxed, my breathing is "calm" and becomes lighter and more superficial and O2 saturation falls.
When I start to move, my breathing increases and saturation O2 rises to 95-96.

That's kind of how a body works. Like your car holding the gas pedal down at stoplights, isn't productive, wears out your engine unnecessarily. 90 or 92 may be a concern especially if you get lightheaded standing up fast. Jim

Thank you all.
I have an average of 18 breaths per minute and I had made last visit in January 2017, all ok.
I never feel light-headed and I have no other symptoms.
What is your thought "guest"?

My thoughts are - being an ex-smoker myself and watching my mother (ex-smoker) die from lung cancer that something could be going on. I would expect for O2 sats to stay up closer to 98% on room air in a normal healthy person even w/o a pressure assist device.

Of course not being dizzy or light headed is a good thing. Any coughing?

My sleep doc enrolled me in a program where I get chest xrays every year. The first was free after that they charge your insurance but now they have a baseline for any future changes. One of the requirements was being a smoker for 25 yrs.

Lucky for me my sleep doc is a pulmonologist and yea I think that makes a diff when it comes to lung diseases. I think few things matter in life when you can no longer breath - so catching any problems early can help, esp. these days when it may be able to be treated.

Unfortunately, like most women mom made sure dad went to the doc but she didn't go for herself.

Oltremare,
Just to put the numbers in perspective...most Doctors and insurance companies (including Medicare) will require your PO2 to be fairly consistantly 88% or below before putting you on supplemental oxygen. 94% is not bad for someone with a long smoking history.

And most smokers and ex-smokers have a certain amount of small airway collapse that cpap will reverse (temporarily while using the cpap machine).

What's happening is fairly normal, given your situation.
CN

CarpeNoctum wrote:Oltremare,
Just to put the numbers in perspective...most Doctors and insurance companies (including Medicare) will require your PO2 to be fairly consistantly 88% or below before putting you on supplemental oxygen. 94% is not bad for someone with a long smoking history.

And most smokers and ex-smokers have a certain amount of small airway collapse that cpap will reverse (temporarily while using the cpap machine).

What's happening is fairly normal, given your situation.
CN

Thanks CarpeNoctum,
your explanation is realistic and encouraging.
The idea of "guest", although anything is possible, seems exaggerated.
I'll check my health by following the routines agreed with my pulmonologist.
Thank you all for your help.

Oltremare

Oltremare wrote:I'll check my health by following the routines agreed with my pulmonologist.

Excellent idea. Wonder why you never mentioned you have a pulmonologist, better yet why you never asked the pulmo your question?

Oltremare wrote:During the night, with use of CPAP, my O2 saturation is about 98%.
The morning after I removed the mask, O2 saturation falls to 94% of average.
what do you think?
Thank you all.

I don't know if I understand your question "guest" but I try to answer.
I haven't asked the pulmonologist because I can't see him when I want but, only to scheduled visits. I asked on the forum because usually I get good advice and, I think that sharing our experiences helps us to overcome stress and can also help other people.
Thank you, too "guest" for your contribution.
Hello
Oltremare

Guest wrote:

Oltremare wrote:I'll check my health by following the routines agreed with my pulmonologist.

Excellent idea. Wonder why you never mentioned you have a pulmonologist, better yet why you never asked the pulmo your question?

Just curious what you thought this meant?

Guest wrote:Of course not being dizzy or light headed is a good thing. Any coughing?
Lucky for me my sleep doc is a pulmonologist and yea I think that makes a diff when it comes to lung diseases

Oltremare wrote:

CarpeNoctum wrote:Oltremare,
Just to put the numbers in perspective...most Doctors and insurance companies (including Medicare) will require your PO2 to be fairly consistantly 88% or below before putting you on supplemental oxygen. 94% is not bad for someone with a long smoking history.

And most smokers and ex-smokers have a certain amount of small airway collapse that cpap will reverse (temporarily while using the cpap machine).

What's happening is fairly normal, given your situation.
CN

Thanks CarpeNoctum,
your explanation is realistic and encouraging.

I agree with CarpeNoctum, nothing to worry about, your resting o2 drops because you're breathing more shallow, because your body isn't generating, and trying to rid itself of, as much co2.