Overnight SpO2 Report

[Iancdub88]

Hey guys, hopefully, it's okay that I'm starting a new thread, i just really wanted some help on this. On the 25th I had an in home Pulse Ox test with my CPAP on. It was a real pain to get a copy of it but I finally did. My concern is that my average SpO2 is 91%. My respiratory therapist said that is not a concern and I don't need oxygen but isn't that pretty low? Like shouldn't it be closer to 95%? I'm attaching the report and hoping you guys can shed some insight on this. I'm not getting much assistance from any of the medical professionals in my life. Thanks!

https://imgur.com/a/qFAakjM

Here's that night's SleepHQ report. I don't know why the oxygen test stopped around 3am.
https://sleephq.com/public/9b7ea3b5-520 ... 15f0e70416

[Pugsy]

At what altitude do you live?

[Iancdub88]

At what altitude do you live?

About 6000 feet. Colorado Springs, CO

[Pugsy]

My concern is that my average SpO2 is 91%. My respiratory therapist said that is not a concern and I don't need oxygen but isn't that pretty low?

Your air at 6 K feet doesn't have as much oxygen in it as say the air where I live which is at a much lower altitude so we would expect your normal baseline O2 levels to be lower than what they might be if you lived at my altitude.

91% is NOT "pretty low".....my own O2 levels went down to 73%. Now that's low and I was having the killer morning headaches that go along with low O2.

Ask your doctor to confirm but I suspect that he/she will tell you that given where you live that your O2 levels are well within an acceptable range.

Insurance won't pay for someone adding O2 unless the levels drops below 88% and then for a certain period of time and don't ask me how long because I have forgotten but it isn't a brief drop. It's prolonged.

[Iancdub88]

Your air at 6 K feet doesn't have as much oxygen in it as say the air where I live which is at a much lower altitude so we would expect your normal baseline O2 levels to be lower than what they might be if you lived at my altitude.

I didn't even think of the air being thinner up here. That makes sense.

Speaking of which. Do I need to make any adjustments if I travel to different altitudes? Next month I'll be visiting Estes Park which is 7500 feet and then I'll be at sea level in a couple of months.

91% is NOT "pretty low".....my own O2 levels went down to 73%. Now that's low and I was having the killer morning headaches that go along with low O2.

Dang! 73%? That sounds scary!

Ask your doctor to confirm but I suspect that he/she will tell you that given where you live that your O2 levels are well within an acceptable range.

I did message her. I should hear back tomorrow.

[Pugsy]

Do I need to make any adjustments if I travel to different altitudes?

No. You don't need to make any adjustments. The machine will automatically adjust for altitude.

Once you get above 9,870 ft altitude the machine will still try to auto adjust for altitude but it may not be "perfect" but there's nothing you can do to further correct anyway.

Some years ago I traveled to the mountains in Utah and ended up at a little over 13,000 feet where we camped.
Nothing really changed and I had zero problems and actually didn't even think about it until later.

[ozij]

Your settings on the overnight SPO2 report are not the settings you're on now.
Very much not the same.

On the SPO2 night you were on APAP, with a minimum of 8.4, maximum of 12.2, EPR=3


Your recent settings:
Fixed, at 10.4

Ask your doctor to confirm but I suspect that he/she will tell you that given where you live that your O2 levels are well within an acceptable range.

I did message her. I should hear back tomorrow.

I'm not getting much assistance from any of the medical professionals in my life. Thanks!

Nor should expect to get much assistance from your doctor when she has wrong data to work from.

[Iancdub88]

Your settings on the overnight SPO2 report are not the settings you're on now.
Very much not the same.

On the SPO2 night you were on APAP, with a minimum of 8.4, maximum of 12.2, EPR=3

Your recent settings:
Fixed, at 10.

She knows and still isn't concerned.

I'm not getting much assistance from any of the medical professionals in my life. Thanks!

I'm not solely referring to this situation.

[Iancdub88]

Ask your doctor to confirm but I suspect that he/she will tell you that given where you live that your O2 levels are well within an acceptable range.

My doctor confirmed that anything above 90% is normal for Colorado. Sorry to freak out.

Last night, I slept okay but had a random cluster of flow limits at the beginning of the night. One nostril was pretty congested so I don't know if that can cause it. I also noticed that I rolled over two times and was totally out of breath. Like my body desperately wanted to breathe out of my mouth but since it was taped, it took a little longer to catch my breath through my nose. Could this mean I need to up the pressure? I guess I could try APAP again but the pressure changes can wake me up. I'm kind of getting frustrated that when I finally think I've figured this out, a new problem arises but I'm guessing that's fairly normal.

https://sleephq.com/public/97269609-52e ... bb139f6a0d

[Pugsy]

Are you doing anything prior to bedtime to try to help reduce any nasal congestion?
Nasal rinses, sprays, meds, whatever?????

[Iancdub88]

Are you doing anything prior to bedtime to try to help reduce any nasal congestion?
Nasal rinses, sprays, meds, whatever?????

I usually use generic Flonase in the morning but this is the first time I've had a congestion issue since starting cpap.

[Pugsy]

Flonase or its equivalent isn't for immediate relief unfortunately.

I don't normally vary my routine for one off weirdo stuff...like nasal congestion when I rarely have any congestion.
So I don't know if you want to go trying a bunch of stuff if this last night was just a one off weirdo thing.
I will tell you that I keep on hand a little bottle of Afrin for emergency sudden onset congestion. Not a common occurrence but I learned a long time ago that nasal congestion equals minimal sleep for me. If I can't breathe through my nose then I can't fall asleep or stay asleep for long if I happened to sleep.

Up to you but if you want to do something start with using something like Simply Saline about an hour before bed and see if that helps or not.
Other choices besides plain saline might be the Afrin or nasal rinse (like a Netipot) or even medication (depending on the cause of the congestion like allergies or illness like a cold).

I refuse to go the Netipot rinse route....not going to happen but I will often use Simply Saline....the Afrin is only a teeny tiny amount and I rarely use it and for emergency use when nothing else works or I happen to get a sudden onset of congestion and no time to really do anything else.

Oh....what is your humidity setting? Sometimes more or sometimes less humidity will help reduce nasal congestion.
It's an individual thing....I know a husband and wife both on cpap and he doesn't use any added moisture and she has to max out the humidity setting. Go figure...

[Iancdub88]

Up to you but if you want to do something start with using something like Simply Saline about an hour before bed and see if that helps or not.
Other choices besides plain saline might be the Afrin or nasal rinse (like a Netipot) or even medication (depending on the cause of the congestion like allergies or illness like a cold).

I'll look into those if it continues. Thank you!

Oh....what is your humidity setting?

It's at 3 now, but about four days ago, it was at 4. I'm gonna go back up to 4 tonight and see how that goes. I just thought I didn't need it at 4 but I might.

I've also been thinking a lot about my meds. I take 2 blood pressure meds, Losartan and Amlodipine. Both of which can cause drowsiness. I may start taking them at night but I know amlodipine's half life is super long. My goal would be to get my. BP down low enough to go off of that one.

[Iancdub88]

Sadly, I think I may have to go back to the FFM. Even the stronger hypafix tape comes off of my face and mouth leaks wake me up. I've been working on the "tongue sucking" technique and can maintain that position during the day but when I relax in my sleep, my tongue still falls back.

[Weld3z]

The device you are using name/model?
Keep in mind that 90% of available devices on the market are not 100% accurate and not FDA-approved or cleared.