Oximeter

[mcejsul]

Wondering how many people use an Oximeter and if it is a good idea to get one? How readable is it? are there ones that can be hooked to a CPAP so the report comes with the CPAP report? Are you able to hook an Oximeter to a computer to get a nightly report?
Thanks, in advance.

[Lizistired]

Wondering how many people use an Oximeter and if it is a good idea to get one? How readable is it? are there ones that can be hooked to a CPAP so the report comes with the CPAP report? Are you able to hook an Oximeter to a computer to get a nightly report?
Thanks, in advance.

I use one, a CMS-50F wrist model, because I had desats during my sleep studies. It comes with software and connects to the computer via USB. The software has a realtime view when connected to the computer or a review function for recorded data.
ResMed has one that connects thru the S9 but it is several hundred dollars. I think sleepnationtv did a review of it.
I cut and paste my ResScan data and my SPO data when I want to compare them without switching back and forth between programs. Example below. Sleepyhead software, available on this forum, will accept data from both sources.
The 50F has an alarm, and recording function that records up to 24 hours and a contiuous clock that doesn't have to be reset every time you want to record.
Hope this helps.
This is what happens when I don't use my machine for half the night... The gray area I blocked out in the middle because I was awake.

[Pugsy]

I don't have one. I did get my DME to get an order so I could use theirs overnight. This was about 3 months into therapy.
Just curious. No significant desats occurred during 2 nights of testing. My Oxygen dropped to 73% during the sleep study. I have no other health issues that might warrant its use and I don't do any experiments to see if positional factors might impact by O2 levels. I am much worse in REM sleep so I can't control that anyway so I haven't seen the need but I can certainly see how it would come in handy as a tool to validate treatment. My particular issue with not feeling my good numbers (like I wish) happens to be with fragmented sleep due to pain.. so I haven't seen the need to explore oximeters. That is just me though. Each person has to decide what they wish to do in this area and whatever they want to do is what is important, not what I do.

[HoseCrusher]

I started off using mine nightly and dialed in my machine settings with it. Now I periodically check to make sure things are going well.

My cardiologist spent some time explaining how arousals effect pulse rate and how desaturation effects arousals and pulse rate. He reviews my data and has given me parameters to watch for. My instructions are that if I exceed the parameters, I am supposed to bring the overnight data in for him to review. So far, I haven't exceeded the parameters.

The xPAP machines base their scoring on air flow changes. A Pulse Oximeter adds oxygen saturation and pulse rate to give you two more channels of information from which to base decisions. I think the additional information is valuable.

[ThomasMcKean]

Wondering how many people use an Oximeter and if it is a good idea to get one? How readable is it? are there ones that can be hooked to a CPAP so the report comes with the CPAP report? Are you able to hook an Oximeter to a computer to get a nightly report?
Thanks, in advance.

I also have a CMS-50F which I did use for about a week. Analyzing combined data, I was able to get AHI from 9-12 down to 1-2. I still have it if another problem should pop up...

[SleepyToo2]

Analyzing combined data, I was able to get AHI from 9-12 down to 1-2. I still have it if another problem should pop up...

How did you achieve this wonderful goal with just the oximeter data as an additional source of information?

[ThomasMcKean]

Analyzing combined data, I was able to get AHI from 9-12 down to 1-2. I still have it if another problem should pop up...

How did you achieve this wonderful goal with just the oximeter data as an additional source of information?

The truth? I suspect it was dumb luck.

Still, between the two of them I do think yew get a much better look at what happened during the night than yew would with either of them alone. The two have kind of a synergistic quality that way when it comes to evaluating your sleep.

I looked the data over and made a few changes based upon what I saw. For instance, I changed the pressure on my autoset from 10-14 to 12-15. That made a difference. Then a few nights later I turned off the C-FLEX altogether and that made a HUGE difference. I had no idea that the difference would be so remarkable. I had tried it at all settings, 3, 2, and 1, even. But the difference between even just 1 and 0 was night and day, so to speak.

Now I am usually 1.2 - 1.5 so I don't wear the oximeter anymore. But I still have it handy just in case. For me I don't think the issue was a matter of pressure (though that was certainly a part of it), I think for me it was a matter of C-FLEX. I'd love to be able to leave it on, for the way I am designed I guess I can't.

[JohnBFisher]

Wondering how many people use an Oximeter and if it is a good idea to get one? How readable is it? are there ones that can be hooked to a CPAP so the report comes with the CPAP report? Are you able to hook an Oximeter to a computer to get a nightly report?
Thanks, in advance.

I use one (as needed).

When first starting on ASV therapy, I found that I continued to have problems while falling asleep. I used a pulse oximeter to identify that my lower pressure had been set FAR too low. It was set to 5cm H2O, instead of the prescribed 10cm H2O. I used the combined data from my ASV machine and the oximeter to discuss this with my doctor. He was very pleased to see me tackle this a little more scientifically than "I just don't feel well".

I now only use it rarely, but if I am having a rough patch (my neurological symptoms tend to wax and wane), I do use it. It helps confirm when I continue to struggle to achieve effective therapy.

But it's not something I use all the time. I use it just as it is needed.

[Axxel]

I also have the cms50f. Works great. I like it better because it has the rubber sleeve on finger attached to wrist and it stays put during the night with all my tossing.

It doesnt replace a sleep study, but does help alot at home to make sure your oxygen levels are ok during sleep

[Lizistired]

Then a few nights later I turned off the C-FLEX altogether and that made a HUGE difference. I had no idea that the difference would be so remarkable. I had tried it at all settings, 3, 2, and 1, even. But the difference between even just 1 and 0 was night and day, so to speak.

I had the same experience. Went from 5-6 to <1 overnight.

[ThomasMcKean]

I had the same experience. Went from 5-6 to <1 overnight.

I wish I could leave it on.