What is up with my pulse oximeters (or me)

[yawnny]

Last week I dusted off my old CM50+ just to see how my daytime oxygen saturation is running. I had used it in the past to sync up with Sleepy Head, and on occasion to check my daytime levels, as my 02 tends to run a bit low (but not enough to bother my sleep Dr., at the time.).

Anyway, when I put the meter on, it wet immediately to the low 80's and occasionally dipped into the 70's, then rose to the 90's, then back down. All during this time, the pulse rate stayed pretty much the same, mid to high 80's (normal for me). I figured that the meter was broken, and ordered a new one. It just arrived today, looks to be the same manufacturer, minus the recording capability. I put the new meter on, and got virtually the same results as with the old meter. 80's, 70's, 90's staying at each reading for a few minutes, then going up or down. All while pulse remains relatively constant. Shouldn't I be on the verge of passing out if I'm dipping into 70's? I've made an appointment with my family doctor who doesn't want to do a referral until he sees me, and that it at the end of July. Frankly I'm a little scared, and don't find anything on Google that is similar enough to what I'm experiencing to either comfort me, or send me to the emergency room.

My CPAP AHI's have been running the usual 0.2 to 0.8, but I haven't been checking 02 levels during sleep.

Has anyone heard of such weird 02 sat reading, or have any idea what's going on? I had my hand resting quietly on a sturdy table while taking the O2 levels, so I don't think it's due to a bad connection.

Thank you for any input.

[Julie]

Hi - if you were monitoring while awake, and depending what else you'd just done or were doing, those numbers were not at all 'wrong'. What's recorded when you sleep, with or without apnea, is very different from when you're up, awake, active, etc. and no, 70's wouldn't necessarily be as meaningful as it would in an overnight sleep test. Why did you get a new one that doesn't record btw?

[JDS74]

Did you try changing fingers and/or hands?
Differing results could mean something to your doctor. A partial occlusion in the arterial supply to one finger might explain the varying results.

[yawnny]

Well, I got the new non recording one because it was cheap, $17 compared to the more expensive recording one. So worst case, I figured that it would verify my present CMS50+, and would have a spare generic pulse ox meter. If the results had indicated that the CMS50+ was at fault, I would have ordered another on of those, and kept the cheapo for a back up anyway.

I tried wearing 2 monitors on one hand with both reading virtually identical. And, tried one on each hand, same thing. Whatever is going on, seems to be going on regardless of finger, or hand used.

[JDS74]

At this point, an enigma.

Suggestion: put the recording one on set to record tonite and print a report for your doctor and see what he says.

[HoseCrusher]

Have you changed your fingernail polish color...?

Have you been doing hard manual labor and grown some calluses on your fingers...?

I can get mine to jump around a bit when it first turns on. Not as drastic as you are indicating but it does jump around until it settles in especially if I put it sideways on my finger(s).

Try this. Put it on your finger. Make sure it is properly adjusted. Then turn it on and look away for 60 seconds. Now you can turn back and see what it is doing.

The idea is to give it a chance to lock into the signal and stabilize.