Need help with results of Oximeter test

[KG7]

Hi everyone. I've been struggling with sleep issues for the past 4 years in which I feel unrefreshed upon waking regardless of how much sleep I get. I slog through every day feeling groggy, foggy and fatigued, and I've tried countless things to remedy the situation to no avail. I'm eating Paleo, I exercise regularly without overdoing it, and I keep a consistent sleep schedule. I refrain from using electronics an hour before bed to give myself enough time to wind down, and I've incorporated tried-and-true sleep habits like the avoidance of caffeine, as well. I've had all kinds of tests for anemia, hypothyroid and whatnot, with no identifiable cause for concern. I assumed that the only people who can get sleep apnea were the ones who were middle-aged, overweight and often male, so I completely dismissed sleep apnea as a possible cause for my fatigue considering that I'm a 19 y/o male who weighs in at 65kg and has never had any weight issues in his life at all.

I thought differently when I woke up one night recently with the sensation of paralysis. I've had this before and it has often occurred when I have been awakened too early, usually whilst dreaming (usually by my parents leaving the house and telling me they're going to work or out for the day, etc.) and I have fallen back into a dream state almost instantly, then upon waking again, for whatever reason, feeling completely paralysed. What was different with the recent episode was that I felt the urgent need to breathe, but I just couldn't for what felt like 5 seconds. After that short time, I could breathe freely again. I was so groggy that I fell back asleep and didn't think twice of it, but on reflection I realised that something was really off then. That's the only time I've had the conscious thought of 'oh crap, I can't breathe!', and I've never had any sensations of choking, snoring or gasping before in my life.

I want to get a sleep study done, but I don't have any insurance and the waiting times for the NHS are pretty bad. I've actually suggested a sleep study to my GP before (that was years back now, though), but he shrugged it off pretty easily because of the common 'fat old man' misconception. I'm willing to get a home sleep study soon; I just need to save up for it first. In the meantime, I bought my own Finger Pulse Oximeter to record my SpO2 % and pulse rate overnight and had the data analysed through the provided software. These were the results, and I was hoping if any of you with experience can give me an idea of what's going on during the night. The Oximeter has the tendency of falling off as I toss and turn throughout the night, hence the gray lines.

[Julie]

Hi, the first thing I want to tell you, regardless of anything else, is to not worry about the sleep paralysis phenomenon - because that's what it is, a peculiar event that many people experience and that is harmless and nonprogressive, however frightening it might be. What I would also suggest is that you get a referral to a neurologist (or at least a pulmonologist) who specializes in sleep issues and who can tell you about it, along with (hopefully) more about OSA. You're correct about not needing to be a large older man - many patients are here because of anatomic issues that have nothing to do with weight or age or gender.

What I also suggest is that you go to the lightbulb at the top of each page (any pg) and start reading all the links... at least you'll have a better basic idea of what OSA's about, but your own problems could stem from many places, not all sleep related, though there are also many sleep disorders (such as the paralysis) that have nothing to do with apnea and need to be tested in a sleep centre, but also gone over with a neurologist (they may not all show up in a lab). I'm sorry, I can't comment on your oximetry - not familiar with the graphs - but someone else will.

[archangle]

Zoom in on the blips. They're probably just blips, probably from wiggling around. A real O2 or pulse event will tend to have a gradual decline and recovery. Especially look for small gray bits in the waveform.

By the way, a "good" pulseox test doesn't rule out apnea. Even if your O2 doesn't drop, you can still have apnea problems because it keeps you from sleeping well.

[-tim]

Having your Sp02 drop to the high 70s would be bad... if that is what happened and I don't think it happened.

Notice your pulse rate starts to get jumpy before your Sp02 drops. That says your moving and I expect it means you're moving more than the Oximeter can cope with.

Your Oximeter shines two lights through your finger. One if infrared (like your tv remote) and the other is red which you can see. It detects how your finger absorbs the two and compares them to determine your O2 level and pulse rate. That requires it can find a baseline of how opaque your finger is and that changes every time you move.

The clamp on types aren't recommend for all night use (see foot notes in the small print for legal disclaimers)
The correct type for all night to deal with motion stick on like these:
http://www.nonin.com/_images/products/L ... tacked.jpg
Since you're not likely to drop £200 per sensor per night, you get to figure out what is real and what is an artifact.

Can you zoom in on your data?
If your 02 is low, it's going to ramp down and then up, not instant (unless you have very serious heart issues). Plug the thing in and see what it says... now hold your breath for as long as you can. Watch how the O2 drops over that time and watch how it recovers. If you're not seeing that in the graphs, you're seeing noise. To show that, jog in place while adjusting the sensor. Notice how it may have recored very low?

The suffocation feeling is not likely related to low O2. The suffocation reflex is tied to high CO2 not low O2 levels. Some people feel claustrophobic sensations based on low air flow.

Low O2 has very predictive behaviors when it gets low. I watched this with my mother recently after an operation. When she dropped below 66 she would have that almost drunk "I love everyone" feeling and at 64 would be apologizing for everything ready to meet her maker and as O2 levels climbed she reversed the effects.

[KG7]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I've taken all of your information on board. Much appreciated!

I've zoomed in on each graph, and as said all of the SPO2 jumps were right-angled rather than inclined. There were also small gray lines littered in certain places on the graph, ie. along a straight SPO2 line there were about 4 of them scattered about.

If all goes well, I'll be able to afford a home sleep study next month (http://www.sleep-study.co.uk/multi-chan ... atory.html) so that I can get a real confirmation on my sleep problems.

I should have mentioned this earlier in my first post, but I've had a chronically congested nose for about a year or so now. My sleep issues started roughly 4 years ago, so I doubt that my sinuses are a primary cause of any issues, but has anyone else with sleep apnea had any sinus issues before / during / after prolonged inadequate sleep periods? I guess it only makes sense for it to happen considering how important sleep is for the immune system and such.