Low oxygen level during cpap use

I have been using a Phillips Respironics System One (remstar auto) with humidifier cpap machine for 3 years now. For the past 1 year I have been struggling with a feeling of being suffocated during my use of the machine. I have awakened many times catching myself breathing (while using the machine) very shallow shorter breaths--like the amount of exhale is just enough to fill the mask I'm wearing. Is that normal? I bought a pulse oximeter and wore that device and it said 88% a few times when I woke up and checked it first thing. Isn't that dangerous having SPO2 level that low? I literally feel like I'm suffocating while using the machine. Do I have CSA? I weigh 235 pounds do I just need a more powerful cpap machine? Do I need oxygen supplemented air? Please give me advice this is scary stuff.

The last line in your profile info is the most important now - you say your pressure is ? 5 (set by others, so you're unsure of it). Once the MD prescribes a setting, if you aren't comfortable, speak up and ask if e.g. the level could be bumped up a bit so you don't feel you're suffocating (the machine's default low is 4, so 5 is almost as useless). Do you know how to adjust your min. setting (the max can be left high as it's the min. setting that does 90% of the work)? Most of us tweak our own settings when needed - it's our therapy (not our MD's) and things can always be set back if the tweaks don't work. I'd try at 7 or 8 in your case for a couple of nights to see how things go.

For the record, 88% is considered borderline - between low normal and just beginning to be problematic (many have much, much lower numbers), so don't worry about that for the moment.

tsot25 wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 30, 2018 2:28 am

Do I have CSA? I weigh 235 pounds do I just need a more powerful cpap machine? Do I need oxygen supplemented air? Please give me advice this is scary stuff.

More likely, your pressure is just too low.
Read the sticky "before posting" post, and post some charts as instructed.

Low SpO2 and "struggling to breathe" are two different symptoms that can be related.

One night's data on SpO2 is not enough to establish what, if anything, is going on. Repeat your use of your pulse-oximeter for a week or so and see if the numbers persist. What is especially important is the amount of time below the threshold so look at that as a running average. If it is still low enough to concern you, take your reports to your sleep doctor and ask for their opinion.

"Struggling to breathe" can be caused by a too low CPAP inhale pressure (IPAP) and, has been suggested, a chat with your physician on the low value for the pressure on your machine might be in order. In can also be caused by an increase in severity in your sleep apnea. What you don't necessarily need is a "stronger" machine but you might need is a small increase in pressure. I'm not sure if the "RemStar Pro, auto" is a full data machine or not. Can you post the actual model number which is printed on the bottom of the blower unit of your machine. Make sure the humidifier (if you have one) is emptied or the chamber removed. With that number, we can tell for sure if it does collect full data. If so, get a copy of SleepyHead or Encore Pro and install it and start monitoring the effectiveness of your current therapy. You may see that the number of apnea events has increased since you started. Having these reports will also be of help when you speak to your physician.