Anyone use an oximeter everynight? Oximeter advice please

I'm getting a new CPAP this week as my old one is not data capable and my doctor want's to start looking at the data from it. This has me looking at data logging and I notice that the S9 Elite I will likely be getting is capable of working with an oximeter. I figure any extra data I can gather is always better.

I have used an oximeter four times, twice when my doctor sent me home with an apnea-link, at the sleep lab during my initial sleep study, and again at my titration.

My questions follow:

Does anyone use an oximeter regularly? Do you find gathering data from one regularly valuable?

Which oximeters work with the S9 Elite and log straight to it's SD card? I assume they are pricey but also assume that this would allow me to avoid running a laptop next to my bed for data logging.

If it's difficult or too expensive to get one that is compatible with the S9 Elite, I am very computer savvy, would it just be worthwhile to pick up an oximeter on my own online and use one of the data logging software packages available there? In that case, are the oximeters available on eBay that come with a USB connection and data logging software any good? Are there any in particular that would produce data in an acceptable format to import into either ResScan or SleepyHead? Worst case, I can always correlate apnea events and low O2 saturation visually between two software packages. I'd prefer to have it all in one software package though.

Any recommendations or experiences?

Thanks,

Reuben.

I used an oximeter during the sleep study, and once at home when I first started using the machine. Wondering if you heard this correctly?

I've used an oximeter 4 times, CPAP coming up on 4 years straight. I guess that sentence was a little confusing.

Initial post edited for clarity

Oh My Goodness! You must have a great doc, if he/she wants to look at data from your machine. But for Pete's sake, if you're looking to get an Elite, spend a few more sheckels and get an S9 Autoset. It's only about $50 more than the Elite and then you have automatic pressure, which is worth having, even if your doctor only wants you on constant pressure, which the machine can be set to provide. When you're paying that much for a machine, a few dollars more gets you a LOT more capability.

Re: the oximeter, it's going to cost about 3 kilobucks to get one that works with the Resmed machines. Most of us get an inexpensive one like the Contec CMS 50E http://www.amazon.com/Contec-Full-Colou ... 469&sr=1-1 and print out the reports in .pdf format, then append it to the .pdf report from ResScan, the (freely available) software for the ResMed S9 Elite and Autoset machines. The printout has four formats, each including a cool graphic display of oxygen saturation and heart rate that gives your Medicine Man instant visual verification that your CPAP machine is doing what it's supposed to:



It isn't something you need to use every night. I've had mine about 9 months, and used it once a week or so early-on to get an idea of how much variation I could expect in my data. I bring the printouts to show the doc and he's pleased to have them, even if it means he doesn't need to schedule me for another sleep study to verify that my prescribed pressure is adequate.

Now, I check my oximetry only every couple of months or so.

I use a wrist recordable pulse oximeter from Contec. CMS 50F. You can also get it with bluetooth interface to send data straight to your computer...but I have found no real issues matching up the date from my S9 with the oximeter data to compare them.

My doc was also all for me being in control of my therapy.

Thanks for the reply Slartybartfast! I'll check out the Contec unit. That sounds like a reasonable way to handle the saturation reports.

I've been told by a few others that I should get the S9 AutoSet model as well. I'll be talking to my supplier to see if they can get me that unit instead of the regular S9 Elite that they have recommended. I imagine we'll be able to work that deal out.

msradar65, thanks for the input as well. I think I'll be shopping Contec units.

Great. Just a word of advice. The provider is paid the same regardless of whether they give you the Elite or Autoset. They make more profit if they give you the cheaper machine, so expect that they will come up with some excuse like,

1. "Your prescription is for CPAP, not autoPAP, so that's what we're giving you." Or,

2. "So you've fallen for all that marketing cr@p (which is what the RT in the sleep doc's office told me). AutoPAPs are just a marketing ploy to sell you a more expensive machine." Or,

3. "Insurance won't pay for an automatic machine."

The response to #1 is simplistic because the Autoset can be set up in CPAP mode just like a CPAP (the Elite) unit. For $50 more, it's worth having the automatic capability which your doctor might decide you need someday. An automatic machine can be set up like a CPAP. But a CPAP will always only be a CPAP.

Response #2 is just someone's opinion. And yours is just as valid as theirs.

Response #3 is a flat-out lie. The insurance billing code for a CPAP and an automatic machine are the same number. The provider is paid the same regardless, so frequently they will try to push you out the door with a cheaper machine in order to maximize profit.

There's lots of information on this forum about these issues.

Keep your wits about you!

Thanks again! That's good to know. I'm almost positive that these are the reasons I have a non-data logging unit now. I'm sure they sent me out with the cheapest unit they could.

When I got my first CPAP it was an Auto unit (Respitronics M Series) and was told that it was a loaner until I got my titration done. After the titration they took back the auto unit and sent me home with the straight CPAP unit I now use. I felt like they had pulled a quick one on me then. They likely did.

I always feel like they are trying to sneak something by me at the medical supply. Last time I went in for a mask but only ended up getting a new cushion because the mask cost was too damn high. They wanted to sell me some filters for my CPAP too at like $12 each for the foam filter and $20 each for the HEPA filter. I passed on those but while I was waiting on them to process my bill in their lobby, I got on my iPhone, hit eBay and had ordered a full year's supply of both filter types for the price of about two of theirs. The order was placed in less time than it took them to ring up my bill. I was very tempted to show my receipt to their manager and tell them exactly why they lost that sale but I just smiled inside. I will never buy the little disposable parts from them again. I KNOW they have only their bottom line in mind when selling me gear and I have to keep that in mind when I'm in there.

They seem to be quoting me a decent price on the S9 Elite at this point. Maybe too good actually... $650 with mask and humidifier. That's my cost as I've paid nothing into my $2500 deductible yet. We'll see what they actually end up trying to charge me at check out time.

I'm convinced now and I won't settle for anything short of the S9 AutoSet. If I'm spending the money, I call the shots. I can always get my doctor to write a prescription that specifically says he wants me using an auto system if they balk. He's on my side and wants me to be active in getting better.

If they still don't like it, I'm sure my money is still green at the other guy's shop.

I would definitely see if you can go with the S9 Autoset. I love mine.

I diagnosed myself with sleep apnea after buying my own pulse oximeter and taking the results to my doctor. I used my oximeter every night for the two months it took to get my ASV and then for the first 4 months getting used to my ASV. It was instrumental in convincing me that sleeping without the mask was not worth calling sleep and maybe even killing me. I could clearly see on the pulse oximeter data, the drops in SPO2 every time I took my mask off. Now I use it every week or so just to see how things are going. I claimed it as a medical expense.

The Contec cms50 series oximeters don't plug into the s9, but you can view data from the s9 and cms50 together in SleepyHead.

People seem to like wrist version better. It usually costs about twice as much, but you can get it for about the same price as the all on finger model if you order direct from China. Here's a link, but I can't vouch for the people on the other end of it. I have had this link in my bookmarks for four months, though, so I guess they're not completely fly by night.
http://www.door2doorshop.com/wholesale/ ... 0F-36.html

I've experienced a lot of stress for a long, long period of time and recently started having short episodes of increased pulse rate. One of the members of our local meetup group here in Atlanta loans his handheld CMS pulse ox to other members. Mine's in shipment so I borrowed one and been recording nightly. It shows moderate increases from baseline while sleeping, less of an increase than I experience while awake so I'm now convinced it's due to stress rapid than my treatment or something new. And no desaturations. I'm back to practicing all my stress mgmt techniques and it's working as my average pulse rate is slowly dropping during the day and while asleep.

I like the handheld unit as it runs on AA batteries for multiple sleep sessions -- all the others use rechargeable batteries that must be re-charged often. I got it so I can set the SaO2 alarm to wake me up if I start desatturating if we lose power for several nights. I really, really need to investigate getting battery backup .

Are there any side effects to being exposed to the red light for long periods of time? The way I interpret manuals and literature from the manufactures leads me to believe there may be some side effect. I would like to find a pulse ox that you wear like a watch all the time and it would set off an alarm when O2 dipped.

borgready wrote:Are there any side effects to being exposed to the red light for long periods of time? The way I interpret manuals and literature from the manufactures leads me to believe there may be some side effect.

What sort of side effects?

borgready,

I've been using the CMS-50E for about 3 years. My left index finger began hurting about 1/2 way through the night. I don't know if is exposure to too much Infrared light or just the pressure. So, I now rotate the the pulse ox through all 6 usable fingers. It seems to work.