O2 concentrator coming----have questions

Hi Ken,

I'm an RN, and I've worked quite a bit with patients in their homes who are first starting oxygen. I've seen a number of patients, whose O2 saturation levels were dropping down into the 80s at night, increase their quality of life significantly after they starting using oxygen just at night. They are getting better quality rest, which then gives them better energy over all. I hope that you have this result, too!

Here's a web page about home oxygen safety: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency ... 000049.htm The main pointers for xpap users would include:
* consider having a backup source, such as an oxygen tank, that would give you enough to get through a night without power. Store it in a safe place--the DME company will advise.
* keep petroleum-based products, such as vaseline, away from the face. Very combustible. Instead try ayr gel, which is saline-based.
* keep that romantic fireplace in your bedroom room unlit when the oxygen concentrator is on, same with smoking.

I wonder about the caution on the website about electric blankets. I doubt that a spark would come anywhere near the cpap mask???

Good health to you,

Happy Sleeper

Happysleeper, is there a goal level for O2?
We hear over 90%. With cpap min rides the 90% line with dips most of the night. When I'm upright it stays around 98. Guess I do need to go to that 1 year follow-up. I'm going to do some daytime O2 recordings and see what that looks like.

Lizistired wrote:Happysleeper, is there a goal level for O2?
We hear over 90%. With cpap min rides the 90% line with dips most of the night. When I'm upright it stays around 98. Guess I do need to go to that 1 year follow-up. I'm going to do some daytime O2 recordings and see what that looks like.

Liz, I was told by both the VA Dr and the DME that if you drop below 90, then they want you on O2. I believe everyone's nightime O2's are lower than day, but still should be staying @ 90 or higher. If you're going below 90 at night (or day for that matter), you might want to bring it up to your Dr.

@Happysleeper, thank you for your input. I stay away from petroleums because I hear they are no good for the silicone on cpap equipment (masks, etc). I think the only thing I have in the bedroomn is lanolin for the mask. No FP, no electric blanket, or anything else. I appreciate your encouragement and hope the O2 does bring me that extra energy and rest. I'll talk to the DME today about the backup as well.

Kody, Mr Bill, Goofproof, thanks for all your input. I'll post my results and hopefully some others will get something good out of this thread.

happysleeper wrote:.
* keep that romantic fireplace in your bedroom room unlit when the oxygen concentrator is on, same with smoking.
Happy Sleeper

Wow Ken no wonder your still feeling tired all the time. Drain your bedroom jacuzzi, put out the fire in the fireplace, roll up the bear skin rug, and put away the disco ball and concentrate on getting some good sleep man!

Seriously good luck with your new setup and keep us updated.

LOL, our bedroom is not quite that nice. The closest we get to a fireplace is a candle and I highly doubt I'll have one of those around the O2.

I'm waiting on the DME this afternoon, hope he makes it here with all the snow out there

I know I'm not the first to express a similar sentiment, but
I'm flattered you give me credit for the words.

@ Kody - Too funny

I read the website link. Never knew one has to be so careful with those Glad I read that!

Oh, BTW, candles are also a no-no.
--just in case someone forgets (oxygen-deprived or heat-of-passion)

As a person with sleep apnea, I don't all anything in my house to compete with the O2 I need to breath, unless it for cooking or heat. Not much worrys over thet Electric stove and gas heat fed by fresh air from outside for combustion. More O2 for me. Jim

chunkyfrog wrote:I know I'm not the first to express a similar sentiment, but
I'm flattered you give me credit for the words.

Well, you expressed it bluntly and directly, and in a way I hadn't seen before. It was great. I'll give you the kudos for a while.

With 50 or 60% of people giving up their machines, I hope to advertise that for a while and hopefully drive the point home.

So the O2 concentrator is here and set up.

It's the strangest thing, here I am in my 50's and when I got my ASV machine last June I was so excited that as soon as the DME left, I took a nap with it.

And now with this concentrator, I'm like a little kid who just got a Christmas present...I can't wait to go to bed tonite and crank it up so I can breathe pure filtered O2 through my ASV.

How wierd, I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be so excited about using durable medical equipment.

Who says older people can't have fun!?

Ahhhhhhhhhhh! I LOVE the 02 enriched air blowing thru the hose to my mask and on my face and into my nose. Feels so good, BREATHES so good!

My local DME provider set me up w/a 5L concentrator (first one a DeVilbiss, recently replaced w/a Respironics EverFlor Q) and 4 "E" size 02 tanks w/regulator as emergency backup when I was on 02 just at night. (Now I'm on 02 pretty much 24 x 7 due to COPD).

Ameriken,

Glad you got your O2. Sleep well tonight. Let us know tomorrow how your first night went.

@ Teknomom - Agreed.