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+--- Thread: I'm slipping away........... (/Thread-I-m-slipping-away)
RE: I'm slipping away........... - Gideon - 05-17-2021
Big Guy as archer stated you need a recording oximeter because it is the nighttime readings that are important. It is not abnormal to see a slight decrease in overnight sats, but if they dip and linger . . . . . .
That is a problem.
RE: I'm slipping away........... - Big Guy - 05-17-2021
Duly noted and thanks!
RE: I'm slipping away........... - SarcasticDave94 - 05-17-2021
I've used the Contec 50F about 6 months ago and it was doing a good job. There's an app you can get, and I've had OSCAR pull in SpO2 data to insert on the chart. Mine seemed to have been a slightly older than new/current version.
PS mine went AWOL when I moved in January.
RE: I'm slipping away........... - ArcherNeedsSleep - 05-17-2021
(05-17-2021, 08:35 AM)Gideon Wrote: Big Guy as archer stated you need a recording oximeter because it is the nighttime readings that are important. It is not abnormal to see a slight decrease in overnight sats, but if they dip and linger . . . . . .
That is a problem.
As promised, just one example of many in my files. Note that if I had taken my SpO2 readings at bedtime and when I woke up in the morning, I would think everything was fine. But I really spent almost 20 minutes below 90% saturation, which is kinda not a good thing (but significantly better than where I started!).
[attachment=32298]
This is the Wellue O2 ring which seems to provide a fairly consistent reading every night. The data matches up with my Oscar events, too, so I can see the correlation between events and O2 drops.
RE: I'm slipping away........... - DaveL - 05-18-2021
Thanks so much ArcherNeedsSleep!
RE: I'm slipping away........... - Ratchick - 05-18-2021
Just wanted to add to this... my apnea is totally uncontrolled right now (80+ centrals/hr, diagnosis of severe central sleep apnea, STILL fighting to get my damn doctor to get back to me about moving to ASV) but even so, APAP *is* helping me by at least reducing my events by about half. That's still way too many, and my biggest issue is massive desats.
Even with my APAP, my average oxygen sats when asleep are under 88%, almost always. Certainly under 90-91%. That said, the other day. I was taking a quick post-lunch food-coma nap and I just put the pulse ox on before I fell asleep. I spent all but about 7 minutes of that time with my sats below 90%. I spent most of it between 75-85%. The lowest I recorded during that nap was ~60% but I've gone lower (which is genuinely terrifying).
I still feel garbage every day (unsurprisingly) but even so, that small reduction does make a difference. It means I can wake up in less than 2 hours of confusion and drowsiness, and some of the time, I can get away without a 2-3 hour nap. And my migraines are dramatically reduced.
So yeah, even if your AHIs are low, if your sats are still bad, you're still going to feel cruddy... and even if you don't have "typical" signs of SA, my doctor said that it's important to stay on the PAP even if you don't feel better, because of the risks of not treating apnea that severe, in regards to your cardiovascular health especially. And if your sats ARE still low despite the low AHI on PAP you need to figure that out and ask the doctors to explore that, too.
That said, good luck in whatever you decide and good luck at your appointment.
RE: I'm slipping away........... - DaveL - 05-18-2021
Wow. Ratchick I haven't followed your posts.
Have you asked for help? Have you reviewed your AirSense 10 Autoset settings here?
I have the same machine. The results weren't good until I posted OSCAR sheets and asked for help.
I've done cpap for over 30 years. Using cpap for almost all that time I think I can remember feeling noticeably better after cpap about 5 times.
Since I got my apap, and since I changed settings following recommendations here, I think I've added about 20 wonderful days to those 5...what a wonderful change.
I hope this helps. My thought...if I have to wear all this stuff it had better work.
RE: I'm slipping away........... - Ratchick - 05-18-2021
Hi Dave - thanks for your concerns, I appreciate it.
The problem is that APAP isn't going to fix central sleep apnea. I need a different kind of machine called ASV that basically acts like CPAP/APAP for the few obstructive events I have (though most of those are when I am awake, by my research) but has the ability to control the central apneas and also, provide a forced breath when I DO suffer one. Until that happens, nothing much is going to help (and yes, I have posted, and a couple of people did give me a couple of suggestions, but there's a limit to what they can do with an APAP machine).
I just have to fight the system to get the doctor to agree and arrange funding, if possible because I don't easily have the money to buy my own ASV outright, and I would still need a prescription, either way. And in this day and age, that's taking a lot of time.
RE: I'm slipping away........... - Big Guy - 05-18-2021
Thanks to all for your replies. I read each & every one of them. Been doing a whole lot of thinking, and no matter how my appt. goes, I'm gonna stick to the therapy, thanks in part to all of you.
RE: I'm slipping away........... - DaveL - 05-18-2021
Incredible Big Guy!
I know seeing your posts helps me a lot.