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91% oxygen - goodonya - 06-13-2014
I am curious how it works out for other people. When I am at the sleep doctor and mention the 91% oxygen average I have with therapy it is yah that's good.
I cannot help but wonder if that is so good to a regular pulmonologist?
I myself feel like I can hardly think and have huge gaps in my memory when I when I wake up in the morning. There are lots of other figments of my imagination I would rather have. I think this is real.
Combine that with the ongoing sleep deprivation that seems to be acceptable with sleep apnea treatment. The two together are a kind of a one two punch for me. I cannot think my way out of it.
RE: 91% oxygen - Peter_C - 06-13-2014
Well - while sleeping the magic number to try to stay above is 88% - look for where it tells you how many minutes below 88% you had - I am thrilled when mine says less than five minutes. Last night was 1.7 minutes under 88%. My 'average' is 89.3% (last night) My pulmo is happy with me, even with all the "PE" scarring (multiple PEs, multiple times).
During my recent anemia issue (bad enough for hospital and extra blood), my time below 88% was closer to 20 minutes a night. My PCP Doc (been with him 20+ years, and really like him) has told me to not stress until my 'average' is below 88% at night. I choose to go by his words, and just check randomly 3-5 nights per month, and not stress.
RE: 91% oxygen - Peter_C - 06-13-2014
Now - during the day - it's all different~! 93% is a big number, temp drops below (during exertion) are one thing, but if you are sitting still and hit and do not go above 93% - you need to see someone ASAP. (Father in-law passed from COPD, and when he hit 93% it was hospital time). Big differences between daytime and night time.
RE: 91% oxygen - PaulaO2 - 06-13-2014
Typical, average persons during sleep, their blood oxygen saturation goes to 90-94%. During sleep, our breathing changes, we don't need as much O2, etc.
Like Peter said, it is when it gets into the 80s, like below 88 or so, that there is reason for concern. Or a regular reading of 91% during the day isn't a good sign.
We need to remember that not everything that is wrong with us is automatically linked to our sleep apnea. It may be time to see a doctor other than your sleep doctor.
RE: 91% oxygen - retired_guy - 06-13-2014
(06-13-2014, 01:44 PM)goodonya Wrote: I am curious how it works out for other people. When I am at the sleep doctor and mention the 91% oxygen average I have with therapy it is yah that's good.
Combine that with the ongoing sleep deprivation that seems to be acceptable with sleep apnea treatment.
91's not a bad place to be. I don't have a fancy checker upper, but my finger thingy says I'm chugging along at around 93 during the night, which for me is fantastic.
(06-13-2014, 02:26 PM)Peter_C Wrote: Now - during the day - it's all different~! 93% is a big number, temp drops below (during exertion) are one thing, but if you are sitting still and hit and do not go above 93% - you need to see someone ASAP. (Father in-law passed from COPD, and when he hit 93% it was hospital time). Big differences between daytime and night time.Shoot Peter, I spend the better part of my life at 93..... When I do something exertive (new word) I'll pop down to as low as 89. That's not a comfy place to be though. When I'm really feeling great I'll go up to 95. That's kind of nice. But 93's ok. Wait........... I'm feeling faint.............................
(06-13-2014, 03:49 PM)PaulaO2 Wrote: It may be time to see a doctor other than your sleep doctor.
I have made an appointment to see my hair stylist. Does that count?
RE: 91% oxygen - Peter_C - 06-13-2014
With my PE scarring, my daytime bounces between 94%-95%, and drops to 90% (or lower) the faster I move. But it will also come right back up before I even stop panting. Remember, our grade of Oximeters are only accurate to +/- 1 point, so at anytime you could either add or remove one number for the actual value.
FYI - long-term lowish O2 numbers kill brain cells, and slowly degrade short-term memory.
FYI - long-term lowish O2 numbers kill brain cells, and slowly degrade short-term memory.
RE: 91% oxygen - retired_guy - 06-13-2014
Thanks Peter......
What was that you said?
RE: 91% oxygen - PaulaO2 - 06-14-2014
All right you two. Do I need to tie you back in your gerry chairs?
RE: 91% oxygen - DeepBreathing - 06-14-2014
(06-14-2014, 12:39 AM)PaulaO2 Wrote: All right you two. Do I need to tie you back in your gerry chairs?
I'd strongly recommend it. :grin:
Back to Goodonya's original question - the more I've followed your posts, the more I'm convinced that there is something other than apnea (or in addition to apnoea) causing a lot of your problem. Maybe some form of auto-immune disease or something like fibromyalgia. I'd be inclined to find a good GP who will help work through all the symptoms and find out what's at the bottom of all this.
In the meantime, I think you should get Sleepyhead and let us have a look at your graphs. It may be that you have a very low AHI but other events might be happening which are disturbing your sleep (such as frequent but intermittent leakages which might be rousing you).
RE: 91% oxygen - DocWils - 06-14-2014
91% O2sat at night is not unusual, however such a low reading during the day is indicative of a problem drawing in oxygen during your waking inhalation. Often the cause is simple, such as the walls of the nose collapsing on the in-breath, a common enough problem for nose breathers. There are a number of very basic reasons why one may not be getting their sO2sat up to around 95-98% during the day, including a deviated septum, too much mucous production, a variety of sinus problems, etc. However there can also be functional problems of less benign natures, such as COPD and various lung ailments, and even one or two blood ailments that may reduce your absorption of oxygen during your waking hours.
If the numbers you talked about were for an average night's sleep, you are all right, particularly if you do not have lengthy drops below 88%, however if this is a spot check during the day (and always do several spot checks, not just one, as your sO2sats vary widely even during any given 5 minutes of your daily activity), you should see your physician with this information, and start looking for the cause.