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Did anyone buy a overnight oxymeter? I just ordered my third.

 

I just ordered my third oximeter that can do overnight studies --  the first two I got were both cheap (about 200).  and quit working within a week.   I bought them at Walmart so I could take  them back.  Now walmart has a new model, 229$ and  I'm eager  for it to get here.  Yes, another "cheap"  one. Its a CHOICEMMED OxyWatch

 

The  "good ones" cost 1400-3000,  which is a lot, but even that would be well worth it, I think.  I will buy one of those, if this 3rd  one doesn't work for long.

 

The point is -- we all are talking about how effective these Cpaps are  - well, we can TEST it ourselves to an astonishing extent.    The  proof is in our oxygen levels as we sleep, for most of us.   And if a device can tell us that --regularly -- it's a good thing.

 

If we are desaturing, (getting low oxygen levels) even with CPAP -- we need to tell the doctor, asap.  He or she can figure out what to do.

 

Oddly these doctors don't seem concerned about  overnight levels -- they never ask about them, that I've seen.    You almost have to hit  them over the head with it.   Yet there simply is no more important piece of information he - or you -- can have.  If you knew only one thing about what was going on in your body, regarding sleep apnea, that would be it. AHIs and periodic breathing and leaks, all that, is useful information, but all that is about the need to keep our oxigen levels right.   So why not know what our oxygen level is?  And regularly!

 

And yes, it can change from night to night.    Plus, this is a great way to tell if your CPAP issues are having an effect in your cells.

 

Someday, these Cpaps will have that feature -- a built in oximeter, and they should.    They are recording a lot of other things - but this is really the big one.  The continuous oxygen levels are what it's  all about!

 

And WE should want to know it.    Everyone should know if they are going low on oxygen overnight -- even if we are young and healthy!   Oxygen, of course, is the primary thing in every cellular activity.  It affects EVERYTHING -- and profoundly so.

 

I just want to know if anyone else bought various oximeters for overnight and what kind of results are you getting.  ALso, is  your doctor "oxygen" minded.  He should be thinking and acting in terms of your oxigen levels, from what I can see.

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One thing to keep in mind is that an oximetery can NOT be used to Dx OSA. The reason is simple. The difference in definition of desaturation between an oximeter and the definition of an obstructive apnea.

 

One can desat and not drop below 90% and have that desat be an apnea.

 Yeah, if you have good energy, if you aren't fatigued during the day, if your health is good, there is no pressing need to know your overnight oxygen number.

 

But the waking 02 numbers  don't mean much -- virtually everyone has normal numbers when awake -- unless they have serious lung or heart issues.  Especially for sleep apnea patients, the overnight numbers are drastically more meaningful.

 

I struggled with fatigue for years,  but assumed it was my weird work schedule.

 

I was SO glad to get off that schedule, but the fatigue just got worse!  I complained of it repeatedly to my doctor, it was crushing -- eventually two or three naps a day, and STILL no energy.  Yet when in my 30's, , I competed in triathelon, I didn't win any, but I competed  

 

 I could just slap my doctors now for not saying "Hey, why not check your overnight oxgen levels"?   

My descent into ill health may have been related to my sleep apnea -- but I had no clue, and no doctor even questioned my overnight Oxgen levels.   They were ga ga over my blood pressure, and all these tests.

 

I cant count how many times they did thyroid tests. 

 

ANd even more crazy, even AFTER I had Cpap and heart disease, my own SLEEP doctor was not into overnight oxygen test - -unless he could make 2K off it, by sleeping in his clinic.  WHen Mike C talks about his experience, I can relate - -only he was much smarter than I was about it! 

 

But if you have any issues at all, with memory, fatigue, irritability,  I think it just makes sense. to keep regular awarness of overnight desaturation.

 

But they can't  do overnights  in the   normal office visit, so it's tricky to make money from it.   But they want that 2K and several 280 dollar office visits -- when you can find out the real deal  regarding your our desaturation, with your own test at home, then take the info to him for resolution.

 

It's as easy to take as your blood pressure.   And many of us bought a blood pressure cuff.  Someday, these overnight oximeters will as common, probably nearly universal for sleep apnea patients, and people who want to avoid becoming one.

 

  But that's the whole problem with sleep apnea, we have by definition low - and dangerous -- oxygen levels at night.   Not dangerous as far as instant death -- but dangerous as far as cellular damage, to every cell in our body, to every chemical reaction, to every bodily system. 

I'm glad that some find this technology comforting, but I contend that for most of us, subjective assessment of daytime somnlence combined with sleep partner reports of the presence/absence of snoring and observed apnea are low-tech & sufficient.  If you sleep when you are supposed to, are awake when you're supposed to be, & don't have sore ribs from your sleep partner elbowing you about your snoring/breathing, don't look for trouble.

Rock - you are of course correct in that being asymptomatic in the day is important, but I'm happier being able to see the data from the APAP and seeing what a 0.5 hPa difference in pressure makes to my sats over a week for myself and optimising the pressure settings to get the best AHI and ODI  and comfort comprimises.

 

You need a doctor to do a diagnosis, and make sure there's nothing else wrong with you, after that I think anyone who's technically minded enough to download data from their APAP and their Oxymeter should be able to see the trends over time.

 

And yes, I've got better things to do, but I was so ill with the lack of sleep that now I'm obsesssed with getting it perfect!

 



Mike C (at the Beach!) said:

I PROVED my heart problems coincided 100% with my apnea's/hypopneas.....So I have gotten an APAP & told my cardiologist BYE-Bye.  I swear, I have NO use for Doctors anymore. Having a heart attack 18 months ago and finding blood clots in BOTH lungs has convinced me medicine in this country (USA) is simply insane. 

Well Mike, I live in the Greater Toronto Area and medicine in Canada does not inspire much faith either. My doctor referred me to a respirologist (who is also a sleep doctor, but not the one who diagnosed my sleep apnea) to investigate my breathlessness and swollen ankles/calves/feet.  He sent me for 2 lung function tests, the results of which he said were okay (no problems, except mild asthma). When I asked if the edema in my extremities could be connected to my sleep apnea or to any heart problems that I might have due to untreated sleep apnea over many years, he said "No, absolutely not !  The cause of the edema and breathlessness is you are overweight, and that's all."  I mentioned that I had both of these symptoms when I was in peak physical condition (not overwight) and attending 5 cardio Jazzercise classes per week. I also mentioned that I am presently the age my mother was when she required an emergency quadruple bipass (due to massive myocardial infarction) and a few years later she developed multiple deep vein thromboses in her legs, which moved to her lungs. He quite angrily said "As far as I'm concerned, you're fine."  He was such an ass that I didn't bother telling him I have virtually no apneas but many hypopneas, which worries me because my poplysomnograph showed frequent low breathing periods with 02 levels dropping as low as 71. I expected better from a respirologist who also happens to work part-time at the Sleep Clinic !!!    
Heather

Mike:  

It's not just YOUR cardiologist and PCP.   It's almost ALL of them.  The word has NOT gotten out on OSA, even in the medical profession.  Even the sleep doctors often think it's about being 'sleepy' or sleep deprived.  

 

I joined the Board of the ASAA to work to try to change that, but it's an unbelievably  uphill battle.

 

Sarah Gorman

 

IT'S THE HYPOXIA!  

 

Sarah Gorman


 

Mike C (at the Beach!) said:

  I bought one when told I needed heart surgery. I asked why & my latest cardiologist said because when I slept I was having sinus tach with heart racing to 189+ over & over & just when sleeping according to his Holter monitor. Now I already had a GOOD pulse oximeter from Nonin, but it could not record. So I went online (thinking there was something WRONG with the fact I only had heart trouble when sleeping!) and discovered the "facts" about sleep apnea. Requested a study & you guessed it! I had moderate apnea....

 

  So I bought a new unit that records from an online shop I had a dispute from since like a moron, I tried to support a website I THOUGHT was there to help. So long story short, I paid them over TWICE the price as opposed to buying the identical product on eBay. If I ever buy another one, I will get theFingertip Pulse Oximeter w USB and CD FREE SOFTWARE at eBay, item

#160563601583. It is the exact same unit direct for leass than 1/2 price & It works just fine. Had mine 4 months now. Clunky software but see what it shows & guess what??? I PROVED my heart problems coincided 100% with my apnea's/hypopneas.....So I have gotten an APAP & told my cardiologist BYE-Bye.  I swear, I have NO use for Doctors anymore. Having a heart attack 18 months ago and finding blood clots in BOTH lungs has convinced me medicine in this country (USA) is simply insane. But this device? Brilliant! See the software reports on this site at:

http://www.sleepguide.com/forum/topics/my-ahha-moment-day-has-arrived


I own a nice recording pulse-oximeter and have not found it useful and don't recommend buying one.

Now this is referring to patients who have sleep apnea and no other health problems that would affect blood-oxygen levels such as heart, lung, or circulatory problems.

The first priority should be to own a CPAP with the optional software which monitors all breathing events throughout the night. If you can achieve minimal events with your CPAP therapy, you will not be having oxygen desats.

If you are still concerned on your next visit with sleep doc or GP, request an overnight oximetry study. Most brick-and-mortar DMEs will deliver and pickup the equipment and provide a report to the doctor at no charge to you. The doctor's office will notify you of the results and you can also ask for a copy of the study.

Save the money to spend trying out new masks!

 

 

I figure I will soon have more masks than shoes.  LOL    Anyone here found the perfect mask for them and not change it????

 

Ginny

I have found the FItLIfe Total Face Mask by Respironics to be my keeper.

 

I'm not ready to enter into pulse oximeter territory, yet.  My sats during my sleep study were fine.

Wouldn't you know- I just got a call from my DME telling me my Doc has ordered a pulse oximeter on me for two nights.  This is after I sent him a data card showing dismal numbers (AHI continually high teens or over 20) and he decided not to treat it.  Evidently if I'm not desaturating he won't do anything else about my bad numbers.  I have been titrating myself, but it's back to the prescription for the next couple of nights.

After hearing of these potentially malpractice horror stories, I decided $229.00 is probably not a bad investment for a pulse oximeter.  Just purchased one on-line through Walwart, Model: CHOICEMMED OxyWatch W11SM Wrist Worn Continuous Use Pulse Oximeter.  We'll see how it works. 

I'm curious to see what my O2 sats are when I'm not using my CPAP, to see if I could possibly not require it on camping expeditions, etc.  I'm also curious why sometimes I wake up with a headache for no known reason.

CJ-- That's exactly my model -- but it  STILL hasn't arrived!  I'm surprised by the slowness.

 

Anyway, please let us  (okay me) know how it goes.    I learned that subjective (how we feel) is a tricky measure.   I didn't feel any more tired if I slept without Cpap for a few days.  So I figured, well, I'm cured!

Nonsense!   After a few weeks, I was back to fatigue from "hello".   And it took me several weeks with CPAP to get back to reasonable energy levels.

 

So like you, I very much want to know my O2 numbers,  and I will keep a chart, and graph it, with notations.  Without  a home unit, we'd have to pay  2K or more EACH NIGHT for what is essentially a desaturation test.    Oh they test more stuff,   sure, but the basic, the "big mamma", is the O2 levels.  

 

If this model works, Im buying ANOTHER to send to my  dear siblings!      Sure we need doctors to   be our advisors and  review things,  but we have to be our own  advocate.  Their focus is on insurance and  getting a bigger house, often times.  WHich is fine, I'd like a bigger house too.

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