"please keep me updated about oximeters "
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Oxygen Treatment for Sleep Apnea
from Sue --- "I am hoping to learn something about sleep apnea here. I had a terrible time using the mask. So they put me on oxygen, does anyone else use that as a form of treatment."
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike on
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Sue -- Oxygen isn't the proper treatment as far as i know for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. I'm not a doctor, so take this with a grain of salt, but I think You need Positive Airway Pressure of some sort. Have you been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
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Permalink Reply by Rock Conner RRT on
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Hi Sue:
Classic, straighforward obstructive sleep apnea cannot be effectively treated by simple oxygen administration. If you have obstructive sleep apnea and were titrated to an effective CPAP level, don't give up on it after an initial mask problem. Making friends with CPAP is hard, so be patient with yourself and work through the initial difficulties. And keep in touch with resources like Sleep Guide. You're not in this alone!
Rock
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Permalink Reply by Melodie on
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Dear Sue,
I have central sleep apnea and also emphysema and my Bi-PAP Auto SV unit has an oxygen bleed at a rate of 4 liters per minute of oxygen into the Bi-PAP machine. It is VERY helpful to me and my breathing problems. Without an oxygen bleed into your C-PAP or Bi-PAP device, you are only breathing in room air - NOT oxygen. Oxygen has to be prescribed by your physician and is "medical grade", which is what you need as opposed to just room air.
I am doing quite well with my device and the oxygen bleed. You may want to speak with your physician about an oxygen bleed into your C-PAP and a possible change in your mask. I use the ResMed Mirage Swift II Nose Pillows with head gear, which is NOT obtrusive at all and nothing like a mask. I am quite happy with my "nose pillows" and my supplier recently told me that 95% of their patients are switching from a mask to the nose pillows.
Hope something I said is of some help to you.
Good luck and be sure to ask your physician about it.
Melodie Aultman-Morris
Cleveland, TN
email: melodieamorris@hotmail.com
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Permalink Reply by sleepycarol on
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What was it about the mask you couldn't tolerate? Which mask was you using? What did you do to try to improve what was causing the discomfort? How long did you try using the mask -- a few days, a few weeks?
Most everyone has trouble adjusting to using a strange contraption on their face. It isn't easy and takes time -- for some longer than others. The key is NOT to give up.
In my opinion, and again I am not a doctor or other health care professional, using oxygen will not keep your airway open. Have they checked your oxygen levels with an oximeter while you sleep to see if your blood oxygen is staying up with just the oxygen?
I would check again with my doctor and would want verification that oxygen alone is the proper treatment for you. Best case would be to have another sleep study and see how well just the oxygen bleed was working, or at least a minimum of an overnight oximeter reading.
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Permalink Reply by Kathy on
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On my very first sleep study it was found that my oxygen level fell below 85% when I was asleep. For this reason and since it was to be about two weeks until my cpap was delivered my doctor put me on oxygen until it arrived. After that the 02 was taken away. They can however use oxygen WITH a cpap machine, but unless your problem is low oxygen levels I doubt that it would help with the sleep apnea. I don't know.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on
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I think you're right, Kathy. I don't see why O2 would help sleep apnea. Most of us find that during a sleep study our O2 levels do not drop under 90%.
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Hi Mary, My o2 went down to 72% on my first sleep study. They made a point of telling me,just incase I would think oh Im not that bad. Good Sleep,Chris
Mary Z said:I think you're right, Kathy. I don't see why O2 would help sleep apnea. Most of us find that during a sleep study our O2 levels do not drop under 90%.
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I'm getting into this discussion kind of late, but I am considering supplementing my cpap with a 30% air concentrator I can buy online without a script. Normal air is 21% oxygen concentration. I live at a mile high, which has less oxygen--though I don't know how much. I do know when I sleep at sea level, my oxygen readings with cpap go up to about 95. At a mile high they are around 92, dropping to 90 at times with cpap. I feel so much better sleeping at sea level. I probably should just move out of the mountains. Yet I wonder how I would feel if I supplement with 30% oxygen. Could this possibly mess me up in any way?
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Noah, I wouldn't do this without a doctors advice. It sounds pretty innocous, but I woild want to be sure it was safe.
Keep us posted.
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Hi Noah, What you are saying sounds interesting but a consult with an expert is called for . We all want optimal treatment and questioning out treatments is ok, BUT please do no harm ,back up your thoughts and run them buy someone with experience.(at your altitude ) Good Sleep,Chris
Noah Calderon said:I'm getting into this discussion kind of late, but I am considering supplementing my cpap with a 30% air concentrator I can buy online without a script. Normal air is 21% oxygen concentration. I live at a mile high, which has less oxygen--though I don't know how much. I do know when I sleep at sea level, my oxygen readings with cpap go up to about 95. At a mile high they are around 92, dropping to 90 at times with cpap. I feel so much better sleeping at sea level. I probably should just move out of the mountains. Yet I wonder how I would feel if I supplement with 30% oxygen. Could this possibly mess me up in any way?
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