Smaller Oxygen Concentrator

[peg]

Hi, its me again, the pest, haha. Well i got my other concentrator today, a smaller one that goes below to .05, for my other one would not go that low, and i am retaining carbon dioxide.  So, my therepist told me to have my oxygen set at 93, so that is just below the .5 on the concentrator .  My pulse oxygen meter, the Co2 that you put on your finger and it reads your oxygen and pulse, it read 96, 96, so i called and therepist said put it down more to get pulse meter to 93.  I can feel a big change when the oxygen is lower than i was use to before at 3/4's of a litre with old machine.  I am hoping my body will adjust to the 93.  As far as sleeping, hope i don't move around to much, for it will drop.  This Copd and oxygen is really stressing me out.  Just trying to get me settled again, since i heard i was retaining C02.  I would love any comments on this and if someone has experienced the same feelings.  Thank you.

[peg]

Ok, here is the problem, i can't seem to get the oximeter to stay at 93, with the concentrator very low, and below .05, to almost nothing, and the oxymeter  still reads up to 96 97. So i take the oxygen off my face, and i sit, and it starts to drop slowly and i can feel my chest and gut, like its starving, so i put nasal thing back on. What am i doing wrong.  And its the weekend, and my therapist lives 2 hours from my town.  Help, any suggestions?

[jim]

Hi Peg, I don't know the answer to your problem.

All I can suggest is that you exhale very deeply from time to time to try to prevent a build up of co2 in you lungs.

If your concentrator has a pulse mode, try setting it on that, as it usually drops the oxygen intake a bit.


Take care, sorry I have no more ideas, I'm pretty new to using oxygen.

[gerald]

Peg, when you use the lower oxygen setting does your pulse rate climb?  It may just compensate for the lower oxygen level by working harder and keeping your oxygen level up.

[peg]

Thank you for replying.  Gerald, yes, when the oxygen is lower my heart rate rises, pounding  trying to get enough oxygen to be comfortable. My lungs feel tight, and a bit of tingling in face, so i know it is to low.  I tried to get my pulse finger meter to go to 93 by putting down the concentrator, and i just could not breath right, or get comfortable, so before bed i put the ball level to 1/2 litre.  When i wake up this morning, my pulse finger meter said 92.  I hope that is ok.  I even have trouble eating at this setting, my oxygen goes down.
Any more suggestions? Please feel free. How long does the body take to adjust there oxygen from 3/4 of a litre, to 1/2 litre or 93%.  The 93 % is on the finger meter, correct??

[peg]

Jim, my concentrator is for my home, and doesn;t have the pusle, it is continuos flow.

[gerald]

Peg, that is right.  

I am not a doctor but I would be concerned about trying to hit some magical number of 93% when the side effects are making your life that impossible.

My suggestion would be to increase your oxygen to the point where you feel comfortable. To the point lungs and breathing are not causing you to feel anxious. Get yourself stable. The CO2 retention is there, it is not going anywhere.

The Therapists are great but they do not have to live your life and the final decision is always yours.  They need to give more support/guidance on how to reasonably get to they new levels they are laying out

[joany]

Peg, I agree with Gerald.  I also have continuous.  As long as I feel comfortable I don't regularly concern myself with the settings.  I've also found when I do take a "peak", my anxiety increases and the numbers reflect the anxiety I just created by checking.

Take care....

[peg]

Hi, Gerald and Joany, thank you so much. i finally got myself regulated to a 1/4 of a litre, the top of the ball is just touching 1/2 litre mark,  and i feel better sitting and at rest.  The 93 the therepist wanted me at was way to low for me. Like you said, my body has to feel comfortable, which i seem to have adjusted  to now.  I was at 3/4 of a litre, so i am doing ok at 1/4 after a lot of fiddling with the flow control on the concentrator.  I just needed to hear from someone that is going through this disease like i am, to know what is good or not. Thank you so much to you both and others on this wonderful site,  i feel the knowledge and support from everyone, when i am alone and scared.  

[gerald]

Peg, it is great to hear you are a bit more comfortable.

I was diagnosed sixteen years ago.  I still find it is a set of diseases the doctors etc do not know that much about. And they still try and get every patient to fit ito the same mould.  

We are all different, with different lives, different co-diseases, different activities, etc etc etc.    We don't always fit in the standard pidgeon-hole!

[peg]

That is right Gerald. I have one more question for you or anyone else.  Like i mentioned i have the concentrator set at the top of ball is touching the half litre mark, for sitting around and going to bed, but when i use my tank to move around, it is at .05  and higher, i tent to put it to 1 litre to walk around the house a bit slowly. Today i got a dizzy spell, is it because of the 1 litre down to 1/4 litre drop, if so , should i put the ball to 1/2 litre, then it is not such a big jump up or down, and i won;t get dizzy?

[peg]

Sorry, should i put the concentrator to the 1/2 litre mark 

[gerald]

If you feel better at the 1/2 litre try it there, if you are comfortable at the 1/4 that is okay too. You may need the 1/2 litre if you are very active and your oxygen levels drop quickly.


If you find a level you are comfortable at give your body a day or so to adjust to it before you go any lower. 

I imagine it is the same concept at dealing with Altitude changes, for each 1000 ft your climb you need to allow up to a week to become aclimatized to the lower oxygen levels.

[peg]

Thank you very much Gerald, your a very patient man, i appreciate your great advice.  Tomorrow i have to travel 2 hours to go see a specialist for other reasons, and will have to put my tank on .05 for the day, and night, till i get home, then will start with  the 1/2 litre for day and night on concentrator, and like you said it takes a day to get adjusted, which i thought it would right away, little do i know, but slowly i am learning , thanks to you and others.

[jarca]

Hi Peg, I do hope that you got some answers to your 02 questions when you saw your specialist.

I found a few 'simple to read" links that tell about home concentrators, oximeter (the finger reader) readings & also how weather affects our 02.

1. home concentrators don't put out 99.9% pure 02. they average 90-96% pure 02. So what you set your home concentrator to may be different that what you set tanks or liquid 02 at as those are 99% pure.
oxyview.com/Portals/0/PDF/Purity%20versus%20Concentration%202.pdf

2. The 'minimum' Sp02 is 88% before one starts damaging organs & brain function. BUT because oximeters can vary in range for various reasons we are told to keep our 02 'above 90%'. 
www.amperordirect.com/pc/help-pulse-oximeter/z-interpreting-results.html

3. I have found that weather, humidity, barometric pressure all seem to affect my breathing & 02 levels. I had a friend point out that at dusk the barometric pressure raises.
www.rotech.com/respiratory/documents/Weather.pdf

So as others mentioned keeping your 02 at any 'exact' number pretty much can't be done. (that i have found---hence keeping the 'range' of 90%to 93% or 90% to 97%);
www.copdfoundation.org/COPD360social/Community/Blog/Article/309/How-a-Pulse-Oximeter-Works.aspx

I hope your specialist eased your mind some & you don't worry so much about hitting any 1 magic number. As others mentioned we are all different & of course we live in different conditions. heck my pulmonologist is at 4200' elevation & i live at 5600' elevation so my 02 feels better just going to see my pulm. ---of course the trip there i have to cross mountains that are 10,000' so that is a bit harder on me!
so, Please share with us if your specialist visit gave you any 'helpful' suggestions that may help. No matter how long I have this disease there is always new & better information to learn.

[peg]

Hi Jarca and all.  Well i called the boss therepist and she said 1/2 or 1/4 was fine, to feel comfortable, and all that the other therapist was trying to do is put my o2 lower because i retain co2.  So, i said i have it at 1/2 litre, and that way when i switch to a tank to move around, it starts at 1/2, that way i am not going up and down, and can sit with the 1/2 or .05 tank when at camp, where we have no hydro.  But i must blow out the old oxygen a few times a day like i was told on here to help.  I just love this forum, to be able to talk to people in the same somewhat situation as i am and they understand what it is like to have COPD.  Sorry i took so long to get back to you all, i was out of town.  Talk soon, bye for now.

[jarca]

glad you are getting it worked out & happy that the 'pursed lip breathing' is helping you.

[lavishgail]

Hi Peg,

I'm very happy to meet you I am Gail, my doctor had me at 2 and 1/2 l when I first started out, I was very bad and couldn't breathe. Now I'm at 2L and she told me to bring it down to one I did and I couldn't breathe. So I keep it between 2 and 2 and 1/2 depending on how I feel.

Some days I don't even need oxygen so I think I've been putting my finger meter on and it's saying 98 sometimes sometimes it's saying 97% but my heart rate goes up so high the minute I move just a little bit that I can feel my chest hurts.
So, I have to see a cardiologist, to have my EKG done and something else I forgot in another words they're checking my heart cardiogram that's what it is.

I found that I cannot breathe if my oxygen drops below 96, I know everybody is different and your doctor said 93 for you right p e g I think that's what you said? But I'm unable to go below 96% that I start feeling my chest gets tight and hurts just like you described faint dizziness, so I can't let my oxygen go down below if it's at 94 then I need oxygen fast because it's dropping and it's not good for me.

Now I understand what you're talking about when you say oxygen levels and heart levels my heart rate was 145 because I walked across the room bent over looked at my concentrator walked back to my chair sat down but yeah my oxygen levels were 98% my heart rate was 145 and it goes up and down up and down.
I am scared to death about this and I can feel my chest beating I don't know what's going on. I thought because my meter said I'm 98 I don't need oxygen apparently I am wrong, I'll bet if I put my oxygen on my heart will not be racing as fast as it is. It's a very scary and I agree with you Peg.

So I keep my concentrator at 2 and if I need it higher I put it up and if I feel I need it lower I put it down. I know the doctor say you're not supposed to do that, but I do anyways because I'm the one that has to live my life not them but thank you for all of you here for everything you have said because I learned a lot and it's very nice to meet you Peg.

Gail.

[peg]

Hi Gail, yes your right, we are the one's that are going through the tough part of our life, so we put the oxygen where we need it.  Funny you mentioned Cardiologist, i am to go get a heart monitor on mondayt and do blood work, then go to Sudbury if you know where that is , it is 4 hours drive from my town, here in ontario, canada . and see a heart specialist.  The new blood pressure pill helped a bit, i guess my old one wasn't doing the job, but i still go up to 130, 140 when i excert my self and my oxygen goes down and my heart goes up racing. ggggggrrrrr.  I am hoping with the specialist, then when i can see my lung specialist i can get settled with my health, for i am getting so fed up with all this.  Good days and Bad days eh, i am sure you feel the same, but it sure is nice to have someone to talk to that is going through the same ordeal.  Take care, and i wish you luck with your appointment, let us know how you do, and i will do the same.  Bye for now.

[gerald]

Peg,  one thing you might need to watch for is interactions between medications.

You are seeing several specialists and your GP. They all appear to be or will be prescribing various medications.  The danger is none of them are considering the overall picture.    So you may want to only take one new medication at a time to ensure it is not causing more problems than it solves.  The doctors will tell you to take them all, but they do not have to suffer the consequences. 


Heart medications can frequently affect breathing and visa versa.  For example, metformin can cause shortness of breath and shallow breathing.  

[peg]

Hi Gail, wow, i did not know that  Metformin causes shortness of breathe or shallow breathing. I will have to talk to my doctor when i go see him about my records i have been keeping for my sugar levels.  I was going to ask you a silly question, do you have trouble with constipation, because i sure do.  I figure it is from not moving around enough. I have been eating veggies and fruit, and also was told to put ground flaxseed in activia yogurt, 2 times a day, but i find dairy makes me constipated, or is it still just not moving around enough with our life style, with being on oxygen.  I am curious if it is the same for you and others.  

[lavishgail]

Hi Peg, yes that happens to me. I take a stool softener every night before I go to bed, so that I'm sure to go everyday .

You might want to do that take up gentle stool softener for overnight, ask your doctor's first because I'm not a doctor but that's what I do my doctors said it was okay. I also have high blood pressure and I'm on blood pressure medicine two types, but my regular doctor of all keeps track of all the medications I'm on and knows exactly what I can and cannot have. She's the master of all ,
So yes your not alone. Medications can make us constipated, I don't know if you like prune juice but that also helps or eating prunes, or just a soft gentle stool softener also all the fiber you can get I noticed that when I'm just sitting around and not really doing much the same thing happens to me and I'm constipated and I hate it. Plus I have diverticulitis on top of all of that and many other things, so I have to keep watch of everything and tell my Dr what is going on.

I keep a food journal and paper so on one side I put what I've eaten on the other side I have what it does to me, like does it make me bloated the next day or am I constipated or not constipated and I write down the different things but different foods react to me, that way I know what to stay away from and what I can eat. Very simple, I wish you luck and keep us informed thanks love, Gail.

[peg]

Hi Gail, hope your day is good.  I went to see my doctor today to show him my test results for my sugar levels. I am on 1/2 pill of metformin in morning, so he wants me to take another 1/2 pill at supper time.  He also said i could take the stool softner Docusate Sodium capsules (100mg), but i think i will hold off a bit and see what the other 1/2 metformin pill at supper will do to me.  If i get the runs like you, i  won't need the stool softner.  Glad  you mentioned that. Thank you.  You have a good day, talk soon.