What you're experiencing isn't unusual for people with COPD. That's why people with COPD should be issued an oximeter upon diagnosis and given a crash course in O2 and how it affects the body. (That's my most recent conclusion about how to treat patients with COPD.) I'm a firm believer that O2 should be prescribed to maintain an agreed upon range of O2 saturation rather than with an lpm prescription. That way, the patient would only increase the O2 if his/her saturation levels were down. My doc does this, and I know a few others who do as well.

Even if you're on a continuous flow, you only get the O2 when you inhale; you can't get it when you're exhaling even though it's flowing past your nose. So if you're PLBing, you're not getting any O2 when you're in exhale mode. That's why PLB works: you're getting rid of the CO2 and making room for the O2.

As for your anxiety, I have two comments on that based on my own experience. Even when I've been in situations where I'm extremely SOB (and, like most of us, that's happened to me many times), I know that if I stop and continue to PLB, I will recover just fine. I know that. Knowing that, I can put myself in those situations and still stay calm, no matter how hard I'm working on PLBing. That works for me. However, I've never been troubled by anxiety the way some people are.

For people for whom anxiety has always been an issue, COPD just makes it that much worse. You get anxious about getting anxious! I really don't know what that's like, but I can imagine that it's horrible. My suggestion is that you find professional help to work with you on ways to manage your anxiety, just like you work with your doc to manage you COPD. I see a counselor once a month and it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. She makes sure that I put things in their proper perspective, not just COPD things but family worries, relationship issues and anything else that comes along.

I hope this helps.......

Jean

you have to high a level of oxygen in your blood lower your intake , mine had to go from 2 to 1 then the headaches went away

Yes I get the same issue and find Vicks helps some times. I put just a little in my nose.. I do not know if vicks recommends it, but it helps.

Yes I have Pulmonary Fibrosis & use Oxygen at my discretion set on 2.05 . Mostly needed at night when my levels drop . Humidity certainly depletes my oxygen levels & I find a fan helps blowing directly on my face ?

I think you're referring to PLB. That's an abbreviation for pursed lip breathing, which is a technique of breathing in for a count of 3 and exhaling for a count of 6...or 2 and 4, or whatever. The point is that you exhale through your mouth, with your lips pursed for twice as long as your inhale. Pursing your lips builds up a bit of back pressure so you can prolong your exhale. Don't do it too hard....sort of like you were blowing on hot soup or playing a flute. A longer exhale lets you blow off the CO2 that builds up and makes it harder for you to become SOB (short of breath). Does that help?

Jean