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Is It Alright To Turn Up Your Oxygen Level When Sob When Sick?

A MyCOPDTeam Member asked a question 💭
Austintown, OH
March 10, 2019
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A MyCOPDTeam Member

I am on it 24 hrs have been since 12/2007 they stuck me on 4L and sent me home. But as I worked through getting the right meds and educating myself I did therapys etc now I am on 1L and doing well. I have a bipap I wear at night at least 6-8 hrs and if needed during the day when I feel weak. (Havent use during day for a long time)

March 10, 2019
A MyCOPDTeam Member

Just turning your O2 up without using your oximeter is NOT a good idea. If your O2 sats are still good, you're very sob and you turn the O2 up, it won't do you any good at all, and can do some harm. Part of the reason that happens is air trapping: you're not able to blow off enough of the stale air to make room for O2. You can either slow down with what you're doing or stop and do pursed lip breathing (PLB). If you do PLB from the beginning, you won't get to that point nearly as quickly. Adding O2 won't help. If you're sats are way down, then, definitely turn your O2 up until your sats get up where they should be.

You don't need to have your sats close to 100. Let some of your friends who don't have lung disease use your oximeter and you'll find that most of them will be between 95 and 99. Most docs prescribe O2 at so many Liters Per Minute (LPM). A much better way to do it is to prescribe O2 so that you keep your O2 sats between X and X+. My deal with my doc is that I keep mine between 92 and 97 and he doesn't care how I do that. So I can turn my O2 up as high as I need to to keep my sats at 95, which is where I'm pretty comfortable. It takes a good deal more O2 to keep them at 95 when I'm exercising and I don't use O2 at all when I'm just sitting or doing things in my apartment.

March 15, 2019
A MyCOPDTeam Member

@A MyCOPDTeam Member
I would try to keep it above 88 and you know your finger should be warm for an accurate sat reading and leave it on your finger at least 30-45 seconds to get an accurate sat reading.

March 10, 2019
A MyCOPDTeam Member

@A MyCOPDTeam Member.
Normally on 2.5 Ltrs
Normally on 97 while sitting
Since sick 87 sometimes while sitting turned it to 3. I’ll see if it makes a difference.
It takes a dive as soon as I get up & move. I haven’t tracked it moving I will next time I get up.

March 10, 2019
A MyCOPDTeam Member

I turn mine up by 2-3 LPM if sick and also I turn it up 2 more lpm on treadmill if my saturation falls below 88%. What is your oxygen saturation level showing on your finger meter?

March 10, 2019

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