What oxygen level should I try to maintain on my concentrator?
Trying to figure out what saturated oxygen level I should try and maintain (90%,95%, etc)? And accordingly, setting my concentrator lpm volume? I have a SpO2 finger meter.
Hi Greg, and thanks for your post. You've posed an excellent question.
As you may be aware, acceptable oxygen saturation levels can vary from patient to patient. What is acceptable for one patient, mat not be optimal for another patient. As well, the liter flow set on one's oxygen concentrator should be prescribed by one's physician and will be specific for each patent's particular level of disease.
At times, the physician will suggest a patient adjust their liter flow to maintain the oxygen saturation level within a certain range (which is exactly what your question is)!
That is why your concern is best addressed by your physician, for you specific level of disease.
What do you think?
Leon (site moderator)Hi Leon, thank you for taking the time to reply.
Hi again, Greg - it's my pleasure! We're glad to have you as a member here in our community. Please know, you are always welcome here!
Warm regards,
Leon (site moderator)
Hi, Greg! This is a question I've become sort of militantly adamant on. When I spent a month in the hospital and rehab with pneumonia, everyone (and I do mean all of them) demanded it be set on 2 lpm. But it simply did not work for me. I could not sleep with it or get through the day. My RT reset it to 3 several times and others kept turning it back down to 2 saying it needed to be on 2. I think they have it in their heads that 2 is the standard. But there is NO standard - what works for me is 3, and I keep it set there at home, and any time someone confronts me on it I stand my ground and refuse to accept any closed-minded opinions. The smart ones agree. The real answer is the one that works best for you, and only you can determine it. No doctor or anyone else can, I don't care what they tell you. I have never allowed others to tell me how to live before and I am not going to start now. I recommend you do a lot of research on COPD and learn all you can. The more you learn the better you will find you are able to ask the right questions (I can ask an annoyingly lot of questions!) and filter out the best answers, which are the ones that work best for you. In the end, yes, they may or may not be experts, but it is your body and your health, and you are in charge. What I've learned is that my medical care team sees my efforts and responds favorably, so that we all work better together, and the outcome is better. For me, being proactive just works better. I have less fear because I know more. And this place right here is an excellent resource, as there are a lot of folks here who know a lot! A lot of medical pros and a lot of experience as well.
Anyway, welcome!
Larry
Austin, TexasI've just started my journey down this road, I was just diagnosed in December of last year. I was on Albuterol nebulizer, then duo neb of Iprat-albut and Theophylline and prednisone. It helped but I still couldn't do much. My stomach couldn't take the Theophylline, so I was taken off that and started on Breztri, that changed my world, every now and then I have to do a Duo-Neb or use my Albuterol inhaler, but for me it's rare. I went from 4.5 Lpm and O2 at 88%, now I'm at 3 Lpm and O2 at 92% and able to go for walks and do house work. Now I do realize that this may not last forever. But for right now I'm truely happy with it. I still have a goal to see my family and new granddaughter this summer, so I exercise everyday to help make my lungs a little stronger. That is EXCELLENT!!! Breztri is very similar to Symbicort, and all contain Budesonide. I use the Ipratropium Albuterol followed by the Budesonide, both in my nebulizer, twice a day, then more Albuterol as needed. I am able to get sats of 94-98 daily, at rest. Moving around it drops precipitously, especially right now while I am still trying to get well from this lung infection. All that is with my 02 at 3 lpm 24/7. So, we are somewhat different. You might talk to your respiratory therapist about a sleep study to see if you will benefit from an NIV machine like I am learning to use now. Making progress, one day at a time.
I feel most comfortable at 95 too. If it gets lower, after moving around, I stop what I'm doing, do some deep breathing, (purse lip breathing) and it gets it up acouple numbers. Always higher sitting down than moving around.
