Sleeping
My oxygen levels dip to less than 80% for periods of half an hour when I am asleep. This occurs every two hours or so.
I am increasingly scared of going to sleep! I use a CPAP machine set to 13bar without oxygen.
Anybody else drop to this level? Any tips on how to avoid dropping so low?
Will I always wake up?
Hi mark. I’m new to this site and I don’t know the answers, but I can say that I had shortness of breath since I was 16. Then it was aggravated when I joined the army in 1977. I became aware of my labored breathing problems around 1996. I was diagnosed with moderate to severe copd in year of 2000 but suspected the copd started beforehand. On my cpap exam I dropped to 77 and that was 10 years ago. You don’t mention if your on a oxygen concentrator? This would definitely help you maintain your oxygen level, your sleep won’t be interrupted by your bodies lack of o2 also I’d add the fact that waking up hasn’t been a problem for me, I feel more rested with the oxygen at night when I wake in the morning. Hope this helps abit although I couldn’t answer your question directly I know you are on a great site and there’s no doubt someone out there will have the answers you are seeking. I’m 64 soon to be 65! Well wishes for you Mark👍
hi Pepto, thanks for your reply. I don’t have a facility to add oxygen to my CPAP, I will get in touch with the respiratory physiologist and ask him if he can help. Everything takes so long here. Nobody seems to want to answer the phone these days and the waiting lists are soooooo long! I’m 65 and I really do want to be 66 and beyond! I get so scared that I’m not going to make it! I’m not ready to leave my darling wife just yet 
Hi, Pepto! Just wanted to say hello and welcome you to the site. It's always lovely to see someone new who's also interested in sharing their experiences with other people who have COPD. I hope we can be a good resource for you, too. Looking forward to getting to know you better! -Melissa, copd.net team
, I definitely hear how scary this is for you! I'm confident other members of our community will chime in if they have any tips to share but in the meantime, I would suggest reaching out to your doctor to see what they have to say and if there is anything they recommend to help you. All the best, Sam S. (COPD.net, team member). thanks for your kind words Sam, as I say, I can’t get any help from my doctor so I am having to go further afield. I will keep my eye on this forum for any practical tips! Thanks again
Hi mark, and thanks for sharing your present history in the forums section with the community.
I see my colleague,, and community member, , have already responded and I hope you have an opportunity to look over what they've written.
I have something to contribute as well.
Generally speaking, an oxygen saturation level of 80%, is considered to be low for any one. The fact that you are already using CPAP therapy during the nighttime, and the saturation level drops to 80% for a half hour may indicate that supplemental oxygen therapy should be considered.
This is something I would suggest you bring to your prescribing physician's attention right away. If you are having concerns about sleeping as the oxygen level drops, you may want to reach out to your doctor sooner, rather than later. That should help to alleviate any anxiety you may be experiencing during this period of time.
What do you think?
Leon (site moderator COPD.net)Thanks for your reply Leon. I have reached out to my doctor and she has referred me to the Respiratory Clinic at the county hospital. She says there is nothing else she can do. The referral was made on the 5th September and is still in the queue for an appointment. I am not expecting to be seen this year. I can’t find a private respiratory consultant nearby, so I may need to cast my search further than the 50 mile radius that I have used up to now. In the meantime I have managed to secure a cardiology appointment in a couple of weeks to see if heart failure is having an effect on my breathing Hi mark - good to hear back from you! I am disappointed in your doctor's reply and suggestion as I am certain you are too. With an oxygen saturation level of 80%, on a regular basis overnight, clearly you should be evaluated before next year!! Perhaps it will be worthwhile for you to seek out another private physician a little further from home, If you can manage the travel, then that may be the way to go.
I view it much like here (in New York), my wife and I sometimes have to travel into the city (a 1 to 1 1/2 hour journey each way), to see certain specialists. Although it becomes a day's journey overall, we go together and that makes it better and easier. To get that level of care, we find we must make the trip!
I am glad you will be seeing a cardiologist much sooner. Sometimes, mark, a cardiologist knows quite a bit about the pulmonary system, too. As the doc assesses you for the 'heart failure' you mentioned, he/she should also be able to evaluate what is going on with your lungs, too.
I will wish you 'good luck!', and ask that you please check back and let us know how this all turns out for you.
Warm regards,
Leon (site moderator COPD.net)
Well, thanks.. Mr. Leon.. I do appreciate it… sincerely, Spec. 4 US Army
It's my pleasure, Pepto - we're glad to have you here as an active, participating community member.
Have a great weekend!
Leon (site moderator COPD.net)
