Copd oxygen

[LindylouJames]

Hi is 98/99% oxygen normal for a person with COPD ?

[NieceByMarriage]

Yes, it can be. I am usually 97 +. The oxygen sats and feeling short of breath do not always correlate, either. So you can feel fine and have low oxygen or feel breathless and have perfectly good sats.

[LindylouJames in reply to NieceByMarriage]

Thanks for your answer. It's incredible I was recently in hospital and the nurse said the doctor said my stats were fine as long as my oxygen stayed within 88 - 92 so my usual 98/99 sounded a lot

[Thepainterswife in reply to LindylouJames]

Some years ago my husband was rushed into hospital with Co2 retention and was in a very, very bad way . He pulled through and was then told to reduce his oxygen intake as he was a retainer ie struggled to breath out the Co2 rather than struggled to breath in oxygen, he was told to maintain his levels at 88-92 for the rest of his life so I’m guessing your usual high numbers are fine for you and the lower numbers are the minimum safe acceptable limits for anyone

[GDanker in reply to Thepainterswife]

I have read that it is actually better for a person with COPD to stay in the 88-92 range, but my question is how does one accomplish this? My oxygen generator is set at 2 and then my oxygen intake goes up to 98-99. Without oxygen, my range can vary a great deal from too low or at other times even about 95 when moving around. When active or exerting myself and it gets too low, it quickly goes back down to an acceptable level when I sit down. However, I just don't see how it's possible to manage it so that it stays in the 88-92 range! I tend to think that 94 would be okay also. How does your husband manage this! This is a question that I've had for a long time, and no one seems to be able to answer this, so I was glad to read your posting! I have also read that too much oxygen, in a person with COPD, can result in too much CO2 which is not expelled and that is the reason why the lower numbers are supposed to be better for us - less CO2 buildup. I guess we, or at least many of us build up a tolerance to living with less oxygen and do fine with it!

[Thepainterswife in reply to GDanker]

I don’t know that 88-92 is right for everyone but I do know that high numbers are not necessarily best for everyone as many people think. It is virtually impossible to maintain the same numbers all the time but as a retainer my husband kept his oxygen concentrator on one We were told that if we needed an ambulance we were to tell the paramedics he was a retainer as they would automatically bang the oxygen up and that would be extremely dangerous. Once we had the facts he didn’t worry too much about the numbers and ranged from 88 up to about 94 occasionally at which point he’d come off the oxygen for a while You seem to be doing ok so I wouldn’t worry about numbers too much but maybe if you’re concerned have a chat with your consultant next time you have an appointment 😊

[GDanker in reply to Thepainterswife]

Thank you for your reply. I am not sure if I am a retainer or not, as my doctor has never addressed this. Now, my doctor has left the medical group he was with, and I am waiting to see a new doctor who will be taking his place, but I will definitely address this concern. I have read enough to know that as you say, too much oxygen can be dangerous for certain individuals, so you are very right about that. I think it is very important that people with COPD, (I have emphysema), find out if they are in this category or not, and I am glad that you brought up this topic because many people think that more oxygen is always better! I am basically doing okay, so perhaps I need not worry, but nevertheless, it is good to find out for sure!

[LindylouJames in reply to NieceByMarriage]

Thanks for your answer. It's incredible I was recently in hospital and the nurse said the doctor said my stats were fine as long as my oxygen stayed within 88 - 92 so my usual 98/99 sounded a lot

[NieceByMarriage]

Wow. 88-92 sounds low for someone whose normal is 98/99. When I had pneumonia they wanted me to maintain 94 which I thought was on the low side. When they started trying to tempt me to go home and saying maybe 92 or 93 would do I told them I refused to leave hospital until I could reliably maintain 94 even at night. I hope you're feeling better now.

[LindylouJames in reply to NieceByMarriage]

Much better thanks it did puzzle me but I was assured this was an ok for someone with COPD

[jackwok in reply to NieceByMarriage]

88/92 is the target figure for people with COPD

[Mopsey1897]

98/99 is a really good oxygen level, it’s the same as someone with normal lungs. Mine is around 97.

[LindylouJames in reply to Mopsey1897]

Thanks yours is quite high too

[Mopsey1897 in reply to LindylouJames]

I have copd and emphysema but with mild symptoms so far which is probably like you. So don’t worry too much

[Ern007]

You 02 levels 98/99% is as good as it gets. Not sure what my daytime 02 levels are, but 93 in the evening and lateron 92/92. Your 02 levels are exellent.

[LindylouJames in reply to Ern007]

Thanks that's why I'm baffled by the whole COPD diagnosis. I do get breathless and have had an infection on and off since April. It clears and comes back a week or two later. I have scaring on my lungs but the specialist says anything could have caused it. Several years ago Bronchiectasis was mentioned but since realising I had smoked I'm diagnosed with COPD

[Izb1 in reply to LindylouJames]

They should have done a ct scan to see if you had bronchiectasis as its the only way it's diagnosed. It maybe that you have this and not copd. I would ho back to your gp and request one x

[LindylouJames in reply to Izb1]

Thanks I have booked an appointment and I'm going to mention it to the GP.

[Coughingalltheway in reply to LindylouJames]

It seems to me that the minute you mention that you've smoked a cigarette at any time in your life, the default answer is that it must be COPD 🙄

[LindylouJames in reply to Coughingalltheway]

Every time yet my family seem to all get lung problems and some of them have never smoked or been subject to smoke or high levels of pollution

[Coughingalltheway in reply to LindylouJames]

The global community experts are coming round to the idea that if you grew up in a household of smokers, had an open coal fire etc etc then that may also be a reason rather than you smoking but the NHS hasn't caught up with that yet. Similar to how they still promote carbs as being good for you.

[PW_R in reply to LindylouJames]

O2 is fine is loads of copd patients - it doesn’t really tell us anything. Obviously as the disease progresses o2 will start to drop. Might only be 1% a year but itl add up trust me. Having an infection for 8 months and ongoing breathlessness could be classic copd symptoms for some people / everyone varies. I assume you’ve had a fev/fvc of under .70 for it to be confirmed?

[kev60]

hi, that sounds good, mine is usually 93% and I was told if I go below 89% seek help . So good luck. Kevin

[armstrong2]

hi it is normal for a very healthy person my oxyen sat are between 93/95but then l have had alobe removed from the lung also l have emphysema

[garshe]

I have been told my oxygen with COPD should be 88/91.

[Olivia-Dre-123]

That is good mine is between 93/95.

[PaulineHM]

Hello Lindylou James.

Great question !

As everyone here has said most folk with COPD who require home oxygen are advised to keep their 02 levels between 88-92. This is a perfectly adequate level and which helps to mitigate the possibility of a condition called hypercapnia which is where someone retains too much carbon dioxide which can be an issue.

Everyone is an individual with an individual oxygen prescription so it safer to go by the 02 prescription we are given by the oxygen services.

Hope this helps ?

Go well

Pauline

[LindylouJames in reply to PaulineHM]

Thanks I appreciate all the replies

[B0xermad]

That's a great oxygen level mine is 94/96 mostly

[Ergendl]

It's very good. Sometimes I reach that, when I'm breathing properly and not exerting myself too hard.

[PW_R in reply to Ergendl]

What determines if your breathing properly?

[Ergendl in reply to PW_R]

Breathing deeply into your lungs, using the diaphragm. Most people shallow-breathe, using just the upper parts of their lungs.

I run a singing for lung health group which teaches how to breathe using the diaphragm, and love demonstrating the difference to the tone of voice between shallow breathing and diaphragm breathing. You can also find videos on YouTube if you want to explore this.

[LindylouJames in reply to Ergendl]

I will definitely look at this it sounds really good. I do yoga which helps

[Alberta56]

I'm happy with 94, 95/6 on a good day. There doesn't seem to be a correlation between sats levels and breathing difficulty. If you keep getting infections, it suggests to me that there is something in your lungs which has not been eradicated by whatever you've been given. (Based on personal experience.) I think you need to go back to your surgery.

[LindylouJames in reply to Alberta56]

Thanks I have booked an appointment with my gp

[PW_R in reply to LindylouJames]

Also are you sure it’s an a infection and not just constant thick green Mucus which most of us experiment day in day out.

[LindylouJames in reply to PW_R]

Definitely infection blood tests confirm it every time. It responds to antibiotics and steroids then a couple of weeks later comes back. Mucus is clear

[katieoxo60]

That reading sounds fantastic to me , I have COPD /asthma my max is 95 and they are quite happy with that but on the odd occassion it will go up a bit . As I understood it as long as its not below 90 thats Ok. Whats really important is the FEv readings. Difficult to understand isn't it.

[LindylouJames in reply to katieoxo60]

It's really difficult to understand why oxygen levels are so high with poor lungs and what the results are

[PaperQueen]

Yes, I believe so. I'm usually 96-97, x

[mollypop99]

I have very mild copd but after a bad cold my stats drop to 90. 111 call and ambulance first then off to A&E. Both tryed to get o2 levels up mid 90,s with no luck. It was only after a consultant poped in and told them to stop. Forcing o2 levels up if you have copd it is very dangerous. It can even lead to hypoxia and death. Not all medical professionals seem to know this

[Germantara]

I was diagnosed copd about 6 or 7 years can't remember exactly but just reading you're post I myself always have 97 or 98 even odd time 99 oxagen levels even when odd time had to go hospital cause could breath but oxagen levels always good I myself can't understand it

[LindylouJames in reply to Germantara]

It's really strange I ended up in Resuss I can only think maybe my heart was doing some weird stuff due to struggling for breath