Oxygen question: Just wondered if... - Lung Conditions C...

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Oxygen question

12 years ago•16 Replies

Just wondered if anyone elses oxygen levels remain good (my dads is 95%) even when they are having an exacerbation? My dad has a bad chest infection at the moment ,hes struggling to breath ,bed bound as he has no energy to move about ,has lost alot of weight,has bad pain in his chest but his oxygen levels remain good ?which is great but i just wondered if anyone else in the severe stages of emphysema s oxygen levels remain good as well .

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sam29

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16 Replies

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12 years ago

When I have an infection my sats drop way down to 85 when resting so when moving around they drop even further. I use oxygen all the time and turn it up to 3L when like this even then might get them to 90 - 92 Val

sam2912 years ago

His oxygen ranges from 93-95% when resting and the same when walking .They dropped to 86 when he got out the bath but soon went back up to 95.I just wondered if anyone elese oxygen level stays quite good when they are really bad like my Dad.If he carries on like he is the nurse wants to arrange for some pallative care .I just thought people who need pallative care would be completely dependant on oxygen ? he is so weak now though and cant even manage to come downstairs .

12 years ago

Wonder if it's the infections causing the weakness ?

davidf12 years ago

Has he had his heart checked?

sam2912 years ago

He had an ECG 3 weeks ago which showed heart and lungs to be ok , just Copd they said! But he is a lot weaker now than 3 weeks ago and still has this sharp pain . I think this infection is just really taking it all out of him . He is so unsteady on his feet and I can see how much pain his chest is causing him

yellow9012 years ago

My sats are good as well, they hover around the 96 mark. However they drop rapidly when I exert myself.

As I understand it, it is because My COPD is primarily Emphysema with very little bronchitis. The body maintains high sats with rapid pulse and rapid breathing or large tidal flow (Puffing). On the plus side this means I don't cough a great deal and don't need oxygen yet. This used to be known as a 'pink puffer'.

Hope you Dad feels better soon. Whith regards the chest pain, don't rule out "other" causes. I was getting some chest pains on and off. Turns out it was gall stones so I am waiting to have my gallbladder out.

My fev1 is 41% so classed as severe although still quite active.

derrylynne12 years ago

Has he had a sputum test to see which infection he has so it can be targeted? It seems to me a spell in hospital to see which it is, and to treat that directly maybe the best course of action. Like others when I have an exacerbation my sats are much lower than usual. I think your dad needs to be checked in case something else is causing problems also.

sam2912 years ago

His copd nurse is confident these new antibiotics hes on will work ,if he is no better by tuesday ,then she said we will discuss what to do then (sputum sample) she said hes on such strong antibiotics x4 in morning x4 at night and the other ones 3 times a week and steroids she would be very suprised if he wasnt feeling better over the weekend !His oxygen levels have been dipping on to much exertion but over all they are 95 ish.

So do some 'pink puffers' never need oxygen even in the end stage ?

I personally think if he is still like this on tuesday that he should be admitted to hospital and given anti b's intravenously(but i dont know much ) The pain he gets is fine when just sitting in bed but laying down and standing etc its very sharp just under his ribs on the left of his body.His fev1 in january was 41% but its no where near that now .The doctor said his lung capacity is very bad now

12 years ago

could even be pleurisy - that can cause such a pain - I had this several years ago, after very bad flu, did not get it treated and suffered a pneumothorax as a result of carrying on regardless. Pleurisy can be treated as can pneumothorax - worth checking just in case.

sam2912 years ago

Thankyou . I will have to look up about pleurisy on the Internet , I've never known anyone whose had it before .

12 years ago

Will ECG tell docs more about my heart/lungs ?

12 years ago

Hi Sam i was going to suggest that your Dad may have pluerisy or pneumonia, if you are really still worried, phoone the 'out of hours doctor' where i live we phone our local hospital who put you through, Has he a tempature, i would really phone out of hours doc or phone A & E at your local hospital, also not all pallitive care patients need oxygen if their levels are high, they are visited usually daily by a nurse and checked and if need be, put on stronger meds, all is done to make sure they are in no pain and are comfortable, But i seriously would suggest you phone someone and try and get your father looked at by a doctor or admitted to hospital, hope all turns out well for you, he is very lucky having such a caring son, best wishes ljc

kay712 years ago

Hi Sam

I had pleurisy just before christmas last year prior to getting diagnosed with COPD January this yearI have to say it was terrible,, the pain everytime i breathed in and especially in left lung and into back

I was treated with antibiotics.

Kay

sam2912 years ago

His nurse checked him on tuesday and listened to his chest loads.She said it sounded very tight on the left hand side and i think she said somthing about a bit of fluid? Ill be ringing her on tuesday and hopefully she will come and see him .He also has an appointment on friday as well.

Hes had no temp .I had a bad day with him today as he wouldnt let me take him to the hospital ,hes so stubborn and it upset me today.He said if the nurse tells him on tuesday he needs to go up there he will !

Kay how long was you on the anti'b's for? hes been on them for 3 weeks .

I noticed today his phlegm isnt as green ,so that is good ,but there was some orange in it today ? i even took a picture of it on the tissue as it looked so strange,abit like there was lucozade in it ?

Thanks ljc i suppose i mentioned about his oxygen levels being good as hes always telling me that as if to say "everything is fine as my oxygen is ok "

ps im his daughter Sam short for Samantha

12 years ago

sorry Sam thinking your were male, only just got back to this page, saw you have another post on another page about your Dad getting worse, i hope that you managed to get him into hospital, cos it really does seem like he could have maybe pluerisy or pneumonia, sooner he is checked out the better, really hope he is on the mend soon, i have a differernt lung disease but my sats always stay in 90's when i get an infection, up to 88 is ok, but anything below that isnt good, if your Dads oxygen levels drop when he walks, thats normal when he has an infection and then when he sits and rests they usually do rise again, let us know how you get on, tho, take care ljc xx

12 years ago

Has your dad made a living will so you know if he wants DNR it is good to ask these questions before he has more valium painkillers not a good way to ask this for the family

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