Hypercapnic

[gilder60]

Hi everyone, ive been on 2l of oxygen for 2 years also 1 l in bed thats started in sept 2022. I have also been on the mask(vent) since sept 2022 they have said they will have to reassess my oxygen as i am now Hypercapnic has anyone had the same experience and what was the outcome.

[peege]

I found this: 《 Hypercapnia is the increase in partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) above 45 mmHg. Carbon dioxide is a metabolic product of the many cellular processes within the body, and there are several physiological mechanisms that the body has to moderate of carbon dioxide levels.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › NB...

Hypercapnea - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf 》

[gilder60 in reply to peege]

Thank you peege

[leo60]

Hi Gilder, I was in hospital for an exacerbation and they sent me home a week later on 2l oxygen, 4l for exercise. Three months later I was again in hospital and long story (and lots of hospital cock ups!) short, they found I was a retainer and actually acutely Hypercapnic. I ended up there for two months being weaned off the oxygen. because it was so acute they did this very quickly which was very scary at times!

They have obviously caught you early, which is great! I would guess they will gradually cut down on your oxygen and (hopefully) investigate as to why this is happening. I emphasise the word gradually! My case was very extreme, I was so bad I was convinced in A&E that I was caught up in a baby smuggling racket!!

All the best with it xx

P.S. I am loads better now!

[gilder60 in reply to leo60]

Thank you Leo i dont want to come off oxygen completely as i know my levels on movement as very low, also when i get breathless it somewhat helps a little., so im hoping they just cut it down.

[leo60 in reply to gilder60]

Oh, sorry I forgot to mention, I am now on .75l ( I am VERY oxygen sensitive!). It was tough adjusting for a while but I am now fine on that, in fact as they want my sats not to go much above 92, I turn it down a bit at rest! Let me know how you get on, or if I can help in any way xx

[gilder60 in reply to leo60]

Hi Leo thanks for getting back to me, when they weaned you off oxygen how was your oxygen levels, im worried if they wean me off it, what can i do about my levels they drop to low 80s and 70s when i move around.

[joab53 in reply to leo60]

Yes me too 3 admissions later they finally gave me a NIV to take home i just thought my house was haunted and i was having outer body experiences though it wasnt funny really i almost died had loads of symptoms they never tested my blood gas just overoxygenated me called my family in to say goodbye

[leo60]

My sats were surprisingly ok, it just felt bad. However, a few months ago they were going right down on activity, like you to low 80s and a couple of times 60s! My oxygen nurse told me to turn up the O2 to keep my sats at my target of 88-92. I went up to 1l occasionally, but this phase passed really quickly ( I may have had an infection?) They will guide you through it, they're not going to tell you what to do and then abandon you! Anyway, this is just what happened to me, it's not necessarily going to happen to you, we are all different. Talk to them, I'm sure they will be more than understanding, don't forget they see these things all the time xx

[gilder60 in reply to leo60]

Thanks leo

[Maricopa in reply to leo60]

Wow 60’s is low. Mine go to mid 70’s & I feel like I’m going to faint!!!

[leo60 in reply to Maricopa]

You certainly know about it and reach for the dial. And remember not to mention it to any medical person or end up back in hospital!! Xx

[Maricopa in reply to leo60]

Yes one does. I’m sick of going to the Dr or hospital so I just adjust the oxygen. I still get below 88 but I’m not going to the hospital everytime. I’d be living there!

[leo60 in reply to Maricopa]

I know what you mean!! But do take care with it 😘 xx

[joab53 in reply to leo60]

yes it turned out i had respiratory failure type 2 as mine were up and down at one point stuck at 60 was terrifying id got acidosis on my 3rd admission

[leo60 in reply to joab53]

Sounds exactly like me! Acidosis, no ABGs and merrily pumping me full of oxygen!! I have type 2 respiratory failure too, like Patk1. Thank god for my daughter being on the ball to tell them what was what! My son came back from travelling in South America cos they were told I was a gonner.Also they had my mother as next of kin, she died 12 years ago! 🤷‍♀️ My daughter is still observing me for any weird behaviour!! Sorry you had to go through that as well, not pleasant at all xx

[Patk1]

Ive type 2 respiratory failure,my airsacs+ airways collapse and trap gases,i stop breathing,c02 levels+ acidity go v high. Im on niv bipap= dual pressure - forces air in,opening them+ pressurised to exhale co2.it takes over whn i dont breathe too.marvellous equipment.i use niv whn v tired,or sleep.im sure theyll determine cause of your raised c02 - treatment depends upon the cause x

[gilder60 in reply to Patk1]

Thank you for getting back to me.

[joab53 in reply to Patk1]

this is the same as me as well as panic attacks and fear the NIV helps me calm a bit too

[PaulineHM]

Hi Gilder60,

Sorry I don’t know anything about hypercapnia or its treatment. It sounds like a real pain to deal with and I hope you/they get to grips with it soon for you.

Go well.

Pauline

[gilder60 in reply to PaulineHM]

Thank you.

[Alberta56]

Good luck- I'm sure the people treating you will be as well informed as our fellow lungies. xxx

[gilder60 in reply to Alberta56]

Thank you .

[gilder60 in reply to Alberta56]

Thank you.

[Timberman]

Hi - I too am a CO2 retainer and so my extra O2 has to be monitored. I am on 1.5lpm currently (15hrs pd) with approval to use up to 2.5lpm if needed. (See disclaimer ate bottom.)

There are no real symptoms with becoming hypercapnic, although I get what I call my 'full up' feeling but I think this may be psychosomatic rather than a real symptom.

I use the pursed lip technique to expel excess CO2. This involves taking in good breaths of air and then expelling it forcefully through 'pursed' lips - try to avoid actual whistling for the benefit of the neighbours. It works because you use more force to expel air and this helps the CO2 get through our (damaged) alveoli plus pushed the larger heavier CO2 molecules up the (damaged) airways.

I do this every morning for about six breaths and again before retiring. In fact I have a routine when in bed involving thoracic and diapragm breathing along with pursed lip. This I believe helps to clear CO2 from the lower lobe of the lungs.

You may know this but the way it all works is this: Oxygen joins with other atoms very easily and is such a tart it never travels alone, always two together as in O2. When your body uses O2 to create energy CO2 is a by-product in small quantities.

The O2 gets from your alveoli in the lungs via minute one way apertures into the blood vessels which surround all of them. Only O2 is the right shape to do this. And the CO2 is a different shape which fits other one way apertures out of the blood stream through your alveoli.

Breathing is the process of letting air into the lungs so we can consume as much as possible of the 19.6% that is O2 and then expelling the 70% nitrogen (a virtually inert gas) and traces of CO2.

Additional O2 is given because the more that can be offered to the alveoli the more is likely to be taken up in the blood stream. Normal breathing in a 30% COPD patient like me will only deliver about 1-1.5 litres of O2 per minute (at 10-12 breaths per minute) so adding 1.5lites brings this close to the normal level in un-diseased people of 3-4+ litres per minute. Of course our damaged alveoli still tend to let us down!

NOTE: I am not an expert; this is merely a guide and would need thorough checking. Also note that nitrogen can be forced to combine with other gases as it is in the internal combustion engine producing the toxic gas NO2 or Nox.

[gilder60 in reply to Timberman]

Thank you Timberman for your information its very complicated but very interesting. I'm at the oxygen clinic on wed so i will find out more then but thanks for your reply.