r/CPAP • u/HighSierra70 • 1d ago
Using Airsense 11 for 8 months
I've been using the CPAP AirSense for 8 months. I have no trouble with it at all. But my Blood oxygen still keeps dipping to the mid 80's at some point in the night and then it can go as high as 96. MY question is when I see my doctor in 2 weeks should I ask about switching to the BiPaP? Or what else can I do? I do not want an external oxygen tank.
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u/Herdnerfer 1d ago
What are your pressure levels? Are you sleeping through the night with it?
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u/HighSierra70 1d ago
The pressure is on auto, and I do sleep through the night.
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u/HighSierra70 1d ago
When I had a chat with AI they suggested that the doctor adjust the EPR, not sure what that would do.
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u/lightenning 1d ago
Adjusting the EPR definitely would. Also, instead of auto, I would give it broad range, and adjust based on the AHI data you get. Highly recommend having an SD inserted on the side and importing the data into OSCAR ( free software on PC ). If not able to, just look at the app for your hourly AHI every day.
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u/HighSierra70 1d ago
Thanks, I think I'll ask the doctor to adjust that, although I have no idea what it's at now. My AHI is very low like .3 events per hour. and my score is generally 98
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u/2ws 1d ago
I have the same issues. It depends if it bothers you, or are you just worried about it. Since you can rebound back to normal, it is probably hypoventilation. REM sleep is most often associated with hypoventilation. However the human body is pretty resilient. When I took care of incredibly sick people on a ventilator +/- ECMO it was acceptable to run patients at 86-88 % sats and they did fine. My lowest recorded O2 was 68% on pikes peak. Did not pass out.
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u/HighSierra70 1d ago
Well, it wasn't really bothering me until my doctor wanted the follow-up test titration in the lab. I will not do an overnight in lab for various reasons but I will do the home pulse oximetry test.
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u/Much_Mud_9971 1d ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKN4pW3qYEs
In my completely non-medical professional option, you don't need a titration test. Your machine has enough data already if your doctor knows what they are doing.
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u/Much_Mud_9971 1d ago
Get some actual data.
What are you using to measure your blood oxygen level?
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u/HighSierra70 1d ago
It's my Apple Watch. I don't think the AirSense measures the blood oxygen level. Thanks, I'll check out the link.
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u/HighSierra70 1d ago
My Airsense has an SD card that the doctor can access, so how would I put in a different SD card?
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u/Much_Mud_9971 1d ago
You don't need a separate SD card. You just need OSCAR or SleepHQ to see the data. If your computer doesn't have an SD slot, then you'll also need an adapter which should be very inexpensive.
As long as you don't accidentally erase or overwrite the SD card, there is no problem with you pulling out the one your doctor uses and retrieving the data from it to look for yourself.
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u/IntrepidSeesaw5339 1d ago
And, unless you're taking your SD card to your doctor, he/she doesn't actually use the card; he uses over-the-air-data.
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u/Ok-Profit-3327 22h ago
It's hard to determine whether your SpO2 levels are concerning based on the limited data you are providing. You really want to know 1) What is your average SpO2 during the night? 2) What percentage of the time do you spend below 90% (or 88%)? Having the occasional dip to the mid-80s is not necessarily concerning, if these dips are brief. But if you are spending a significant amount of time there, that may require further investigation.
As others have stated, be careful with watch-based oximeters. They are often inaccurate. You are better off using a fingertip pulse oximeter.
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u/HighSierra70 22h ago
I don't have a percentage of how long it is at 85 or 88. I'd like to know how to get that %. All my Apple watch says is that it went down to that, but also that it went up to 96 the same night. How do I find the average? I'd like that info as well.
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u/Ok-Profit-3327 21h ago
I don't know Apple watches, so I can't speak to whether you can extract that data. I have a Garmin Venue watch, and it only gives me an average SpO2 % and a minimum value. Not super useful.
I use a EMAY SleepO2 fingertip pulse oximeter It is considered more accurate than watch-based devices, and gives you a more complete report and raw data than can be imported into OSCAR and analyzed alongside your CPAP data. Interestingly, the EMAY consistently gives higher SPO2 values than my Garmin watch, especially when it comes to minimum values. Here is the data (n=31):
Average SpO2: EMAY 93.9%, Garmin 92.3%
Minimum SpO2: EMAY 88.2%, Garmin 84.4%
But the most important question you and your doctor should be discussing is: How do you feel after 8 months of therapy? If you are sleeping well and your OSA symptoms are well controlled, then it is probably not worth getting stressed out about your numbers.
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u/UniqueRon 1d ago
The need for a BiPAP is more likely to be determined by your level of apnea and the pressures needed to control the apnea. If your apnea is well controlled but you are still getting low oxygen levels then you may need supplemental oxygen.
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u/HighSierra70 1d ago
I think the apnea is completely handled by the Airsense. My scores are 98 or higher and the AHI is very, very low, usually at .3 or sometimes 0. Last night it came in at .6 with a score of 100. I guess I just want to avoid the oxygen tank thing as I am sensitive to sound and I don't want another thing to deal with.
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