My sleep study shows a lowest oxygen saturation level of 55%.  Anyone out there with one lower?

Also, where can I find statistics on how many people with OSA have mild, moderate, and severe OSA?  Also what percentage of OSA patients have minimum saO2 levels below 90%, 80%, etc...?

Thanks!

Todzo

I have no idea of where you would find such statistics. Nor the value of even compiling them. I have read in one of the apnea forums of someone who desatted to 49%, that is the lowest I remember reading about.

The length of time one spends below 90% oxygenation is the critical issue. 10 seconds of 55% oxygenation out of 6 hours bed time is not of much significance BUT an hour of 83% oxygenation out of 6 hours bed time is serious cause of concern for long term health issues.


_________________
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Todzo I think my lowest was 68 or 60% but I spent allot of time in the 70's and that is why I am O2 at 3 lpm when I sleep with my XPAP now for the most part I stay above 90% What CrohnieToo says is true, it is more the amount of time one spends in a state of desaturation that is more important. Your body can take short spurts of low O2, but cells don't last to long without it and thats when it can cause real problems! It will be interesting to see what the results of your sleep study show. Good Luck to You.


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EEP 9.0, min PS 6.0, max PS 16.0

White Beard wrote:

Todzo I think my lowest was 68 or 60% but I spent allot of time in the 70's and that is why I am O2 at 3 lpm when I sleep with my XPAP now for the most part I stay above 90% What CrohnieToo says is true, it is more the amount of time one spends in a state of desaturation that is more important. Your body can take short spurts of low O2, but cells don't last to long without it and thats when it can cause real problems! It will be interesting to see what the results of your sleep study show. Good Luck to You.

Hi White Beard!

The link I posted referring to a clinical study which used the latest DTI MRI technology to map the brains of those with moderate to severe sleep apnea compared to a normal control group appears to contradict this (see here "Interesting Links" "Moderate - Severe OSA and Harm to the Brain").  They put it this way:

        The repeated deoxygenation/reoxygenation with apneic episodes leads to a number of
potentially detrimental oxidative and inflammatory processes. Inflammatory markers are
elevated in animal models(46) and human OSA subjects,(47,48) and are associated with
neurodegeneration.(49) Direct oxidative damage occurs across many brain regions in animal
 models of OSA.(24,26) Axons may also be damaged by stress-related compounds associated with
high baseline sympathetic tone or sleep deprivation in the syndrome.(48,50) Over time, these
effects could lead to the larger-scale changes found here.

Certianly it is bad to be below 90% regardless.  It appears that the constant dipping of the O2 level, epically if brought quite low quite often over time causes a harm of its own making.

For that matter, the 55% reading is from my sleep study.

Thanks for the good wishes,

Todzo

My lowest was 58% but i spent the entire 6 hrs under 80% Woke up with an oxygen deprivation headache every day for at least 5 years. I have permanent neurological damage.
You can hold your breath long enough to affect your saturation level but your body won't allow you to do it long enough to injure youreself, you pass out and resume breathing.
 >^..^Carla

Todzo Thanks for the up date that makes it even more scary to have low O2 sats even if it is only for short periods of time! That could also possibly explain allot of some of the other neuro symptoms some severe SA patients have?? I will go and read more on that study Thanks again! Hopefully your XPAP treatment will keep your O2 sats constantly up! Mine didn't that is why I'm on O2 at 3 lpm. Again Good Luck to You!


_________________
White Beard with a White Beard
Resmed VPAP Adapt SV Enhanced, HumidAire 2i, ResLink with Model 8000 Flex sensor Pulse Oximeter, and ResScan 3.5 software. Respironic EverFlo OPI Oxygen Concentrator 3 lpm
EEP 9.0, min PS 6.0, max PS 16.0

Mine was recorded at 52%.  The staff was outside the door ready to come in and stop the study.  However, I guess I roused enough to take a breath and they allowed the study to continue.  They told me that it was one of the lowest they had ever seen.  Anytime I want to gripe or complain about using a CPAP machine, I think about what a number like that means to my body and brain.  Plus, waking up without headaches that made me want to cry every morning is such a bonus that I cannot even express how wonderful that is.

carla wrote:

My lowest was 58% but i spent the entire 6 hrs under 80% Woke up with an oxygen deprivation headache every day for at least 5 years. I have permanent neurological damage.
You can hold your breath long enough to affect your saturation level but your body won't allow you to do it long enough to injure youreself, you pass out and resume breathing.
 >^..^Carla

Hi Carla!

As I have studied the neurodegeneration severe sleep apnea brings about I have also been encouraged to understand that the brain is "plastic".  I have seen several reports on the military victims of severe brain injury that have recovered their control of hands, legs, and other affected parts through concentrated retraining.

I remember that Senator Strom Thurman, the longest serving and oldest ever senator (served to age 99!) memorized three pages a day to keep his mind sharp!  It quite apparently worked.

I am looking into therapies to recover the executive function, memory, and muscle tonus lost by the ravages of the disease.   I do intend to share my findings when they are a bit more organized.

Take heart, there my yet be hope for a more productive and enjoyable life!

Tods

I was once told by a psychologist that the speech training for stroke victims could be of assistance for this.


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro masks, ResScan 3.4, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.

I am recovering. I can do embroydery, but not cross stitch{yet} I have to use a bigger needle, and I can't thread them, but i am definately regaining small moter controll. I tried painting, but thats not back yet.I used to be good people bought my paintings. but those skills arent there yet.I'm happy with my improvement .I was to the point of having to cut my food with scissors because I couldn't controll a knife. So I've come a long way in 14 months.
>^..^<
Carla

There are several articles about hypoxia, strokes and OSA here:

The Cardiovascular and Metabolic Effects of OSA

Vicki


_________________
That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

My lowest sao2 was70% with 40% of the night below 85%.


_________________
38 male/261 lbs.
Original AHI=115.18

Resmed S8 Elite w/humidifier
mirage quattro face mask
8cm H2O

Todzo wrote:

White Beard wrote:

Todzo I think my lowest was 68 or 60% but I spent allot of time in the 70's and that is why I am O2 at 3 lpm when I sleep with my XPAP now for the most part I stay above 90% What CrohnieToo says is true, it is more the amount of time one spends in a state of desaturation that is more important. Your body can take short spurts of low O2, but cells don't last to long without it and thats when it can cause real problems! It will be interesting to see what the results of your sleep study show. Good Luck to You.

Hi White Beard!

The link I posted referring to a clinical study which used the latest DTI MRI technology to map the brains of those with moderate to severe sleep apnea compared to a normal control group appears to contradict this (see here "Interesting Links" "Moderate - Severe OSA and Harm to the Brain").  They put it this way:

        The repeated deoxygenation/reoxygenation with apneic episodes leads to a number of
potentially detrimental oxidative and inflammatory processes. Inflammatory markers are
elevated in animal models(46) and human OSA subjects,(47,48) and are associated with
neurodegeneration.(49) Direct oxidative damage occurs across many brain regions in animal
 models of OSA.(24,26) Axons may also be damaged by stress-related compounds associated with
high baseline sympathetic tone or sleep deprivation in the syndrome.(48,50) Over time, these
effects could lead to the larger-scale changes found here.



Todzo

In plain English, brain damage. I remember my CPR training years ago as a lifeguard. I remember being lectured on how important it is to get air into someone's lungs when they've stopped breathing and that "two minutes of no breathing and brain damage  starts." Certainly, years and years of oxygen desats, even mild ones, has got to be a strain on the old  brain. No telling what it causes...depression, anxiety, hypertension, brain damage...who knows?

Fred


_________________
"We don't need socialized medicine, what we need is insurance reform."


Resmed S8 Autoset Vantage, HumidAire 3i, Resmed Quattro ffmask

Todzo wrote:

carla wrote:

My lowest was 58% but i spent the entire 6 hrs under 80% Woke up with an oxygen deprivation headache every day for at least 5 years. I have permanent neurological damage.
You can hold your breath long enough to affect your saturation level but your body won't allow you to do it long enough to injure youreself, you pass out and resume breathing.
 >^..^Carla

Hi Carla!

As I have studied the neurodegeneration severe sleep apnea brings about I have also been encouraged to understand that the brain is "plastic".  I have seen several reports on the military victims of severe brain injury that have recovered their control of hands, legs, and other affected parts through concentrated retraining.

I remember that Senator Strom Thurman, the longest serving and oldest ever senator (served to age 99!) memorized three pages a day to keep his mind sharp!  It quite apparently worked.

I am looking into therapies to recover the executive function, memory, and muscle tonus lost by the ravages of the disease.   I do intend to share my findings when they are a bit more organized.

Take heart, there my yet be hope for a more productive and enjoyable life!

Tods

I am aware of the plasticity theories now popular in Neuroscience. It contrasts with the old school Neurology belief that once the brain is damaged, thats it you cant recover what you lost. Old school Neurologists used to preach "take care of your  brain, its the only one you will ever have."

I tend to put more  stock in the old school  Neurology belief that the brain is nerve tissue and is sensitive. I  am not very confident in the "plasticity" theories of modern neuroscience and I believe plasticity is something environmentally oriented neuroscience researchers believe in.

Ask a Parkinsons patient if their brain has any plasticity left...

Ask the schizophrenic who has developed good insight into their brain illness if it has done their brain any favors...

Ask the stroke patient if they are TRULY normal after the stroke...

I think the best treatment for brain health is prevention and prevention means treating OSA in its early stages, being CPAP compliant with good followup from a sleep doctor and losing weight.

Fred


_________________
"We don't need socialized medicine, what we need is insurance reform."


Resmed S8 Autoset Vantage, HumidAire 3i, Resmed Quattro ffmask

Well fred, first you have to get a dr to listen! as a military wife in the 80's I was told "sleep apnea is a disease of fat middle aged men." You are tired because you have 3 kid and work full time, If you spent more time being a wife, you'd be less tired." and labled as a hypocondriac. .......... Then the insurance assigned dr. said I was just fat and lazy, eat less move more, you'll feel better. Even though my husband told him repetedly I stopped breathing  while I was asleep. It took 7 years and 4 greavence filings to get a new dr who instantly orded testing. at this point it had been 17 years. the damage was done. I am recovering. dont' be so sacntamonious. you are makeing it sound like we let ourselves be injured. I fought for 10 years  early treat ment would have been wonderful. If the military, then police officers were paid more I could have afforded to pay for out of network care but they aren't. so don' tblame us!
>^..^<
Carla