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Low pulse oximetry (sats) while on 7 day triple antibiotic therapy
In November I bought a Garmin watch which automatically reads my sats overnight. The lowest was 74% and the average low over 4 months was 82%. I have now come down to 3 days a week for my "Big 3" and my sats have increased slightly overnight. It's only been 10 days but already my average low is 88%. Has anyone else found they have low overnight pulse oximetry readings while on treatment for NTM?
And secondly, any ideas who I report these findings to, seeing as we are all still guinea pigs to some degree.
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Yikes! Are you sure your watch is accurate with those readings?
My pulmonologist would have admitted me to the hospital with those scary low O2 readings.
Have you tried a finger monitor to see if it matches what your watch is reading? Are you having trouble breathing?
What are your readings during the day?
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1 ReactionHi Cate, I'm not overly concerned as during the day my sats are normal and yes, the readings are the same with finger pulse oximeter when I do any readings during the day. It's possible it's movement, or watch fit, but to be on the safe side, I'm being sent an overnight pulse oximeter from the hospital, should get it in the next month or two. No-one here seems to be worried about it (I'm in New Zealand though). Yes, sometimes I have trouble breathing and yes, wake up in a panic being strangled or crushed in my dreams, and yes I am always tired, but then I'm on treatment for NTM so I sort of don't really expect much else! I thought it may be of interest though to doctors and others on treatment elsewhere as a possible side effect.
If you are referring to your pulse reading, I am on the big 3 and have been since last August. My readings run in the 50's and 40's and as low as 36. I didn't know that the big 3 could cause these low readings.
These are daytime readings, I have never been tested for nighttime.
If you're having drops in oxygen saturation at night and waking with feelings of being unable to breathe, please consider the possibility of sleep apnea. Your doctor can order an overnight sleep study either in a sleep lab or at home. Treatment for sleep apnea can make a huge difference in how you feel and in your overall health!
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2 ReactionsNo, oxygen saturation levels. You know when they put those little clips on the end of your index finger. It estimates/shows how much oxygen is in your blood.
Quite different to pulse reading or respiration rate.
Those O2 stats on smart watches or trackers can be affected by something so simple as sleeping on your arm or how cold your wrist area is. Even finger pulse ox devices are affected by cold fingers and give a low reading in that case. Still I would want the overnight test to be sure it was a faulty/imperfect tracker or smart watch so that is a good you will get one. In the meantime you could measure it with a finger device when you wake up in the middle of the night to see what it says, for what that's worth.
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1 ReactionI have been tested twice for sleep apnea and both times negative.
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1 ReactionMy heart rate really drops when I am in deep sleep, so then does my SPO2. I use 1 liter of oxygen at night.
What does it drop to?