Wildly fluctuating O2 levels

This is an odd coincidence. I'm seeing my doctor for this tomorrow. As a scientist, I'm big of reproducible, objective evidence, so I used 3 different types of SPO2 monitor (Galaxy Watch 5, Wellvu ring, and the Welvue wrist/ring combination. All 3 show the fluctuations, and 2 that I ran together match. I have printout data from both. No symptoms at any point, range 71-100%.

Check your blood pressure, if you havent already. Mine is just as nuts. Pulse ranges from 42 to 150+,
It's real, and you are not alone.

I have this same symptoms!! It’s a little like panic feeling and can’t get enough oxygen! And once before going in for a kidney stone removal they mentioned this to me , so I know they know what it is!

Following this thread, for the final report. VERY SIMILAR situation. I live at high elevation, so 88 on the oximeter is acceptable. Daytime #'s have always been 92-96.
6 weeks ago, viral cough dropped me to 88, 87, 86, continuing to 78. Tested negative for Covid, NO OTHER SYMPTOMS, just a cough. In the meantime, sleep study revealed need for CPAP. I was shocked. Recovery from viral cough came slowly, and numbers increased equally slowly. Here's the similar part: Now WILDLY fluctuating from 72-98.
I have already learned a LOT in this thread. Awaiting updates!

I am having same symptoms. Also live at high elevation. So doctor not upset because my average is 92 flux between 86 -96. I am wondering if anyone has a solution for this. I recently discovered I have vitamin d deficiency

Any answers yet?

Update - I would check into your medication - I am NOT a doctor - I have found this condition on many website and the only answer I found was people taking medication. Mine seems to be getting better since I stopped taking prilosec for acid reflux I came back very vitamin deficient and this is the only thing I took for years prior to my problem. 7 days since stopped and my flux has nearly stopped, now is only when running up down stairs. You can have doc test or can order one online and take results to Doctor, because mine did not believe me. I would not stop taking whatever you take without talking to the doctor, but it is a direction for you to go in.

During a five day bout with COVID-19 and three days thereafter my SpO2 fluctuated wildly. I can confirm our oximeter is working properly.

During these eight days, I've been taking oximeter readings mostly hourly during the day and one or two times overnight. There seem to be three repeating patterns in those readings, all within a short time span of, say, three to five hours:

(1) the oximeter shows in a range of 75 to 77 initially for a few seconds and then over the course of 30 seconds or so climbs to 95;
(2) in other readings the display initially shows and holds steady at 95 or 96; and
(3) in yet other readings, the display initially shows and holds steady between 88 and 90.

The 75 to 77 climbing-to-95 readings were scary; perhaps we should have headed to a hospital. However, the climb to 95 gave us enough doubt, perhaps misplaced, that a trip to the hospital wasn't needed.

During the entirety---five days of COVID with chills, coughing, and a temperature and three days thereafter---I had only a slight, but not significant, shortness of breath.

I began a Paxlovid regimen on COVID day 3 and take 20 mg of Pantoprazole daily for acid reflux. I was taking 20mg of Simvistatin daily but was advised by the Paxlovid prescriber to discontinue the Simvistatin while taking Paxlovid and for five days thereafter.

Are these types of SpO2 fluctuations typical for a COVID bout? Thank you.

I purchased a RING O2 which fits on your finger like a ring and can stay on at night while sleeping. it can record 4 ten hour sessions and take a blood Ox reading every 4 seconds.
It will then download the data via blue tooth to your phone and you can also download the data into a computer.
As I relax and begin to fall asleep, the blood Ox leverls varies about 8-10 points at almost a 1 minute interval. It may vary from 96 to 88 back and forth every 50 seconds. Sometimes dropping to 92-92 at the same cycle rate. Occasionally, probably REM sleep, it may stay below 90 for 5 to 10 minutes. It has gone as low below 80 to mid 70's. I have a sleep study schedule for the next 2 days. Hope to find out what is happening.
Does anyone know why blood ox would cycle over a minute cycle while resting and breathing slowly. It is not obstructive sleep apnea, as I have watched the value drop while I'm breathing.
Can shallow breathing cause this if there is a somekind of lung defect in the area of the lung which is being used while shallow breathing. I do sometimes wizz with very shallow breating.

Greater need for oxygen in tissues and muscle will trigger release of 2,3biphosphoglycerate. This alters the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen so that it will release the oxygen much more easily to support that supply. Assuming that any pulmonary issues exist then it's likely that any activity or trigger for the issues will raise that need for higher release of oxygen. It will quickly lower blood oxygen levels if pulmonary issues exist as the body will be unable to quickly replace what was released from the blood.

You asked, "...Can shallow breathing cause this if there is a somekind of lung defect..." The answer is absolutely. I can sit in a chair, breathe shallowly and watch my O2 sats decline minute by minute. Similarly, I can deep breathe and watch them recover. (By the way, I do have a number of lung issues, but my day-to-day sats, except during exertion, are in the mid nineties.)

Think about the mechanics of breathing - when you breathe in shallowly, you take in a much smaller volume of air with which to replace the oxygen in you lungs. When you breathe out shallowly, you expel much less carbon dioxide, which interferes with the lungs' ability to use the oxygen you are inhaling. Also a normal full breath cycle, not even deep breathing, inflates
and empties all four lobes of your lungs, but a shallow breath either only reaches the upper lobes, or partially inflates & deflates the 4 lobes.

I used to wake often during the night - sometimes feeling like a fish trying to breathe out of water. For the past 2 months, I have been working with a therapist on deep breathing to improve my sleep and reduce pain. Doing belly breathing exercises randomly throughout the day, and 10 minutes of deep breathing and relaxation in bed to fall asleep. My Fitbit has recorded a great improvement in my sleep pattern. I wish it recorded O2, but sadly it does not.

Do you have any underlying lung or heart issues? Maybe when you have your sleep study, if they do not find apnea, you can ask about some breathing exercises to teach yourself to more fully inflate/deflate your lungs?

Sue