Pulse Oximeter Readings

[trappedat20]

So, it's been mentioned a few times that I should get a pulse oximeter thing. It came in the mail today and I wore it around the house for a few minutes and then decided to go up a few stairs and felt sick so I went back down those steps (only 3) and layed down at the bottom of the stairs until I felt my oxygen come back. My brother in law came over and after about 1-2 minutes AFTER I layed down my heart started to slowly climb to 190. So the lack of oxygen def. does come before the heart rate increase. Granted, I wasn't very sick and this wasn't like when I have my seizures and I turn blue and I will do this again when that happens so I know for sure what happens to my body during the seizures, but I still though it was an interesting find.

The display Sp02 barely dropped. It went from 98 to 96. Which means the lack of oxygen is related to the Mitochondrial Disease and although my body has the oxygen it's not using it properly, so I wouldn't benefit from oxygen therapy It would be extremely interesting to check this when my face is blue and I'm seizing and everything though but I have a feeling it will still stay above 90.

EDIT: So, for some reason it just told me it was 82 even though I felt fine and so I gave it to my brother in law and of course his read 99 (normal) than I put it back on and it was 77 but I felt fine and so I gave it back to him and it was 99 again and so I put it back on and it was 84 and than I went up the stairs and it was 91. I don't understand I'm talking about the oxygen part btw. I didn't even feel sick when it said that but when I did feel sick it stayed in the 90's. I don't understand this at all

EDIT 2: So I went up a few stairs and my heart went to 179 and my oxygen dropped from 97 to 91. Hmm don't even understand this anymore.

EDIT 3: So I have noticed a drop several times when I feel out of breath. One time I felt like I might have a seizure and the oxygen was 84, but it wasn't so bad that I actually thought was going to. So I suspect it's probably around 80 when I do have seizures. Usually the drop in oxygen is from 99 or 98 to between 88-91 from just normal breathlessness, although for near seizures it drops more. Not too bad of a drop but it's not suppose to go below 92 right? Normal is suppose to be between 95-100. I'm trying to figure out if I would benefit from asking my doctor about oxygen therapy. Generally it seems to be in the normal range, but it does drop below that when I feel sick and sometimes even when I don't so I'm not sure if I should ask about oxygen therapy or if I'm thinking too much.

Edited April 25, 2014 by MakeMeErised

[IceLizard]

Wow, that is strange. Only 3 steps to get to 190 bpm, and it was a delayed response. No wonder you feel sick. A high heart rate like that could be an exaggerated response to not getting enough oxygen to the brain, not because of low O2 in the blood, but because the oxygenated blood is not reaching the brain or because it is being utilized properly by the brain.

Turning blue is a sign of hypoxia (you turn blue because the blood in your face is blue. Blood turns blue when its oxygen concentration is lower), so I would expect the readings to drop below 90 when you are turning blue. (Or, I could be wrong...)

There are different kinds of hypoxia, listed in detail here. http://lungcancer.about.com/od/Respiratory-Symptoms/a/Hypoxia.htm

I hope you find some answers soon. These problems, while interesting medically, do not sound fun at all.

[trappedat20]

So, for some reason it just told me it was 82 even though I felt fine and so I gave it to my brother in law and of course his read 99 (normal) than I put it back on and it was 77 but I felt fine and so I gave it back to him and it was 99 again and so I put it back on and it was 84 and than I went up the stairs and it was 91. I don't understand. I'm talking about the oxygen part btw. I didn't move it or anything or do anything wrong and when I give it to my brother in law he got normal readings but I feel like this can't be right because it makes no sense. I didn't even feel sick when it said that but when I did feel sick it stayed in the 90's. I don't understand this at all

@IceLizard Yes, I think it will be interesting to see what it says when I turn blue. Yeah, def. seems like hypoxia. Although who even understands the exact mechanisms of my body any more lol.

[trappedat20]

So I went up a few stairs and my heart went to 179 and my oxygen dropped from 97 to 91. Hmm don't even understand this anymore.

So I have noticed a drop several times when I feel out of breath. One time I felt like I might have a seizure and the oxygen was 84, but it wasn't so bad that I actually thought was going to. So I suspect it's probably around 80 when I do have seizures. Usually the drop in oxygen is from 99 or 98 to between 88-91 from just normal breathlessness, although for near seizures it drops more. Not too bad of a drop but it's not suppose to go below 92 right? Normal is suppose to be between 95-100. I'm trying to figure out if I would benefit from asking my doctor about oxygen therapy. Generally it seems to be in the normal range, but it does drop below that when I feel sick and sometimes even when I don't so I'm not sure if I should ask about oxygen therapy or if I'm thinking too much.

[corina]

MakeMeErised, I honestly think it would be best to talk this over with your doctor. Do you have a gp or family doctor to talk this over with? Perhaps s/he wouldn't know everything about mito but I do think s/he will def be able to answer your questions on how high your oxygen should be to stay in the safe range and at what range you will get you in trouble. I think this is too specialized for us to help you with (apart from the more common knowledge but I think you're pretty well informed on that part!)

[IceLizard]

Yes, if you are getting O2 readings that low, its best to talk with your doctor. Please take care!

[trappedat20]

Thanks guys. Yeah I will bring this up to my neurologist because he thought the seizures were from my heart rate going too fast making me have a lack of oxygen but I'll show him that the lack of oxygen comes first. Hopefully they can just give me supplemental oxygen or something and I will feel lots better. Hopefully.