Does anyone here use a pulse oximeter?

[murielm99]

My primary doc told me to get one. She is not doing anything else to help me when I tell her I can't breathe. The pulmonologist is no better.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Got one during Covid.

The whole purpose was to monitor myself by thermometer and pulse oximeter.

The latter measures the concentration of oxygen in your blood. (Cost $65 a few years ago.) It also measures your pulse rate.

You might have Covid if the level drops below 95%, meaning your body isn't getting enough oxygen and you should seek medical consultation very soon.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22447-blood-oxygen-level

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. I keep on having a 94% Oxygen reading

and the medical professionals are unconcerned at that number.

[evemac]

2. I have one, but

I've only used it when I knew my breathing was horrible. Last time I used it was December 2023, and it was in the upper 80s; I knew something was wrong and went to urgent care. I thought it was RSV, but it ended up being a horrible bout of flu.
As an asthmatic who just had steroids prescribed last week after I said exactly what you said: "I am having trouble breathing," I'd really encourage you to see if they can do anything other than tell you to get an oximeter. That obviously won't help when you can't get O2 into your lungs.
Good luck. Hope you can get some help from a good provider!

[XanaDUer2]

3. I'm so sorry

How maddening. I can't breathe is pretty basic.

[surfered]

4. Yes. They're not expensive. Normal reading is 95-100%. Below 92%, you should see a doctor.

[multigraincracker]

5. I have one and use it and B/P cuff at least twice a day.

It also has a moving graph so I might see any Afib, I think.

[CanonRay]

6. I do and have since I got interstitial lung disease

My friend, I urge you to get to teaching hospital like National Jewish in Denver or OHSU in Portland. National Jewish saved my life. I spent a year,slowly dying, while I bounced from Pulmonologist to Cardiac specialist and back again. National Jewish diagnosed me in 15 minutes because they specialize in the weird 5% of lung diseases that regular pulmonologists never heard of. My lung doc at OHSU sain pulmonologists are very good at treating the 95% of diseases they see everyday, but shit at anything else. I switched because we moved from Colto Oregon to be at sea level.

I don't know where you live, but get thee to a teaching hospital pronto.

[mopinko]

8. common problem w docs.

doing the doctor go round right now for gi issues. current doc is useless. got an appt tomorrow w a doc from northwestern. almost an hour drive, but man am i sick of feeling shitty. and being all but told i’m supposed to feel shitty cuz i’m 70.

if they cant figure it out, if the treatment isnt working, dont give up. dont let them convince u it’s all in your head. try another doc.

[pandr32]

7. Yes!

I also have an oxygen machine at home.

[mopinko]

9. i dont, but it's my fave medical gizmo.

i’m compelled to make this comment every time some young thing uses 1 on me-
1 of my 1st jobs was hospital lab aid. in those days, getting a blood 02 was rare. only done to see how long it wd b before someone died.
that’s cuz it required an arterial blood draw, which is a big deal. aids werent allowed, had to b a registered tech. and they hated them cuz it was a very touchy test.

so, it always strikes me as a tiny miracle.

[Lulu KC]

11. Yes, and it's great

Ours came from Amazon (I know, sorry) and I think it was only $10. My husband had an afib and that registered. It's handy to have around.

Still, I agree with others that another doctor would be helpful, especially if your oximeter shows consistently less than 95% O2.

Best wishes to you.