Chelle -
I use a treadmill every day (in theory). Depending on my body's needs I vary my O2 between 7 and 8 liters per minute (LPM) when exercising. At rest or sleep I'm on 3 LPM and moderate walking and moving about I'm on 4-5 LPM. That will keep my O2 between 92- 90%.
You can't expect to use the same LPM of O2 on the treadmill that you use to maintain 90 or above just sitting. Ask your doc: " Why can I not have more than 5 LPM when I am exercising on the treadmill?" I'd be interested to hear what kind of answer you get...

Hugs,
Dennis

I agree with Dennis...It seems your o2 drops when you are active much to far and fast. Take this situation to your doctor, and maybe he will let you raise it a bit more for activity. Please do not exercise with sats that dow.
bj

I agree with the others: Talk to your doctor about raising the LPM when you exercise.

Thanks everybody. I will ask the Dr. Because he keeps telling me to push myself, and I say, well, how long should I push while my 02 level is going down down down to 84....he said for just a couple of minutes.....He is so warped. I will be glad to see my new Dr. this week.

Hi Denny, I am in the process of being in between Drs. I saw one today. I asked him about concentrators being above 5 liters and he agreed that there were, but was told the cannulas only cover up to 6 liter flow....what the........So I've got 3 different answers so far. I have one Doc to go, I will see him in a couple of weeks.What a shame that so many Dr's don't keep up with emphysema, 02 therapy, and patient care. Just a crying shame......And guess who suffers....we hugs, Chelle

chelle,
may i suggest that if your 02 drops that low that you only walk 15 seconds, but do it once an hour.
then as you get stronger, add a few seconds each hour.

i have had to start that way before. the "push myself" i interpret as do just a bit more each time than i want to.

and maybe don't focus so much on your sp02 level, even healthy people huff & puff when they excersise & never even think to check their sp02 (i didn't before this disease).

ps. not all of us have a treadmill. walking thru the house is just as effective. or maybe a bicycle or "peddler" you would enjoy better instead?

Chelle -
The Salter Labs 1600HF-7will operate with flows up to 15LPM. I use it every day when I exercise. Your O2 or Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider can obtain them or you can buy them from http://www.vitalitymedical.com/salter-labs-salter-style-adult-nasal-cannula.html at $0.26 each
These people need to get a serious education. All the doc has to do is write a script to the DME to provide up to 15 LPM to a cannula with the proper volume.

Hugs,
Dennis

rant\ sarc\
All this leads me to my soap box. Knowledge is power. Those of us that are responsible for our day-to-day wellness have to be up on the latest and greatest information regarding our respective disease. Up on the latest equipment for supporting our interactions Then have to be proactive with that knowledge when dealing with the medical community.
\rant
Then take what you learned today, write it on a 2x4. Take said 2x4 to the doc office. For every wrong answer you get one more swing at whack-a-mole. Enjoy
\sarc

Hugs,
Dennis

Hey Denny: I do a workout routine that includes bicycling, treadmill, and the hand/arm bicycling machines for a lack of the equipment name and some other arm and leg stationary weight machines.

My SPO2 usually never drops below 91% but when I get on this machine for leg crunches, I'm inclined about 45 degrees and push a wetght platform back and forth for leg muscles.

When I finish the routine my SPO2 drops to 87-88% and I just sit for less than 5 mins catch my breath and it goes back above 90 and I continue to something else.

It's the only rep that brings my SPO2 down . . . I do about 2.5-3.0 mph on a treadmill and all that does is increase my heart rate but barely budges my SPO2 at 91 or 92%.

Any words of wisdom or thoughts. Not on 02 yet.

t/HANK/s and best as always

Hank -
How much pressure are you putting on your diaphragm during the crunches? That is the only thing I can think of - a restriction on how deeply you can inhale...

Hugs,
Dennis

dennis; light just went off in my head...thank you!
diaphragm makes sense why i can walk, bicycle= (upright, no pressure on diaphragm)
better than
arm/step thing (sitting bent at waste, pressure on diaphragm)
and i couldn't do crunches at all! (squishing diaphram on each downward slide)

good lesson to understand when trying to exercise!!!

it also explains why when i sit in chair, on computer, i get feeling like my lungs have a huge elastic band around chest.
by evening i ache & just need to go lay down.
this is explaining so much! i couldn't figure out why my "do a little, sit a little" work routine wore me out so much---it's not the doing; it's the sitting!!!

DUH- jarca has a lightbulb moment!

Dennis, glad you mentioned diaphragm. I have a lot of trouble just bending over even on empty stomach. It really compresses my diaphragm and is extremely uncomfortable. My dr. run a sonogram and it was negative. any thoughts

I have the same problem. Since my lungs stay expanded and press down on my diaphragm I cannot bend over without almost doing a painful faceplant.
And weight loss doesn't compensate for it. I've lost 30 lbs. in the last two months and it's still a uncomfortable and precarious position for me
Part and parcel of the disease, AFAIK...

Hugs,
Dennis

Didn't think of that and glad you're around . . . went today and cut things short but I go back on Saturday and will pay more attention to my style rather than substance . . . adding a 1/2 mile walk daily in the hot-assed eves to my routine when it cools down to about