Hi Too tall -- I've been thinking about your situation and your question. I'd say that using an oximeter like you described does not replace the need for CPAP because CPAP is meant to treat sleep disordered breathing by preventing as many apnea events as possible -- this is how CPAP keeps your O2 levels from falling. An oximeter with the alarm set could also keep your O2 levels from falling below the level you set, but would not be treating the sleep disordered breathing. So technically the answer to your question is partly yes and partly no.Too tall wrote:So with this added information above, can I pose the question again, is the concept of having an oximeter with an alarm set at a high level aid replace the need for the CPAP.
I think I understand what you're trying to do here. You're looking for a next best solution for the problem of O2 desaturations since you're having bad skin reactions to the mask (which BTW is usually silicone, not latex). And for sure your poor skin needs to heal. Forgive me if I missed this, but did you try a nasal pillow mask along the way?
In the end, I believe using only an oximeter as you described will be too problematic. Not only does it not replace CPAP but it will be causing harm over time to have your sleep interrupted so many times by the alarm. Maybe not right away, but fractured and fragmented sleep also takes a toll on health over time. So even if your O2 levels are staying above 88% or whatever level you have set the oximeter at, the interrruptions of your sleep cycles can take their own toll on your health. And the higher you set the alarm level, the greater the number of times that alarm will wake you up.
An oximeter can be a useful tool, though. It will give you information when you're experimenting with different sleeping positions, for example. I could imagine using it the way you described if I had to go a few nights in order for my skin to heal, or for some other temporary situation. But to the degree that it starts robbing you of deep stage sleep, it would likely make any existing health problems worse over time and would therefore not be a viable long term solution (i.e. replacement for cpap). I know you said that you felt like you were sleeping well before your diagnosis, but on the other hand you also said that your AFIB was caused by your apnea. So it wasn't a benign situation even though you felt like you slept well.
I hope this is the kind of feedback you're asking for. I respect you for trying to do some creative problem solving under the cirumcstances -- often people with less severe skin irritation than we see in your photo simply give up altogether, and you are here trying to think this through and ask for help. I'm glad you came back with your concerns.