Sure. You could raise it to 5 if you wanted to. Here's the deal. If you're really sob and your O2 sats are still good, raising the O2 won't make a bit of difference. However, if you're really sob and your sats are headed down, then raising the O2 to get your sats back where they need to be is important. Your doc probably prescribes your O2 as so many Liters Per Minute (LPM). What the doc forgets is that you need more O2 if you're grocery shopping or making dinner than if your watching TV from your recliner. I've finally gotten my doc to say that he wants me to keep my O2 sats between 92 and 97 and he doesn't care how I do it. I use my oximeter and turn my O2 up when I need to and down when I don't. Sometimes I don't use it at all, and other times I've got it pretty cranked up, like when I'm exercising. You probably should talk with your doc about your reality, what you do, what your sats are when you do it. Once they realize that you don't spend your day on the couch and do lots of other things and understand the importance of keep your O2 sats up, maybe they'll figure out that you're perfectly capable of turning your O2 up when necessary.

You're correct, usually you have 2 different liters of oxygen one at rest one upon exertion!I'm at zero oxygen at rest n 3-4lpm upon exertion depends on what I'm doing....light house work 2-3,laundry, changing bed linens 3-4lpm.....

That's a good question. For me I can't get an answer. I was on 2L when I came home from the hospital and I have been as high as 4 . Nobody could tell me...My Dr steered me towards the oxygen provider and they steered me back to the Dr....So now I stay on 2.5 until I am moving and put the oxy up to as high as 5 when exerting myself. Whatever makes you feel better is my suggestion

SteveIngle: the home equipment available to us can't produce enough O2 to harm us, unless you have a machine that will produce over 20 LPM and there isn't one that will do that. You do want your O2 saturation levels to be in the area of 92-99. I agree that you do need to discuss your O2 needs with your doc. If you hear something from your doc that encourages you to never turn your O2 up because if you do you will lose the will to breathe, please find another one. That's a myth that was debunked many years ago; unfortunately there are still some medical personnel who haven't kept current with best practices and still believe it. They are capable of doing real damage to people on O2 if they don't encourage their patients to change the settings according to the activities they're doing. Right heart failure and brain damage are the results.

Hi @A MyCOPDTeam Member - O2 up and down. I set mine at what is comfortable for me and what I'm doing. My "full time" machine is generally set at 3 - 3 1/2. But if, for some reason, I'm under a lot of stress or my O2 meter shows a bit low (below 90) I feel free to turn the O2 up a bit. Even had it at 4 1/2 once. Soon as I feel better, etc. I turn it back down. The M-6 cylinder I use when out and about is set to 3 when I'm driving and I've been able to leave it at 3 during pulmonary rehab ☺️ and in the grocery store. If I feel the need, I just turn it up. My pulmonary doc has never had a problem with my doing what I feel is necessary for me. Its fine to ask your doctor. Hopefully he's a good one!! Hope this might help a bit. And hope you breathe easy always!!

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