Jo5, everyone needs to learn about COPD; no one is born with the knowledge, and everyone has to learn it somehow. I've had 25 years to learn it! This website has good information, and I'd recommend that you go to www.copdfoundation.org and read everything you can in the "learn more" section of the site. It's solid information, some written by patients, a lot by health professionals and docs. Information about COPD is power, like anything else, and there are places to get good, honest information that isn't designed to scare the socks off you!

Jean, took an overnight sleep test last week and have a pulmonologist, am on waiting list for pulmonary rehab…thank you for so much help! Just trying to wrap my head around all of this! Took lung function test on Monday and will not try to “push thru” night exasperations again. I am on oxygen at night and sometimes during the day! I know I sound stupid but, honestly I had no idea every body part influenced the other to the degree that it does! I will get this disease of mine!

@A MyCOPDTeam Member Rose: Fasenra is currently being clinically trialed with the idea that it would be used for COPD. Unfortunately the add-on treatment with asthma medication Fasenra (benralizumab) failed to reduce annual exacerbations in patients with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to final results of two Phase 3 trials. So things are not going well for this particular medication in clinical trials, even though it apparently does help some people.

@A MyCOPDTeam Member; you need to talk with your doc about your 02 saturation levels, because 76 really is too low, and chronically low 02 sats lead to brain damage and right heart failure. One thing you could ask for is an overnight oximetry study which is pretty easy and will give your doc information necessary to order supplemental 02 for you for sleep. If you don't have a pulmonologist, you really need to find one.

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@A MyCOPDTeam Member you might benefit with 02 just at night, to be sure you are safe and also really helps daytime function as well. Having any sat in the 70s for any prolonged time is really bad for your heart and brain and lungs. It is partly so low during the night because you become anxious, which is what happens to me, but you should really talk to your doc. They can even do a sleep study just with a device in your home to see what your 02 levels are, and it will also check for apnea. 😃
I have a friend who has apnea with no lung disease or damage, but they added 02 at night because they felt she would function better with 02 added during the night.
Maybe Jean will pop on and explain the short and long-term effects of low 02 saturation.

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JO5, if your o2 goes that low and you're having a bad time breathing, get to the hospital. Don't take chances.