can't breathe on oxygen

My dad has copd and empheysema. He just recently went on oxygen 24/7. The last few days he has had attacks at night where he can't seem to get a breath. His body shakes and legs move all over the bed while he trys to get a breath. This happened once while he was not on the oxygen and once while he was on the oxygen. When we tested his oxygen level (while he was on the oxygen) it was at 62. These episodes last about an hour or longer and he doesn't seem to remember much. He doesn't have a doctor appointment until January but, I think he needs to go immediately. He has been in the hospital with pneumonia about 2 years ago and was given oral antibiotics and sent home with a v-pack. I am wondering if the infection is back and that could be causing these attacks.  Also, he just went on vacation with us labor day weekend and wasn't on oxygen and was moving around o.k. He got oxygen a month ago and it seems like he has been progressively getting worse since the oxygen. Can the oxygen cause fluid in his lungs? oh, by the way he still smokes.  Probably about three or four cigarettes a day.

[Red_Star]

The most important step a smoker can take after getting a COPD diagnosis is to quit smoking. Not only will it make breathing easier, but it will cut down on the risk of severe exacerbations (episodes when symptoms get worse).

Also vitaminD3 supplements is shown to improve breathing for COPD patients. "At the end of the study, those getting 100,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D each month had improvement in respiratory muscle strength and could exercise longer and more intensely than those who were not getting vitamin D."

[scentcy]

He has cut down. He use to smoke a pack a day and now he is down to 3 to 4 or less a day. I like what you are saying about vitD3. I am only 46 yrs old and was diagnosed with low vit D last year. I am tan and live in Las Vegas so, I get plenty of sunshine. I have been telling my parents about vitD for a while now... I will have him get that checked... Thanks

[Red_Star]

Well at least he's trying to quit...very hard indeed. As for your tan and low vitamin D levels...this excerpt from an excellent article called "If You Think You’re Getting Enough Vitamin D-3 From The Sun And Food You’d Better Be Thinking Again!" can explain it. To add, Las Vegas is 36° latitude north...this makes sense in a minute lol...

"The sun’s rays that shine down upon us are UVA and UVB ultraviolet rays.

But only the UVB rays are vitamin D producing when they hit your skin.

Little known is that everyone living north of 35° latitude will get no UVB rays between the months of November through March because of the angle of the sun.

To give you some prospective, New York City, NY is in 40° latitude and Flagstaff, AZ is in 35° latitude.  Fully two/thirds of the U.S and all of Canada are above the 35° latitude mark.

As a further reference, the equator is at 0° latitude and gets the benefit of the highest level of the sun’s UVB rays, whereas the North Pole is at 90° latitude and gets the least benefit."