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        New Message Board Archives >> 2003 Posts >> Oxygen side effects??
        
(Message started by: psmagic on Apr 21^st, 2003, 6:17pm)

Title: Oxygen side effects??
Post by psmagic on Apr 21^st, 2003, 6:17pm

Sorry if this question has already been asked and replied to elsewhere on this excellent site but i am struggling to find the answers.

I have been suffering with CH for over 8 years now and have finally found relief by using the Imigran injections (although my GP made a point of telling me that she wouldnt prescribe me more than 4 injections as they were expensive at £20 each). In the past i have also used oxygen but when i had my last set of attacks nearly 2 years ago i seem to recall my GP being concerned at the amount of Oxygen i was using and saying that it could have side effects. She is not the most approachable GP but luckily the only time i ever need to see her is when i have these attacks. I sometimes feel that i should visit her more often so that we could understand each other a little more.

Finally that brings me to my question of what are these side effects (if indeed there are any!) that she told me about?

any help would be appreciated

thanks

Title: Re: Oxygen side effects??
Post by jonny on Apr 21^st, 2003, 6:31pm

I crank the 02 up to 15 LPM and breath as much as I can, been doing this for years with no side effects.

Falling asleep with mask on may not be cool but I wouldnt know about that seeing that I never use the strap, only reason I havent removed the strap is cause it holds the mask on the regulator and off the floor when not in use.

As long as your not smoking while on it you should have no problem.....but hey!!, im no doctor just a guy that has sucked more 02 than that Doc ever will. ;D

..............................jonny

Title: Re: Oxygen side effects??
Post by andy on Apr 21^st, 2003, 6:37pm

Yeah, what jonny said!!! The only side effects i ever got was relief!! ......................andy

Title: Re: Oxygen side effects??
Post by fubar on Apr 21^st, 2003, 6:39pm

Pure oxygen, for extended periods, is toxic to the human lung. As long as you use as directed, this will never become an issue for you. The levels of oxygen we use should never be a problem. However, at the levels we use, you may need to use a 'bubbler' to counteract the drying effect the pure oxygen can have on your lungs. This is most likely what your GP was worried about. A bubbler simply bubbles trhe oxygen through a solution (usually water but in the hosptital they usually use some kind of sterile slightly saline solution) to humidify it before you breath it. This is required for patients on long-term oxygen therapy.

I'm not a doctor, so most of that was probably pulled out of my butt, but it works for me.

Title: Re: Oxygen side effects??
Post by Not4Hire on Apr 21^st, 2003, 6:45pm

...if ya *really* wanta know more information than ya probably need to know, try this link:

http://tinyurl.com/a0d7

...or type "oxygen toxicity" (without the "quotes") into yer favorite metasearch engine (the one above is from IXQUICK.com)... lotsa good stuff....

Title: Re: Oxygen side effects??
Post by Frank on Apr 21^st, 2003, 7:22pm

I'm a lazy ass and never cut the elastic strap off of the mask and have been known to fall asleep with the O2 on. My non-rebreather mask is not completely airtight, so I have not suffocated. The worst that has happened is that I waste an entire tank of O2 on one headache. I have gone through about 40 "E" tanks since December, so I don't think it is toxic in the sense that it is poisonous or anything like that.

O2 does tend to dry the nose and lungs (which can be painful), so a "bubbler" is recommended for that. Here's a picture of Jonny's bubbler http://www.maplefallswebdesign.com/misc/oxygen/tank.JPG

Title: Re: Oxygen side effects??
Post by don on Apr 21^st, 2003, 7:44pm

WTF does your GP care about the cost? She/He paying?

Title: Re: Oxygen side effects??
Post by Mikey on Apr 21^st, 2003, 8:10pm

Fubar is right about the 02 being toxic to your lungs.
I'm on 02 constantly at the rate of 2 lpm. The doc says that even that, at long term, will do damage to my lungs, but its the price you pay for needing extra.

Now, he says the way i used to use it for the CH's probably would never do any damage because your not useing it in a constant manner.

The side effects i've noticed from being on it constant is
1)light headed

2)numbness on the end of the tongue and or lips

3)Altered taste

these are the only ones that i have experienced.
Doc says because of my condition i'll probably have to go up on the 02 because the toxicity will eventually make my lungs demand more than they already do.

I would not be worried at all about using 02, because the way most of us use it, we would probably be near death before needing to be on it constant. I'm no Doc, but just relaying what mine said to me.

Mikey, ;D

Title: Re: Oxygen side effects??
Post by fubar on Apr 21^st, 2003, 10:37pm

Quote:

Fubar is right

LOL, Fubar is always right. ;D

-Fu

Title: Re: Oxygen side effects??
Post by catlind on Apr 22^nd, 2003, 6:52am

I've never experienced any problems with the O2 at all even at 15lpms for up to an hour at a time.

Beyond that I can't tell you anything about the O2 that isn't already on the O2 page here at ch.com

And I'm not always right, I'm just never wrong ;)

Cat

Title: Re: Oxygen side effects??
Post by BruceD on Apr 22^nd, 2003, 9:08am

Wow, I'll also have to agree Fubar is right. :D Long-term high O2 levels are damaging to the lung tissue. Other than that, I'd say that my worst side-effect from O2 is the darned stubbed toe on an E-tank when I'm stumbling out of bed trying to grab for the mask.

Take care
BruceD