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        New Message Board Archives >> 2006-2007 Getting to Know Ya Posts >> hyperbaric oxygen therapy
        
(Message started by: krismitch on May 11^th, 2007, 9:41am)

Title: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by krismitch on May 11^th, 2007, 9:41am

My husband has cluster headaches going on two years now...he is chronic. Has anyone tried hyperbaric oxygen treatments yet? A friend of mine is purchasing a chamber for her autistic son and said that one of his doctors said they were having good results for cluster headache pts. He is currently using oxygen tanks, but will try the chamber once she gets it. I was just wondering if anyone had gone that route yet, lots of you mention using oxygen.

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Guiseppi on May 11^th, 2007, 10:10am

I haven't seen anyone posting about that yet. Please let us know if it works or not. I'm always open to new tools!!

Guiseppi

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by George_J on May 11^th, 2007, 10:23am

Actually, this is a pretty interesting concept. I'll be looking forward to hearing more about it. Please keep us updated.

Meantime:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12421159&dopt=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8455970&dopt=Abstract

This from ache.net in 2003, however:

"The efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen treatment for cluster headache was evaluated in a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study reported in the November issue of Cephalalgia. Sixteen patients, 12 with episodic and 4 with chronic cluster headache participated in this double-blind placebo-controlled study. Standard-pressure 100% oxygen delivered via a mask is a well-established treatment for relieving cluster headache attacks. Hyperbaric oxygen is delivered in a special chamber at increased atmospheric pressure -- 2 or more times standard atmospheric pressure (atm). Previous small studies have reported it effective for both acute and preventive treatment of cluster headache. In this study, the hyperbaric oxygen (100% oxygen) and the placebo treatment (10% oxygen) were administered by mask inside a hyperbaric chamber for 70 min in two sessions 24 hours apart. Response rates were high to both the 100% oxygen and the "placebo" 10% oxygen treatment. Altogether, 83% of the episodic cluster headache patients and 25% of the chronic ones responded to either of the two treatments with a reduction in headache frequency/severity over 50%. Two episodic cluster headache patients were still cluster-free on follow-up 1 year after sham treatment. It is possible that the hyperbaric condition itself (regardless of the mixture of gases used) may be effective, at least in patients with episodic cluster headache, but a powerful placebo response cannot be ruled out."

( http://www.achenet.org/news/older/012003.php )

Best wishes,

George

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Rosybabe on May 11^th, 2007, 10:51am

I did not want to mention this until I had it done, but I am leaving this sunday to go to Mexico and my Mom is trying to get me in an appointment to use this treatment..
If I get it I sure will be posting my experience, I am pain free right now, but it would be great if I get to skip my next cycle, that would be just great! ;;D

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Ray on May 18^th, 2007, 1:26am

Hello Everyone:

I've wondered about this for years and never tried it. Here are my greatest questions:

If used as an abortive, I think that the confined space, and most likely horizontal orientation would make me flip my ever-loving mind.

How long would you spend in the chamber?

Ray

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by krismitch on May 25^th, 2007, 7:12pm

hey ray....the amount of time spent in the chamber varies for what you are doing in it. according to the small study referred to in the earlier posts put them in the chamber two times in 24 hours for 70 minutes and reduced the frequency and severity of the headaches by at least 50%. I dont think it is really used as an abortive, unless of course if you own one, i believe the main purpose is to try to prevent them from occurring. ill let you know more when he actually tries it.

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Jonny on May 25^th, 2007, 7:23pm

In my opinion and my opinion only, its crap!

I will stay six feet from my 02 tank knowing it will kill 85% of the HA's.

I dont like 50% because of the odds ;)

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by chewy on May 25^th, 2007, 7:39pm

Wouldn't you have to lay down in it?

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Jonny on May 25^th, 2007, 8:10pm

on 05/25/07 at 19:39:14, chewy wrote:

Wouldn't you have to lay down in it?

And would whacko jacko be laying next to you?.....LOL

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by AussieBrian on May 25^th, 2007, 8:29pm

And I'd lay down, with or without Jacko and at odds lower than 50%, in the hope something was going to work.

Tell him go for it, Krissy, and let us know how he gets on. We CHeads need only one guinea pig to get it right...

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Jonny on May 25^th, 2007, 8:39pm

on 05/25/07 at 20:29:21, AussieBrian wrote:

We CHeads need only one guinea pig to get it right...

Ahh, Sir Brian forgets that not one thing works for all of us.

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by AussieBrian on May 25^th, 2007, 8:45pm

While remembering that if one new thing works for just some of us, sometimes, it's a step ahead for us all.

Long live Frozen Banana therapy!

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Jonny on May 25^th, 2007, 8:51pm

Yes, but taking 02 at the onset of a HA will help.....how will sucking 02 for hours help with a HA a week later?

This is a funny thread, just what I needed ;;D

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by AussieBrian on May 25^th, 2007, 9:05pm

That's exactly the point, and why their research is so important. If it doesn't help, there's little lost and no-one hurt, but we won't know until it's been tried.

All power to those willing to try something new!!!

Am now just toddling off to collect some spiders to put under my tongue and, like Krissy, will publish the results in the hope it might help just one victim of this dread condition.

(Kindly note that no arachnids will suffer as a result as they will be anaesthbeeretised humanely beforehand.)

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Jonny on May 25^th, 2007, 9:16pm

This thread gets funnier by the minute.

When your on 02 its being delivered into your blood stream, when you stop....it stops.....LOL

Oh well, like I said....its just my opinion.

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by AussieBrian on May 25^th, 2007, 9:25pm

on 05/25/07 at 21:16:36, Jonny wrote:

Oh well, like I said....its just my opinion.

Which is important, just like krissy's opinion is important, and probably even my own opinion would be important if I could afford one.

Am now off to do deep and meaningful research into beer therapy and will advise results.

Cheers all,

B.

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Lotus on May 25^th, 2007, 9:31pm

Maybe they can build a hyperbaric chamber big enough that one can sit and rock in and have maybe the Rolling Stones rocking next to you ?

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Jonny on May 25^th, 2007, 9:41pm

on 05/11/07 at 09:41:11, krismitch wrote:

A friend of mine is purchasing a chamber for her autistic son and said that one of his doctors said they were having good results for cluster headache pts.

Man!, your friend must have some mega cash to have one delivered........it is some major equipment!

http://www.perrybaromedical.com/images/Sigma34.jpg

Most of us cant even get 02 delivered!

Edit to add: BTW, something this big needs to be moved by a fork lift........how do they get it in the house?

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Linda_Howell on May 25^th, 2007, 10:05pm

Quote:

Am now off to do deep and meaningful research into beer therapy and will advise results.

Me, I'm just waiting on Brians report. lmao

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Ray on May 29^th, 2007, 4:56am

on 05/25/07 at 21:41:01, Jonny wrote:

First of all, if you have to ask, it's too much.

Second of all, you either build the house around it, or have a "build-out" done to house the chamber. While you are doing the build-out, you may as well have a loading dock built, as other large ticket items may follow.

Third of all, as Lotus has suggested -- I figure we should shop for the hot-tub version, large enough for 8, with the wet-bar, mini fridge (for the red-bull), the rubber head banging pad.

What other features should we add? The air-lock, so that others can come and go without disturbing our therapy time?

I think we could really have fun with this one!

Just danced with the beast and acting a bit strangely, even for me.

Wishing you PF days and nights,

Ray

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Rosybabe on Jun 20^th, 2007, 4:04pm

OK, I took two sessions inside this thing, each one of 1 and half hours.
I am out of cycle so I did not see any results for now but who knows?... I will have to wait until next year to see.
I am out only $140 USD, so not that bad...

whatever else did good for me it is worth it. :)

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by Barry_T_Coles on Jun 20^th, 2007, 7:58pm

I’m going to keep an eye on this thread to see how it goes.
When I was trying to get Kudzu from a health/herbal shop in Perth the herbalist there told me of a friend of his who was a chronic CH sufferer & is a deep sea diver on the North West shelf gas workings; he had to go into a hypobaric chamber after developing problems after a dive & hadn’t suffered from CH for the last year or so.

I didn’t take a lot of notice of it at the time but it seems strange that the very same thing has surfaced (no pun intended) on the other side of the world.

I have found out that the chamber is here at our local hospital; I am due shortly to go & have a check up with my doctor & will take a copy of this thread with me to see what she thinks.

Will keep you posted.

Cheers
Barry

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by medic1852 on Jun 20^th, 2007, 8:22pm

on 05/11/07 at 09:41:11, krismitch wrote:

Throw this one out folks! This is a line of BS anyone who scuba dives will know this! Ok in these hyperbaric chambers you are doing what they call diving the patient. You take the atmospheric pressure and increase it so that the O2 molucules are smaller there for causeing the blood stream to be saturated by high concentration O2. The only reason that it is high concentration is it is under pressure.
Hyperbaric Treatment was thought a few years ago to try on Stroke patients the thought was that flooding the brain with high amounts of O2 would help the damage portion of the brain. This soon went by the way side.
As for using on CH. It would take at least 30 minutes to pressureize the chamber enough to get the concentration up to a level that might be helpful to CH. By then the fun part of the attack is on the downslope, then you have to take a hour getting back to normal pressure so you can get out.
As for treating a autistic child. I doubt it very seriously. Because you have to seal the child in, then pressurize the chamber and then slowly bring them back to normal. Also what theraputic value does this have for the autisim I cant think of any.
About the only use they have for these that I have found is burn victims, patients with diabetic or decubitus ulcers and divers with the bends.

But then again I am just a paramedic.
Rodger

Title: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Post by krismitch on Jun 20^th, 2007, 10:39pm

this is kristie again...i have been keeping up with the replies to my post but have avoided replying because of the negative energy of some of the people who have replied. But because most of you dont understand what the research has shown i wanted to clarify. Unlike what some of you think the purpose of the oxygen chamber is not to jump in it at the onset of a headache. You do treatments, lets say one hour treatments for five days...and most of those in the study had a 50% decrease in the OCCURANCE AND SEVERITY of their headaches, which translated means that they got AT LEAST fifty percent fewer headaches and those that they did get were fifty percent less severe........in plain English...they dont come as often and they dont hurt as bad. By the way a real live DOCTOR told her they helped cluster headaches. Now you guys change you posts tones or I wont let you know if it really works, she should be getting it soon.