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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> O2 newbie question
        
(Message started by: hoeboe on Jul 20^th, 2007, 7:37am)

Title: O2 newbie question
Post by hoeboe on Jul 20^th, 2007, 7:37am

Got my O2 tank 2 days ago and needed to use it the first night. I started off with 10Lpm and as everyone has said the CH was gone in less than 10 minutes.

What came later (an hour later) was another CH which I again aborted with O2. An hour after that.... you guessed it. Another CH! This one woke me up. I took a shot of Zomig and started huffing again. Once again it was do in about 10 minutes.

What I find strange is that this is TOTALLY out of the norm for me. I usually only get one CH a night, but after using the O2 I got multiples. I have had more than one before but not in such rapid succession. Would you just chalk it up to breaking "routine" and doing something different? Did I piss the beast off by not having his night in order? :)

Last night I got my HA at approx the same time as I always do and started huffing and once again the HA was gone in 10 minutes, but I had a low level "regular" HA after it which made me go to bed at 9pm. I awoke at approx midnite to go to the washroom and the headache was still there. I woke up to go to work this morning and I'm still aggravated by it.

I have never held many positive thoughts about the Zomig before because it never really seems to knock the CH out, but I am wondering if it has the benefit of killing future uprisings? hmmm.

Can the O2 possibly be the antagonist in me getting multiples? This happen to anyone else? Is this just an X-factor that coincidentally happened because I broke routine?

Thoughts are appreciated.

Hoeboe

Title: Re: O2 newbie question
Post by dtoolman99 on Jul 20^th, 2007, 7:49am

I'm a newbie myself and I still need to get a script for O2,but I think I would rather have one hard hit than have multiples,get it over with and maybe sleep.Sorry to hear it's going that way for you.Maybe it'll get better.

Later,Dave

Title: Re: O2 newbie question
Post by Xenoz on Jul 20^th, 2007, 8:34am

Hi Hoeboe,

I think it's pretty usual that any change in treatment will change the pattern of attacks - temporarily, the frequency of attacks may go up.

A great example of this is somebody who gets woken up routinely at exactly 2:15am every night with an attack, who then sets the alarm clock for 2:00am and stays up until 2:30. The "alarm-clock" timing of their attacks will most certainly change and may become less regular or predictable.

Hypothalamatically speaking, of course. ;)

Regarding the O2 - don't give up on it just yet.

What I found with the O2 is that if you stop the oxygen *immediately* after the pain has subsided, the CH is more likely to return sooner. I find that if I have only reduced the attack to a "shadow" (ie, not PF), the CH is very likely to return within an hour.

What I am doing for my attacks right now (3 per night) is to quickly drink a flat Red Bull then get on oxygen at 10-12 lpm, taking in as much O2 as possible until *PF*.

Then (and this is the important part) I lower the oxygen to 5 or 6 lpm and breathe slowly and deeply for another 5 minutes or so. This really helps to reduce the number of recurrences for me.

Note: If the oxygen hasn't helped after 15 - 20 minutes, it's probably not going to help. If I am left with a shadow after 20 minutes of oxygen, I will generally try going for a brisk walk or doing some exercise or stretching to try to get rid of the shadow.

Last resort for me is Imitrex, which I hate using and will only use if I am at Kip 9 and wit's end. Imitrex always works for me but makes me feel like crap (physically and mentally) for the next day. Hopefully I can avoid having to ever use it again by perfecting my O2 technique.

I have managed to abort every attack for the last two nights (3 per night) within 15 minutes by rapidly downing a flat Red Bull / getting on O2 as described above, and have not experienced a pain level past Kip 6. The combined total period of moderate pain for the last two nights (6 attacks) is perhaps a little over an hour. (A lot better than even one attack of two hours of severe pain!)

When my cycle started about a month ago, it started with a vengeance, no warning, went up to 3 Kip 8-9's per night by day 3, each lasting 1 - 2 hours and being separated by maybe an hour of sleep, I also started having daytime attacks cropping up on Day 4. This was before I got my oxygen.

Now I'm getting 3 attacks per night, have been able to abort all of them for the last two nights within 15 minutes before they get severe. Which is worlds better than dealing with even one 2 hour Kip 9!

-Xenoz

Title: Re: O2 newbie question
Post by TxBasslady on Jul 20^th, 2007, 3:10pm

I experienced the same thing when I started using 02.

I would get hit again and the third time....like you, totally out of the norm for me.

When the pain's gone....turn the regulator down to 3.5 or 4....breathe normally at this low rate for 4 or 5 minutes.

After doing this a few times, the multiple hits stopped.

Good luck to ya....sending my best...

Jean

Title: Re: O2 newbie question
Post by thebbz on Jul 20^th, 2007, 6:47pm

I dont know your details but, if you are ceasing the 02 when the pain is gone,,,,dont. You need to keep the duration at 15 to 20 min. This will increase the times between hits. I would also keep the flow rate at the recommended volume. We are all different and results may vary. (For you Jean) ;)Dont just say well it doesn't work for me until you have some time with it. It does work so well when used properly. If it reduces the amount of triptans you are using it has done it's job.
all the best
jb
PS: this exact thing happened to me until I was tuned up by a very wonderful lady that happened to be chronic. (u know who you are) :-*

Title: Re: O2 newbie question
Post by hoeboe on Jul 20^th, 2007, 7:15pm

Oh don't get me wrong! So far the O2 has been wonderful! Even if I have had 3 CH's in a row it's very comforting to know that they have not expanded further than a KIP 2. I have no plans on giving up on the O2. I just found it strange that I had got hit so frequently after one had gone.

I also had stayed on the mask for a few minutes after I felt the pain go away, but I had not lowered the flow rate. I will try that on the next episode. I was also prescribed Cafergot to use with it which I just need to get filled. I am sure that using another longer lasting abortive will help along with the O2.

It was sure nice to find out today through my insurance company that ALL the equipment and oxygen will be covered 100% through my policy. Nothing like having the peace of mind that I won't have to break the bank or limit the amount of O2 that I use.

I am sure with a bit of experimentation I will find what best works for me. Until then......

Thanks to everyone that posted. Glad to hear that I wasn't the only one who had this experience.

PF days to ALL of you!!

Regards
Hoeboe

Title: Re: O2 newbie question
Post by Batch on Jul 25^th, 2007, 12:10pm

Hoeboe,

Take a look at the following links on the OUCH web site. They may help. The TxBasslady and others called the shot right on. O2 can and will change the way your CH attacks present. The good news is O2 is the most commonly used abortive, it has the lowest cost to abort, and virtually no side effects.

http://www.ouch-us.org/medications/oxygen/o2info.shtml

http://www.ouch-us.org/medications/oxygen/o2links.htm

Download the Supplemental User's Guide for O2 from the second link above.

Take Care,
V/R, Batch
Pete Batcheller OUCH O2 User Support Team