Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Urgent...O2 worked at hosp., not at home
        
(Message started by: sheilacp on Mar 6^th, 2004, 11:37pm)

Title: Urgent...O2 worked at hosp., not at home
Post by sheilacp on Mar 6^th, 2004, 11:37pm

DH is suffering from a bad one right now and the O2 that we got this afternoon isn't doing a damn thing. Had to make a visit to the ER once yesterday and once today, and O2 worked both times like a charm. Why the %^&* isn't it working at home??? First time at hosp. was on a non-rebreather, second time (diff hosp.) was with a plain old canula. We are using a mask without a bag at home.

Please...any tips we should try??? :-[

Title: Re: Urgent...O2 worked at hosp., not at home
Post by firebrix on Mar 7^th, 2004, 1:26am

Greetings sheliacp

If you read thru' the Oxygen notes (button on the left) you will see that the use of a non- rebreather mask is important. Mopar found that when he used O2 without the non-rebreather, it simply didn't work. Not at all. When he got the non-rebreather he found some relief - not always, but most times. Sometimes (in his case anyway) nothing works except Imitrex.

It is possible that the time DH received O2 thru' a canula he was actually getting a higher rate of O2 delivered and this might be why it worked, but I don't KNOW. Maybe that time his ha. had just ended?

At what rate is he using the O2? It's usually between 8-15 litres/minute.

Hang in there. Get the non-rebreather and keep on trying.

I'm sure someone with more definite answers will help you soon, but just wanted you to know our experience and hope it helps you both.

Kia Kaha (Be strong)
Wishing you success
firebrix

Title: Re: Urgent...O2 worked at hosp., not at home
Post by randal on Mar 7^th, 2004, 8:08am

Make sure you read o2 message on left side of this board.I started O2 last week with a non-rebreather mask and use 12 lpm and it works wonders when taken with Imitrex. Also you can only do so much Imitrex in a 24 hour period and the O2 can fill in those voids.
Give it a shot
Randal

Title: Re: Urgent...O2 worked at hosp., not at home
Post by Rock_Lobster on Mar 7^th, 2004, 9:09am

I just hate the freakin mask when I am on o2. The last thing I need when I am having an HA is an alien facehugger on the front of my head.

The advice I follow was given by someone else a few days or weeks ago... I stick the tube in my mouth. I -know- I am getting 100% o2 when I do that.

Rock

Title: Re: Urgent...O2 worked at hosp., not at home
Post by t_h_b on Mar 7^th, 2004, 9:53am

Crank it up to 15 lpm and tape the holes in the mask until you can get a non-rebreather. He can remove the mask to exhale and replace it to inhale.

Title: Re: Urgent...O2 worked at hosp., not at home
Post by FZfan on Mar 7^th, 2004, 3:52pm

ditto to the above. my experience was that the o2 was working about half the time. When i came to this board I discovered I had the wrong mask and my flow rate was too low. Bought a non-rebreather mask for $5 and got a new regulator that goes up to 15 (old one only went up to 8 ) . In my case, I found 10 to be sufficient.

Also, if you have a beard, you have to press really hard on the mask or it will be less effective. Not wanting to give up my beard, I trimmed it real close and then didn't have to press so hard.

Never thought about the tube in the mouth. I wonder if this would be a way to make the o2 tank last longer, for those of us who pay for it out-of-pocket? Like if you inhaled off the tube, then put your thumb over the end while exhaling?

Title: Re: Urgent...O2 worked at hosp., not at home
Post by Rock_Lobster on Mar 7^th, 2004, 8:30pm

Same thoughts here FZFan... directly from the tube might be more efficient, which is one reason why I do it.

Hmmm... wonder if my two stage regulator from my scuba gear will fit on these bottles. That would be perfect. 100% efficiency... o2 only when you inhale.
Just checked... nope.

But there should be something like that. We are using o2 systems designed to work on comatose people, which is certainly not the case with us during an HA.

Rock

Title: Re: Urgent...O2 worked at hosp., not at home
Post by sheilacp on Mar 8^th, 2004, 11:04am

Thanks to all that responded. An update (and a little more info)...

After about 1 hour the beast s-l-o-w-l-y started to go away. Hubby tried the canula for a while (since it worked at the hosp) at 10, 12, and 15, then tried the mask (I taped the holes) at 10,12, and 15. He actually thinks the canula did more good, but maybe it just felt better than the mask. Who knows.

Sorry I didn't have time to give all the med info in the post, but to clarify...had a really bad episode on Friday afternoon, after taking what he thought was 1/2 shot of Imitrex. Until now 1/2 shot has worked fine, so we suspect that there might have been an air bubble or something. Again, who knows what happened. He wound up at the hosp. feeling like he was literally dying, he even began to wonder if it was an anyurism (sp) instead of a ch. Anyway, put him on O2 at 10 with a non-rebreather mask and it worked. Called his neuro that afternoon, and he said to 1) double the Depakote for prevention and 2) try Maxalt for the next ch since at that point we weren't sure why the 'trex didn't work. So Saturday rolls around, beast comes back, hubby takes Maxalt...and it does NOTHING. Dr. told him that he can't take 'trex for at least 24 hours after Maxalt, so off the ER again. O2 at 10 by canula, and all is well within 15 mins. The ER doc jumps through hoops to get an O2 take delivered on Saturday night, knowing that hubby is without meds for 24 hours. This brings us to Saturday night and my original post.
Whew! Sorry so long-winded.

The good news is that the best hasn't returned since 11:00 pm on Saturday...maybe the Depakote is kicking in.

This cycle has been soooo horrendous...much longer and harder than past ones. I suspect hubby has gone chronic but good God I hope not.

You all are angels.

Title: Re: Urgent...O2 worked at hosp., not at home
Post by Not4Hire on Mar 12^th, 2004, 7:29pm

...if you have been >around< awhile...you will know that I am yer friendly local o2 pusher.

... the first "hit" of info is free...
...the second "hit" of OXYGEN is also without cost...
...the relief is almost completely without side effects...
...it's safe... (if you can turn on yer gas stove to heat up yer tea without blowing yourself UP, you'll be OK....heh)
...if you find a way to make it more effective ...and work sooner.... please share

..somebody here will answer your question if you can't find it under the Button at the LEFT....

Good Luck.....it IS a blessing......