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 >> Oxygen industry
        
(Message started by: frisbee on Jun 13^th, 2004, 1:45pm)

Title: Oxygen industry
Post by frisbee on Jun 13^th, 2004, 1:45pm

Hi all

I have had some differing experiences with the oxygen industry. My first tank was good for maybe 5 sessions with a regular mask, but with a regulator that went up to 12 lf.

After moving to Hawaii 6 years ago, I got a little tank and regulator that only went to 7 lf. Paid for set up and fills. It was a drag because I was always going in for fills and the place was 25 miles away from our home in a rural area. And 7 lf barely does the trick.

For the bout at present, I was referred to a new company--not a medical supply place, but one that only deals with oxygen. I get a big tank (about a meter high--over five times the capacity of the portables). I pay $165/month for the set up and refills are free. The regulator goes to 15, and I have my first non-rebreather mask. What a joy! I suck as much as I want--kinda like an all-you-can-eat oxygen. And they deliver!

Anyway, shop around.

Cheers,
Kirt

Title: Re: Oxygen industry
Post by miapet on Jun 13^th, 2004, 10:11pm

*happy dance*
o2 party at frisbee's house!!
I'm glad you found a deal that works for you and is so much better!
*positive light and energy*
miapet

Title: Re: Oxygen industry
Post by Gator on Jun 14^th, 2004, 1:30pm

on 06/13/04 at 13:45:05, frisbee wrote:

...I pay $165/month for the set up and refills are free. The regulator goes to 15, and I have my first non-rebreather mask. What a joy! I suck as much as I want--kinda like an all-you-can-eat oxygen. And they deliver!

Anyway, shop around.

Cheers,
Kirt

That seems REALLY expensive to me. At the medial supply place where I get my O2 it costs $45 per month for the entire setup. I can have as many cylinders and as many refills as I want per month. I keep 3 of the tanks you described. They call them size "E" where I do business. When I get down to the last one, I swap out the other two. Fairly efficient way to do it for me.

Gator

Title: Re: Oxygen industry
Post by eyes_afire on Jun 14^th, 2004, 6:22pm

Quote:

At the medial supply place where I get my O2 it costs $45 per month for the entire setup.

And that seems incredibly cheap to me. My monthly O2 rate is about $260 (for 1 M and 4 E's... of course I only pay $26). But trouble in paradise... I'm pissed at my O2 company because..... ready for this?.... believe it or not.... they are still incapable of sending me bills! I'm ditching my O2 company because they won't bill me despite my repeated pleas to bill me. Instead they would prefer to wait for months and then try to strong-arm me for payment. Fucking Apria.

So I'm looking for another company. And one of those companies quoted me at $35.

Hmmm... Apria = $260... almost sounds like insurance fraud to go along with thier incompetance...

Fucking Apria

>:( >:( >:(

--- Steve

Title: Re: Oxygen industry
Post by FZfan on Jun 14^th, 2004, 6:52pm

When my last cycle started I purchased an e-tank at a med supply shop for $100. Then I purchased a high flow regulator for another $100.

They charge $24 to refill my e-tank which is only good for 4 or 5 attacks. So I drug my one e-tank to the med supply shop at least every other day and sometimes every day.

During my last cycle (nearly 6 weeks) I paid a little over $360 for o2 refills. I'm still in the process of trying to recover some of this money from my medical insurance. They're giving me shit because I didn't follow their "recommended procedure". Fuck 'em. I was in a hurry and I hate paperwork.

If medical insurance continues to be a hassle, I'll go with welder's o2, even if it's just to avoid the paperwork.

Anyway, based on what I paid, sounds like $165 is a pretty good deal.

Title: Re: Oxygen industry
Post by Superpain on Jun 14^th, 2004, 6:55pm

I get about 20 headaches out of an e tank.
$18 refills at the local welding supply.
That's only $.90 per headache.
Whatta bahgin.... I must be lucky.

Title: Re: Oxygen industry
Post by FZfan on Jun 14^th, 2004, 7:05pm

hmmm, 20 h/a's from one tank? Maybe I need to try your method of hitting directly from the hose to make my tank last longer. Next time I'm in cycle I'll give it shot. I hadn't considered the o2 conservation feature of your method. You might have another convert here Supe!

Title: Re: Oxygen industry
Post by Superpain on Jun 14^th, 2004, 7:28pm

Yep... It's about 100 psi per headache.

Of course with as many as I was having I was still going through a tank every 36 hrs!

Ahhhh. PF is goood. Still got 1/2 tank in the closet just in case, but I suspect that this remission will last over 2.5 yrs. Then I'm gonna go chronic for a few more years, or maybe forever... But at least I'll be prepared this time!

Title: Re: Oxygen industry
Post by frisbee on Jun 14^th, 2004, 7:54pm

Sounds like a weirder industry than the airlines. ;)

I use Apria too (no competition except the medical supply places, which is like no competition. ;)) and consider the $165 a bargain compared to refills on the little tanks. But $45/month sounds great!

I looked into welding tanks: I'd have to buy the tank $160 and regulator $45 and pay for fills. And then I'd have the tank rusting for a year or two. I wish I could get someone to fill my scuba tanks with O2. Anyone ever done that?

The main trouble I think with the O2 industry is that they are set up for the invalid tent folks. I'm probably the only cluster guy on the big island. Who knows. A couple years ago I ended up at the emergency room for an Rx and they never heard of O2 for clusters--didn't really know clusters at all, just heard of them. Now I bring some "authoritive" print outs from the MD web sites.

Anyway, I got three tanks now as well. When I picked it up originally, they scoffed at giving me more than one, but now the guy left three. Go figure...

Cheers,
Kirt