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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> O2 experience
        
(Message started by: marlinsfan on Jun 10^th, 2005, 10:46am)

Title: O2 experience
Post by marlinsfan on Jun 10^th, 2005, 10:46am

Thanks to this board and all the great people in it, my neuro diagnosed me correctly with CH after many years of being diagnosed with migraines. He prescribed imitrex and/or O2 as abortives (thanks Eric for O2 info!).

I got my O2 filled finally on monday this week, and have had HAs almost every night. (was PF wednesday night).

I have found that O2 at 8 LPM does 2 things:

1) When I wake up and the pain is starting, I get on O2 and it stops it from getting worse and also aborts the HA in 13-15 minutes.

2) I'm only getting one HA per night, where in the past it usually has been 2 to 3 per night.

Is O2 cutting down the # of HAs, or is it because I'm in week 7 of the cycle and hopefully ending soon?

Does anyone else get the same benefit from O2 as my #1 above?

With imitrex, the pain would get worse and worse for about 5-10 minutes, then I had 15 minutes of dancing with the beast until the trex kicked in and sent the HA away. Total time for aborting the HA with imitrex has consistently been 25 minutes.

I'm only trying to understand everyone else's reaction to O2.

Thanks!
Jose

Title: Re: O2 experience
Post by SteCo on Jun 10^th, 2005, 11:21am

Hi Jose,

Quote:

I have found that O2 at 8 LPM does 2 things:
1) When I wake up and the pain is starting, I get on O2 and it stops it from getting worse and also aborts the HA in 13-15 minutes. Does anyone else get the same benefit from O2 as my #1 above?

Works WONDERS for me... I usually have the flow at 10 or more... seems the higher rates work faster to a point.
O2 is my primary abort.

Quote:

is O2 cutting down the # of HAs, or is it because I'm in week 7 of the cycle and hopefully ending soon?

Keep a HA diary.....could it be possibly since you have found o2, the trex use has dropped? In some folks...the trex causes rebounds....others do great..YMMV but keep an eye on it to see. Time will tell on the cycle ending part. Cycle lengths vary with each individual. Hopefully it will all be a distant memory sooner that later.
Keep strong!!!!!

SteCo
edit typos

Title: Re: O2 experience
Post by LeLimey on Jun 10^th, 2005, 11:32am

If 8lpm does it for you then don't knock it! I have it higher though and after the first few hits I aborted with it I wanted to shout from the rooftops I was so euphoric!
The advice about a HA diary is spot on, I'm really glad you have something that is working for you! That is brilliant! :)

Title: Re: O2 experience
Post by Bob P on Jun 10^th, 2005, 11:39am

I run mine at 8 lpm and get the same results as you. It will hold the attack at no more than a Kip 3 and will abort it completely in 10-20 minutes.

Title: Re: O2 experience
Post by marlinsfan on Jun 10^th, 2005, 12:04pm

My regulator only goes to 8 LPM max. I have 3 little (E?) tanks. How did you all get more than 8 LPM? Do you the the big "torpedo" type tanks?

Thanks to all so far for helping me out. Wills start a diary today, and share any learnigs I get.

Jose

Title: Re: O2 experience
Post by Bob P on Jun 10^th, 2005, 12:08pm

Jose,
I use the E tanks also. I have 4 of them and usually go through about 3 a week. The O2 outfit comes by every Wednesday to trade fulls for empties. My reg goes to 8 lpm also but that's enough for me. I try to relax and take slow, deep breaths.

Sure beats the hell out the old 1 hour Kip 10's!

Title: Re: O2 experience
Post by SteCo on Jun 10^th, 2005, 12:50pm

Quote:

My regulator only goes to 8 LPM max. I have 3 little (E?) tanks. How did you all get more than 8 LPM? Do you the the big "torpedo" type tanks?

Jose,
I do not know what letter number mine are....they are taller than my knee, if that helps. I like this size because I can take one to work, one in truck, and the balance at home. This size gets me thru about 3-4 CH's. Other folks like a bigger tank at home, so it does not need to be filled as much. As Bobp said....my o2 supplier makes weekly deliveries too......so no big deal using the smaller ones.
On my tanks.....both regulator types will fit.....there is the low flow type (up to 8 I think)??? and the high flow ones......begin at maybe 8 and go up to about 14? ...they sometimes give me the wrong one, but usually the drivers carry extras of everything, so I try to make it a point to meet them when the original delivery setup is made.
HTH
SteCo

Title: Re: O2 experience
Post by Jonny on Jun 10^th, 2005, 4:13pm

My tank is a 60 cubic in. (the size of a scuba tank)

My reg is a converted medical reg that goes from 2-15 LPM......Converted to fit a welding 02 tank. welding and medical 02 tank come from the same main tank...this means its the same damn air....and seeing that I own a custom welding shop all my 02 if free....LOL ;;D

Im glad you guys get by with 8LPM...cause I need that fucker screaming at 15...kicks a HA's ass in under 10 min's

Happy to hear its working for you, Jose!!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4d600b3127cce9fbec1662f7800000016108AZM2bNk5bM6

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

Title: Re: O2 experience
Post by burnt-toast on Jun 13^th, 2005, 11:43am

Jonny -

There are some folks out there that seem to agree with your approach to O2 therapy. (with some precautions)

Quote:

[/quote]Oxygen, the safest of all cluster therapies, is usually prescribed based on a landmark study by Dr. Lee Kudrow. In this study, patients were instructed to use 100% oxygen via a nonrebreather face mask at 7-10 liters/minute. Although usually effective, a certain subset of cluster patients do not achieve relief from this treatment. The author hypothesized that treating patients with higher flow rates of oxygen, up to 15 liters/minute, might provide relief to those sufferers who had not responded to standard oxygen therapy regimens.

Because MHNI has many intractable cluster patients, it was decided that a higher dose of oxygen therapy would be utilized in a few patients. Several important cases recently reported in the medical literature, found this therapy to be quite effective in patients who previously did not respond to lower dose oxygen inhalation.

MHNI's experience indicates patients who do not respond to the standard flow rates should be given the opportunity to use up to 15 liters/minute. However, prior to initiating this therapy, patients must obtain clearance from their primary care physician since serious lung disease and other conditions can make oxygen therapy unsafe or inappropriate. In addition, such oxygen therapy should not be used for more than a maximum of 10-20 minutes at a single setting.[quote]

Tom

Title: Re: O2 experience
Post by maffumatt on Jun 13^th, 2005, 5:21pm

Lincare had to order a regulator that went to 15 lpm for me, thats what the doc ordered. Look at Jonnys picture above, see the plastic bottle, its a humidifier for the O2. Get one.
My Dads girlfriend is an Rn for heart specialist and she snagged me a Millenium 10 lpm O2 concentrator, that was donated. With a little adjustment I think I got it up to 12 or 13 lpm, a little lower than the tank but it does the trick, and its free.