I just now received a price list from the LifeGas folks:

1. Optimask (basic setup) = $25.00
2. Optimask with AmbuMask = $59.50

High airflow (>15 LPM) regulators/valve:
1. Regulator CGA 870 (for D and E cylinders) = $258.00
2. Regulator CGA 540 (for M60, M, H and K cylinders) = $265.00
3. 160 LPM Demand Valve w/ 6' hose and DISS quick connect = $330.00

The prices for the Demand Valve and Regulators are pretty steep. Anyone have a trusted source that's less pricey? How about used? Ebay? Craig's List? Are industrial products safe for medical use (they may be less expensive)? Should our Doctor be able to write us an Rx for these things (i.e., if I can talk him into it), and should they be available from his supplier? Sorry to have to ask, but I don't imagine that we're unique in not being able to afford this stuff. We've got MediCare; anybody know what, if any, of these things they'll cover? Thanks.

Hello there Mr. Bonkers,

I got a regulator for an M tank that goes up to 60 (!) LPM for WAY less than that at Flotec.

They seem like a good source.

I ended up getting on the horn with them at (317) 273-6960 to figure out what was the right regulator.

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If you could actually talk your doctor into writing a prescription for these, I think that'd be the first time I've ever heard of such a success.

So be forewarned that bringing up the O2 treatment that we all know works for CH will likely bring the ignorant bozo factor out in a doctor.

If you're coming up against a wall you might wanna cut your losses and quickly agree to a prescription from the dark ages for low flow rebreather just to get the O2, and then administer it as you will.

Thank you Mr. bejeeber. A question please: my being a newbie makes it pretty easy to for me to (inadvertently) step on other people's toes till I get my footing, so to speak. Right after posting the above question, I got a Board Notification stating that "There are no boards with Notification marked!" That sounds to me like I did something I shouldn't have. But I don't know what it means, or what, if anything, I should do about it. Or who to ask. Can you help?

Gee I dunno what that means - got me stumped. Appears as if your post worked fine though, so if it was me I'd just ignore the pesky board notification, but hey that's just the way I roll.  ;D

Yikes that is too steep...I saw regulators on E-bay for $25.00.
  I would check out those first.  Also saw One E tank on there.

My ins. won't cover O2, so I went to the local places, and they sell me tanks for $10. per E tank. and they let me use the regulator etc for the same $10.
   Hope it works out for you!     lorac

I am also looking for a 25+ lpm regulator after reading all the great results people have found with 25 and even 45-60. I have an E tank covered by my insurance with a 15 lpm regulator. I've looked on EBay and a link from Marc in a related thread, but couldn't find any for a "reasonable" price (under $100). If anyone can provide a link I would be most appreciative.

And I just saw my neuro who wrote me an Rx for a high flow regulator. He writes me whatever I ask him to, generally, after he gives me a quick checkup (blood pressure, reflexes, general questions about my health and meds).

But my O2 provider (Apria) doesn't carry anything higher than 15 lpm regs so I want to go ahead and purchase one. I would prefer to go to 45 lpm if anyone knows of a good, affordable source.

Hey Ryder,

I think the regulator at the link I gave above was in the $40-60 range.

One thing to keep in mind: start using hi flow o2 and that E tank is going to go up in a puff of um....oxygen....in a real jiffy. And I mean toot sweet.  :)

Think M tank.

Ryder wrote on Oct 21^st, 2009 at 11:43pm:

I am also looking for a 25+ lpm regulator after reading all the great results people have found with 25 and even 45-60. I have an E tank covered by my insurance with a 15 lpm regulator. I've looked on EBay and a link from Marc in a related thread, but couldn't find any for a "reasonable" price (under $100). If anyone can provide a link I would be most appreciative. And I just saw my neuro who wrote me an Rx for a high flow regulator. He writes me whatever I ask him to, generally, after he gives me a quick checkup (blood pressure, reflexes, general questions about my health and meds). But my O2 provider (Apria) doesn't carry anything higher than 15 lpm regs so I want to go ahead and purchase one. I would prefer to go to 45 lpm if anyone knows of a good, affordable source.

I have no idea of the quality (I've only bought solid brass units) but there is one on this page for $ 32.50 to fit your E tank.

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An E tank holds roughly 680 liters of O2, so that's 27 minutes at 25 lpm. That's good for 2-3 hits for me.

Again, I use a transfill hose kit to fill my own E tanks from a T tank with 9400 liters in it.

Marc

That would be cool to have a T tank to refill from!

Still, something to keep in mind is that for many of us without a big T tank for refills, an E tank at 25 LPM will last less than a day if we're getting 3+ hits a day. And less than 2 hits if we're having to stay on for 15 min (I guess most people don't stay on that long though?)

I think of the E as being the portable size for the car, M being the home tank size.

Thanks, Marc. I went ahead just now and ordered one of the 25lpm regulators from WTFarley. Getting hit at night 3-4 times now, and I can just feel the need for more lpm. That's why I was also interested in more opinions about flow rates higher than 25, but at $32.50 I figure I can't go wrong. Now that I'll have 2, I plan on putting one of the regulators in my car with one of the tanks so I don't have to transport the tank every day from home to car and back as I go to work.

As for refilling your E tank: I read about that (probably in a post from you). I don't think I need that now as my insurance is pretty much giving me what I need and delivering tanks to my doorstep on my request. However, I might have to change insurance companies and at that point I will look at other solutions.

Thanks again.

Update:
Shortly after submitting my order I received a call from Michael, who's part of the family that owns and operates the site. He apologized and said they don't carry the 25lpm regulators. However, he said they are getting the standard body models and the site just hasn't been updated. He also said he'd send me one for the same rate, and that he's OK with me letting CH.com know it's OK to do this should anyone else try.
One caveat: he wasn't sure if they had the new ones in stock, and will call me once he finds out (today most likely).

For anyone with an E tank wishing to purchase a 25 lpm regulator for a reasonable price, the site Marc recommended (START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE) does have them in stock, and Michael wrote me back saying he's putting one in the mail for me today (earlier today).

I will also talk to my insurance company and see if they would provide me with an M tank, and read up on how to refill my E on this site.

Thanks for the advice.

In case anyone is reading this, I received the 25 lpm E tank regulator today. I had such a nice and personal experience with this store that I think I'll start a separate topic with this info and recommendation.