Hey I have been killing my CH lately with O2 at different rates 15-30lpm.

But since two days I experience what feels like dryness and ache in my lungs also dry coughs.

It is dangerous? Is it O2 without moisturiser damaging me?

Will moisturiser fix it or is it that my lungs don't tolerate pure O2 and will only air?

Matty,

The dryness in throat, cough, etc. seems to be fairly typical from breathing 100% O2.  I get it after 2nd or 3rd O2 session (15 LPM).  I trust other O2-ers will chime in.

For me, I'd rather have a dry throat than a CH attack.  Keep fighting with O2.  Carbonated beverages may help soothe the dryness.

Fox

Thank you Fox for reply.

Although what about the ache in my lungs?

Is it safe and will the moisturizer help and reduce the bad effects  I experince now?

I just want to avoid pulmonary diseases if one can happen by prolonged use of O2

It's safe. It's just irritating.

Fighter pilots stay on 100% O2 for hours at a time. From what I understand, it can start to cause damage if you're on it for 20 hours or more. I don't think that's the case.

Matty,

I have been using 02 for a decade or so and since my cycles are a year and a half long you can imagine how much 02 I have huffed. No damage from it ever, however I have seen a few threads from people on how to hook up a moisturiser on your tank so what you are experiencing doesn't seem to be uncommon. Poke around and see if you can find one of the threads in the meantime knowing this group you should have some good advise on how to do it shortly.

David

Matty,

If you're having trouble breathing and your lungs hurt after using oxygen therapy to abort your cluster headaches...  see your doctor.  These symptoms are not consistent with oxygen therapy use unless there's another co-morbid condition present.

Under normal conditions, oxygen therapy is very safe...  Far safer I might add, than taking sumatriptan or verapamil with all their side effects.  You would need to breathe 100% oxygen for up to 12 hours continuously without any breaks breathing room air to start feeling the symptoms of pulmonary oxygen toxicity.  The sensations are very similar to pneumonia with sharp pains when you inhale.  Even then these symptoms are reversible and will go away after a few minutes breathing normal air.

I'm an old Navy fighter pilot with over 3000 hours flight time flying jets on and off aircraft carriers.  All of that flight time was spent breathing 100% oxygen from takeoff to touchdown on missions lasting over two hours and some as long as 7.  I'm chronic and I've also been using oxygen therapy at flow rates that support hyperventilation (≥25 liters/minute) for 5 years...  I'm still here and doing just fine at 65...

A bubbler/humidifier will not work work properly above a flow rate of 15 liters/minute.  Instead of humidifying the dry oxygen, flow rates greater than 15 liters/minute create an aerosol of water mist that will fill your oxygen mask reservoir bag causing bacteria an mold buildup, and it will put too much water into your lungs.

If your mouth gets dry during oxygen therapy, keep a glass of ice water or your favorite cold beverage handy and take frequent sips to keep your mouth wet.

Hope this helps.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Hey guys thank you all for replying.

Now I am sure o2 cannot damage me since you guys inhale so much as well and nothing happens.

Batch I do not have problem with breathing just feeling sometimes burning sensation or small needling, squeezing pain in area under my throat but in between where upper lungs spread to their own sides, in that 'tube' which leads from back of throat down to lungs.

And pain spreads from that 'tube' to sides and gives feeling as if it was localised in lungs.

I can breathe in, don't feel pain while breathing or coughing, I don't cough out any blood nor coloured fluids.

Just feeling pain and that weird feeling.

At least so far. We will see tomorrow after I get attack again and have to abort with  O2 if things go wrong even more I guess I will be praying my already scheduled pulmonoligst visit happen.

Thanks guys for opinions, its just scary that O2 which works so awesome could cause something else, leaving me then with only Verapamil and triptans, which I would rather avoid especially since I am trying to bust my cycle.

P.S Batch you saved my Optimask from being destroyed as I thought I could attach humidifier and use more than 15lpm.

Thank for that post, it saved my mask and baggie and my lungs :)

Hey there, Batch. Good to hear from you again, because everytime I read something you've written, I learn something new about my favorite abortive: O2. I didn't know about the humidifier and O2 flow rates. I, too, have to keep a drink nearby. Just a question, cuz I know you use a demand flow valve, as do I. Do you remove the mask to exhale, or do you keep it on your face to maintain the seal?
And just a tip o' the hat: your technique for hyperventating works! How about that!

I have emphysema and experience lung pain when I'm on O2 for longer than a few minutes. I find that lifting the mask and forcefully exhaling through pursed lips helps.
I also lower the flow rate slowly as I go.

Combined with an energy drink, I find this treatment pretty effective.

pf wishes, nani

Matty,

Thanks for the kind words.  Sometimes getting old and learning from mistakes as well as staying on a problem until you have a solution has some advantages... 

From your description, it sounds like the irritation is more in your trachea and bronchus.  Taking frequent sips of ice water should help.  The oxygen will pick up water vapor from this moisture as it passes through your mouth and that should ease the irritation.

Coughing is a normal initial reaction to the dryness of compressed oxygen or air and another condition called atelectasis. 

Cells lining the lung's alveoli, the trachea and bronchus all react to the dryness of compressed oxygen by secreting slightly more fluid.  Coughing due to the dryness usually takes place as we start to inhale oxygen and it can last 10 to 15 seconds.  Even the mouth has a similar reaction with increased saliva flow. 

I'm almost like Pavlov's dog when it comes to oxygen therapy...  My mouth starts to water as soon as I place the oxygen mouthpiece to my mouth even before I start inhaling the oxygen.  I used to have something similar happen when SCUBA diving so would take a few gulps of air to check the regulator and clear any coughing before entering the water.

The second reason some of us cough each time we start breathing 100% oxygen, atelectasis, occurs most frequently when awaken from sleep with an attack.  This coughing occurs when the lungs approach a fully inflated state and it's caused by local areas of the lungs where the alveoli have collapsed and are stuck in this condition due to mucus plugs.  Smokers tend to have more viscous mucus as a reaction to smoking, so are more prone to coughing due to atelectasis upon getting up in the morning and during the first few breaths of oxygen therapy. 

Atelectasis is characterized by an uncontrollable urge to cough as the alveoli start to reinflate upon awakening in the morning or during the first few breaths of oxygen as the lungs approach being fully inflated. 

The process of coughing re-inflates the remaining collapsed alveoli and this coughing clears as well within 10 to 15 seconds after starting oxygen therapy.

Nani, emphysema is one of the co-morbid medical conditions I was talking about and you appear to have worked out an effective procedure to use oxygen therapy at higher flow rates for your cluster headaches without aggravating your emphysema.  Good on you for sharing that with us.

The long-term treatment of emphysema and other COPD conditions also includes oxygen therapy as a supplement for low arterial oxygen levels, but at much lower flow rates.

Lance, during oxygen therapy, I breathe straight from the 22mm "T" fitting on the O2PTIMASK™ kit or the 22mm nipple on the demand valve.   I also exhale away from the device instead of using the exhaust valve.

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGESTART PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

I find this method gives me the highest concentration of oxygen without any cross-contamination caused by inhaling exhaled breath that's highest in carbon dioxide that remains in the manifold if you exhale through the exhaust port.

As you can also see from sticky with a tally of my aborts in this photo of my oxygen kit, I managed 30 aborts with one M-sized oxygen cylinder using oxygen flow rates that support hyperventilation.  That works out to 130 liters/abort.

Hope this helps.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

nani wrote on Jun 17^th, 2010 at 10:39am:

I have emphysema.... I find that lifting the mask and forcefully exhaling through pursed lips helps. I also lower the flow rate slowly as I go.

Emphysema is caused by (among other reasons) a decrease in the elastic recoil of the lung which causes air trapping and aveolar collapse.  This can cause irritation and coughing as Batch describes.  When you purse your lips as you forcibly exhale what you are really doing is increasing what is called the 'post-expiratory positive pressure' in your lungs and keeping your airways open and not collapsed. 

Breaths using Nani's technique - a couple before and multiple during the o2 therapy - may be worth trying to help your discomfort....  Certainly won't hurt...    :)

Thanks, Batch. Always good to hear from you and to learn something new! God bless! lance