Don,

An increase in the frequency of your CH is perfectly normal when first starting oxygen therapy....  Most of us experienced the same increase in the frequency of our CH after starting oxygen therapy for the first time. 

This increase in frequency usually results in an attack every two hours ± 15 minutes.  The first thing to remember is you now have a safe and inexpensive method of controlling and aborting your CH that works reliably...  and that stopping the pain as rapidly as possible was the goal...  Just remember that oxygen therapy is an abortive, and not a preventative...

We conducted an informal study of oxygen therapy at flow rates that support hyperventilation in 2007-2008.  That study indicated the increased frequency of CH peaked after three to four weeks of use then started dropping.  By the end of the second month of use, the frequency of CH attacks was usually below the starting level.

We're not sure why this happens.  One possible explanation for the increase in frequency of CH attacks is the oxygen therapy interrupts one or more of the chemical cycles associated with CH causing the CH attacks to reset more frequently.  The drop in rate of CH attacks after three to four weeks may be associated with vascular toning... 

In other words, the increased frequency of vascular constriction (the mechanical abort mechanism), resulting from frequent use of oxygen therapy actually strengthens muscles lining the arteries and capillaries... 

It's kind of like doing curls with dumb bells to strengthen and tone up the biceps.  Once the arteries and capillaries in and around the trigeminal nerve are toned up...  they become less susceptible to the vasodilation associated with the CH triggering mechanism...  and the frequency of CH attacks drops.

We also noticed an interesting phenomenon that we call a re-attack.  A re-attack is where the CH returns within 15 to 45 minutes after successfully aborting with oxygen therapy flow rates between 25 and 40 liters/minute...  (hyperventilating).

What we think is happening here is the oxygen therapy works very rapidly to stop the pain but the duration of use isn't long enough to abort the underlying triggering mechanism. When the effects of hyperoxia and respiratory alkalosis (caused by hyperventilation) dissipate and the CH triggering mechanism is still active, the CH resumes or returns.

We found that staying on oxygen for 10 to 15 minutes at a normal respiration rate after the abort reduces the incidence of re-attacks. 

Stick with the oxygen therapy...  You'll find it is the safest and least expensive method of aborting CH you have available. 

If you can get a 0-25 LPM, 0-60 LPM or a welder's O2 regulator, you'll be able to bring your abort times down to an overall average of 7 minutes...  Less if you start the oxygen at the first sign of an impending attack...

The other thing for you to try now is to see your doctor about a lab test for 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, a.k.a. 25(OH)D. 

Data we've compiled from posts here at CH.com over the last 18 months indicates most CH'ers suffer from this terribly painful disorder due to a vitamin D3 deficiency.  We've also found that treating this deficiency with the anti-inflammatory regimen with 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 is proving to be an effective CH preventative.

To date, 105 out of the 140 CH'ers who reported starting this regimen experienced a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of their CH...  Most of the 105 were pain free before the end of the third week on this regimen... 

The average response time is around 10 days to two weeks although some responded in 12 to 24 hours and some took as long as a month to respond.

It appears the serum concentration of 25(OH)D, the vitamin D3 metabolite frequently used to measure vitamin D3 status and the dose of vitamin D3 are the two variables that control response times... 

The normal reference range for the 25(OH)D lab test is 30 to 100 ng/mL, (75 to 250 nmol/L).  Most CH'ers with active CH who had the lab test for 25(OH)D before or shortly after starting this regimen had their results come back less than 30 ng/mL...  Some chronic CH'ers with active CH tested as high as 55 to 61 ng/mL.

The exciting news is CH'ers who have gone pain free on this regimen and had the 25(OH)D lab test, had their results come back in a range from 60 to 110 ng/mL.

You can find the complete regimen and dosing strategy at the following link:

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If you want to see what other CH'ers are saying about their experience with this regimen, see the following link:

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Start at the most recent post above then work your way back in time...

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch