I have used o2 for ch abortion successfully. Now I have a hyperventilation (chest pain, hard to breath or breathing very shallow, headache, numbness, tingling, nausea, dizziness). Breathing to paper bag eases the symptoms.

So the question is. How to treat CH with o2 without Hyperventilation? Any suggestions how to stop hyperventilating? How long do I have to avoid O2?

I have a bad headache (not CH though) related to the Hyperventilation.

thanks, it seems i still have to practise...but the main thing is that it works.

sagandra wrote on Sep 16^th, 2012 at 5:05pm:


It isn't clear from what you have written whether you are deliberately hyperventilating as part of your oxygen therapy strategy, or whether hyperventilation is occurring without deliberate intent whenever you use Oxygen.

As Batch has said hyperventilation while using oxygen seems to increase the benefit in many people. However if it is causing unpleasant symptoms for you then it would certainly be worth trying without it. In a well known study of the benefit of O2 in CH (Cohen et al) there was a 78% benefit rate for using O2 and it would seem this was without hyperventilation. So it may well be worth just using a reasonably high flow rate of O2 without hyperventilation and see if you gain benefit.

It is important to note that the symptoms of hyperventilation will not do you any harm. Once you stop hyperventilating the symptoms will resolve, but it can take time. I have treated hundreds of patients who have had hyperventilation as a result of anxiety and it is clear they find the symptoms extremely unpleasant and fear of the symptoms often worsens their anxiety, hence leading to further hyperventilation. With severe hyperventilation from anxiety it can take some time for the syptoms to resolve after the hyperventilation has stopped. In some cases it can take a good 15 - 20 min.

The symptoms you have described are quite typical of hyperventilation (with the exception of headache). Tingling and numbness, especially around the face and in the fingers and hands are the most common. Muscle spasms can occur, most commonly affecting the fingers (feeling very stiff), but I have seen arms and even legs involved in bad cases.  Dizziness and feeling lightheaded or faint are also common.

Chest pain can occur, and often leads to increased anxiety as people think they are having a heart attack so get more anxious and hyperventilate even more. Typically people say they feel as if they can't breathe or that it is very hard to breathe, but in fact this is clearly not the case since they are getting more than enough air into their lungs!

it is worth noting that the symptoms aren't generally due to high oxygen levels, but rather low CO2 levels. Rapid or deep breathing results in the bodys normal CO2 being 'blown off' excessively which alters the acid-base balance of the blood and causes the symptoms. This however will not do you any harm and will correct itself when hypervetilation ceases. So don't be concerned that you are getting too much O2, or that you need to use less O2 when treating your CH.

As I said it is hard to know from what you have said whether your hyperventilation is deliberate as part of your O2 strategy (as often recommended) or whether you are for some reason becoming anxious either about using O2, or about the pain of the headache itself.   

I am also wondering if you are continuing to hyperventilate after your treatment has ceased. Sometimes people start breathing fast for good reason (eg exercise or asthma) and after that reason is no longer present they nevertheless continue to breathe too fast, and end up hyperventilating.

I would suspect that most people who use a deliberate hyperventilation strategy as part of their O2 use would only experience mild symptoms (a bit of tingling and maybe a bit dizzy) and that these symptoms would resolve quite quickly (within a couple of minutes). Personally I get very little in the way of symptoms at all. The fact that you are getting fairly strong symptoms suggests either you have a greater than average susceptibilty (we all have our differences), or that you have a strong anxiety component that is leading you to hyperventilate to a high extent.

I have found that it is the pain that drives my hyperventilating, as the pain subsides I return to normal breathing, adjusting the O2 as necessary. And yes, the tingly feeling is your friend.

BlueDevil wrote on Sep 19^th, 2012 at 6:23am:


This adds a good awareness.  My post simply addressed only this question in her post:

sagandra wrote on Sep 16^th, 2012 at 5:05pm:




You responded to this in the same fashion also.

BlueDevil wrote on Sep 18^th, 2012 at 12:24am:




But there was another question.

sagandra wrote on Sep 16^th, 2012 at 5:05pm:




This brings into being your further inquiry.

BlueDevil wrote on Sep 18^th, 2012 at 12:24am:

BlueDevil wrote on Sep 18^th, 2012 at 12:24am:



Your post goes on very well in this respect as to the after-effects experienced.



BlueDevil wrote on Sep 18^th, 2012 at 12:24am:



Good wondering and thanks for the info.   

Is this a anything of a possible clue or too little to speculate? 

Quote:





It all sheds light on this question, also a bit intriguing.

sagandra wrote on Sep 16^th, 2012 at 5:05pm:


Avoiding sounds difficult.  It can be tried at 10-15Lpm if hyperventilating has been deliberate, but basically if it can be done without hyperventilating would be something to try for two possible reasons it seems, encompassing your first post in this thread.

BlueDevil wrote on Sep 19^th, 2012 at 6:23am: