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O2 Tank


lbh
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Hi all - Curious where those of you who own your tanks purchased the tanks and the regulators.  Renting is not only expensive but damn near impossible logistically to get them in, out and refilled.  Where did you buy?  Generally speaking, what's the price range?  Thanks very much. 

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Tanks purchased from welding supply companies (there has been some talk about getting them at eBay or even amazon, but eBay makes me nervous, and amazon seems to sell only small tanks, expensively).  Prices seem to vary very widely.  Regulator: http://www.harborfreight.com/oxygen-regulator.html  Mask: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/ccp8/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=clustero2kit  

Of course, you still have to get them in, out, and refilled.

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People use 'em all the time.  Be aware that when you go to a welding supply place, you can't ask for tanks according to medical tank sizes ("E" or "M," for example).  I believe they're typically sold in 20 cu ft increments.  An experienced person once told me that the welding tank equivalent of an M tank is a "Q" tank, and that that is a standard industry designation.  I can't vouch for that, but the source is a reliable person.

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Continuing this, I understand that tanks take certain size regulators. My biggest concern here is buying a tank and ordering a regulator only to find that the regulator doesn't fit on the tank. Are they all standard sizes? Or should I be worried that a 25 LPM medical regulator isn't going to fit on a welding tank? I'm hesitant to ask the welding supply store because I'm worried that they'll refuse to sell me the tank if they think the use is medical. Thanks.

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All welding tanks take the same type of regulator, a CGA-540. That's the kind that's also used on larger medical tanks, such as M tanks, but not on the smaller medical tanks, such as an E tank.  The smaller medical tanks use a CGA 870 regulator.  You can of course buy a regulator at the welding place, but (a) they're expensive, and (B)  they don't have a nipple for attaching the hose for your mask, so you have to buy an adapter.  The regulator I linked you to is relatively inexpensive and comes with the adapter.  (Welding regulators do not have clickable lpm settings, or even lpm indicators. You have to fool with it a little to get the flow you want, but that's a simple thing to get used to. And the flow will go as high as you want it.)

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ibh, the larger weld ox tanks all use CGA540 specs....The link CHf gave you for the harbor freight reg is the one most folks get for weld ox rigs....they don't have an Lpm readout...you just crank it open til the bag refilling as fast as you can huff it...don't buy a reg from the welding supply as it will cost significantly more than harbor freight. ...been using one of em for 6 years and it works great!

Dallas Denny

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Thanks guys. You are awesome. The link doesn't work to take me to a specific regulator. Can you just give me the part name so I can find it? In other news, the local oxygen supply store won't sell me a regulator because they think it's FDA regulated and I don't have a prescription....FOR THE REGULATOR. That guy is a moron. And an asshole. And dangerous.

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Yes, it has the nipple (I called it a nipple before -- probably more accurately described as the barbed connector, or something like that. In any event, it comes with the regulator).  At some Harbor Freight stores, they also sell O2 tanks.  I've never seen anything bigger than a 20 cu ft tank there, and they were sold empty, but you might check.

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Thanks! Lifesavers as always. I do understand what you're describing - it's like a layered conical spiket that you can then jam on the hose attached to the mask. Hopefully I'll be all set up to win the fight tonight and lay off the immitrex/steroids.

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Thanks all.  For the general public, this is exactly what I did:

 

1. Bought an 80 cubic inch welding O2 tank from Airgas (www.airgas.com), which is a huge national company with branches all over the place.  Refills will be something like $20 per tank.  The tank itself was around $240.  I can carry it, but a hand truck would be better.  Now that I'm trying to manage attacks with it, 80 might be a little small to get through the 5 day detox, but it's a manageable size and should be enough to get you through 2-3 days to a bust, if that's the plan. 

 

2. Bought a standard welding regulator from Harbor Freight (www.harborfreight.com), item number 94846.  Matching the regulator with the tank size is important because not all size tanks fit all size regulators.  This pair will work.

 

3. Get a Cluster O2 kit (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/ccp8/)so you have the proper mask.  

 

4. Make sure you have an adjustable wrench big enough to connect the regulator with the tank.  I think mine is 1 1/8" and works just fine.

 

5. For the academics among us, see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26566938, just published.  Maybe somebody wants to download and post?  Maybe I'll download and post...

 

Thanks again for all the help.

 

lbh

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Thanks. lbh -- and thanks for the citation to that O2 article.  If you have access to the full text, I'd love to see it.  I confess I had never heard of a "tusk mask."

Three notes: (1) All welding O2 tanks take the same type regulator (CGA 540).  Medical tanks take different sizes, but the size you have fits on larger medical tanks.  (2) At Airgas, you can buy a wheeled cart for moving around your tank, or a stationary stand for it.   (3) Great reminder about that wrench!  I always forget to tell people that.

Unless I'm doing my math wrong, I think you should have almost two hours of O2 at 20 lpm in that 80 cu ft tank.

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Thanks. I'll download and post that article if I can figure out how. I was told that the next size up welding tanks - 125 cu3 inches I think - takes a different sized regulator. People going through welding supply should just make sure they ask the question. I can't imagine the frustration of getting home late at night, finally setting up your O2, and finding out then that your regulator doesn't fit. That by itself might cause my head to explode.

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We -- my daughter is the person with CH in my family -- get the whole O2 system home late at night -- and we didn't have the wrench! Luckily, she didn't really believe that O2 was going to help her anyway (as we have discussed), so she wasn't too upset about it.  Her joy the next day when it did work was one of the happiest moments of my life.

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lbh,

If you click on one of the forums -- "General Board," "ClusterBuster Files," etc. -- and then, on the right side of the page, click on "Start A New Topic,"  you'll see below the new message space a thing to click to upload a file. I guess "Theory and Implementation" would be the most appropriate place to post it, but anywhere will do.  Thanks!

 

How's the O2 working for you?

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Thanks. I'll try that in the morning. The O2 was enough to get me through 5 day detox. I busted big time on Tuesday night. The slapbacks have been completely unbearable and overtook the oxygen. I can't make it another 5 days. So for the first time in over two years, I'm on prednisone, verapamil, immitrex, ambien and klonpin as needed when I start to lose my shit. I've never successfully busted out of a cycle once it takes hold. I've been quite successful extending remission, but once it settles in I'm screwed. I probably can't appropriately express in writing how angry I am about this throug a keyboard so won't try. At this point there's nothing I can do but wait for the cycle to end while on medication, hope I can sleep, and stay away from solid foods. These times are very dark in my life.

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Thanks.  I tried the D3 regimen about 3 years ago and it didn't seem to make much of a difference.  Is there a link to the updated regimen with new dosing and cofactors?  Might give it another whirl. I've also found that my B12 is very low, although who the hell knows if that has anything to do with anything.

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Go to forums, click on cluster buster files, check out D3 regimen, it will give you a list of what you need and how to do the 30 day loading. Three years ago when I tried it I did not get no relief either but this time I was more thorough

with the instructions and it has helped me a great deal.

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