02- Is it best for everyone?

[Dave O]

Hello Friends,

I just recieved my perscription for 02, been using it w/ the just the Nose Tube, I see and hear the masks are the better choice.

But i have found when I use the 02 I get immidiate relief...Yeah. But after that i have seen my attacks become more frequent 2-3 a night, where before if I took my meds, an ice pack and used my CPAP I would get relief and not suffer any attacks later that evening.

Is this just my suffering more Eposodic attacks, or does 02 have something to do with this?

Bottom Line, is 02 right for everyone?

[tingeling]

What kind of meds?

[Dave O]

Hi Tingeling,

I take Etodolac an anti- inflammatory and butabital a caffine w/acetaminophen. Got those once I got off the oxycodone.

[tingeling]

Hi

Those medicines are not familiar to me. You don`t think the other attacks got killed or covered by the other meds you used to take?

Do you use your o2 with a nose tube for CH, or something else? Sorry i ask, but i don`t think you can get relief from an attack, with the nose tube....

[kaboom]

I've never had 02 give me more attacks.  On a few occasions, I've had a CH come right back almost instantly after stopping the 02.  I've learned to linger on the tank a little while after the headache seems to have aborted to prevent this.  They play possum sometimes - I think their dead, but they're just faking.

A good mask makes a huge difference in abort times.

I'm off all script pain relievers.  On my really rough days, I take Excedrin (the one with caffeine) in hopes of taking the edge off. 

Maybe your cycle is peaking causing the more frequent attacks? 

[Guest]

butabital a caffine w/acetaminophen

i was perscribed that first when i reported my headaches to my gp 10 + years ago, it didnt do a damn thing for ch pain at all, its actually a barbituate, not just caffiene and acetaminophen

and from my own experience any and all pain relievers, opiate,otc, anti inflamtory and arthritis meds seem to make o2 less effective, i believe it thins the blood and thus not carrying as much o2 as it did before, but thats just me

and nose tubes may work now but when u get slammed and your nose starts running your not gonna beable to breathe with the nose tubes, try a generic non rebreather mask from your supplier, or better yet get the mask from clusterheadaches.com or even the mouth piece from there as well

u get too much outside air from nose tubes, u want the purest o2 possible, mask or mouthpiece

AO

[Bejeeber]

When I first started using O2 in the 1980's (!!) I was somehow able to abort many attacks with a nasal canula.

That stopped working at all though after awhile, so I agree that you'd be wise to start ordering your non rebreather mask now.

I found at my last peak cycle when the wake up attacks were coming on really hot'n heavy that I would be routinely be reawakened with a rebound 1 hour after using O2. I probably should've stayed on it longer, as Kaboom suggested above.

[Dave O]

  Thanks to everyone with 02 information, I'm going to get the best mask for me, through the doc or cluster busters. I was reading past posts on Apria, sounds like a few people are not happy with the big companies. I'm in the construction world and have a few welding/fabricator shops I deal with and have good friends there. I've seen that "welders" 02 is better? Do I just take the Apria tanks to them to have them refilled at their shops, or do they send them in to somewhere else. Does apri get wind of this and want their equipment back?

[alleyoop]

The difference between welder's 02 and medical 02 is in the tanks themselves, and not the oxygen.  From what I understand, medical 02 tanks go through an additional strength test.

Apria is a medical supplier.  I don't think you can take your Apria tanks to a welding gas supplier to have them refilled.

If your insurance covers oxygen, then I would just stick with Apria and let them swap out your empties for full tanks.  I would keep a close check on them though, because as you say, a few of us have had less than pleasant experiences with Apria.

[Guest]

Bottom Line, is 02 right for everyone?

I have noted a trend where, not just one thing is right for anyone.

What I mean is sometimes 02 works, sometimes it doesn't. So then you need plan b. or plan c. and so on,usually starting with the lesser of two evils. Myself and others have noted what treatments had worked prior no longer will.Change to find success with other treatments for awhile then failure again. Moving on from treatment to treatment until they find what works best for them individually. Others find a treatment plan that works right away and keeps on working. :-/ Go figure. :-/

I have a treatment plan that includes,first,second,and third line abortives. First and second line prevents. Plan a,b,c. I dont do transional meds at all.

all the best

thebb

[TakinitEZ]

Another difference between welder O2 and medical O2 is that with med O2, they flush the tanks before refilling. This eliminates any possible contaminates. My guess is that contaminates with welder O2 are very rarely an issue since the purity of O2 is important to weld quality. If using welder O2, I'd make sure to get it from a reputable dealer.

Another difference is the chain of custody for the cylinders. Med O2 cylinders are tracked, welding cylinders aren't. They may have been sitting around a while, possibly open.

-T