I just read the oxygen info page.  I was wondering, is it okay to suck industrial oxygen?  I work on a ship for half of the year and we don't have a medical oxygen tank on board, but we do have 3 or 4 big tanks for the oxy-acetylene torch at any given time.  I could buy a regulator and rebreather and tap into those when I'm offshore.

Is this one of those things that falls into the category of "Not recommended, but probably okay?"  Or is there some real reason not to breathe industrial oxygen?

If I had to guess, I'd bet that medical and industrial oxygen comes from the same plant and machine.  They probably just run the medical oxygen through a few more filters and jack up the price accordingly.

Anybody know?

Actually they don't run it through any additional filters, it's EXACTLY  the same as the medical grade oxygen, comes outta the same tanks. The only difference is, they vacuum suck the medical grade tanks before each refill.

Many on the board use welding oxygen, those without insurance coverage find it a MUCH cheaper alternative. If you can rig a regulator, go for it. Remember, the 2 most important factors for success:

1: start it immediately when you feel the headache coming on. For me a delay of 3-5 minutes can double the abort time from 10 to 20 minutes.

2: Your lungs must get ONLY pure oxygen, no outside air, no exhaled air. That's why the Non Re Breather Masks are so popular. You can accomplish the same thing filling a ziploc bag with 02 and sucking out of it! You get the picture ;)

Joe

Good info, Joe, thanks.  I'm going to get this set up.

Crossing my fingers it works as well for you as it has for me. Can't even describe the physical euphoria I feel when 6-8 minutes into a hit, I realize the oxygen has won and it's freaking gone!

Joe

If you ask you ask your GP next time in port, if you can get a disposable non-rebreather mask, he probably has one available, if not more.  I haven't used anything but.  Each year I get a new one.  Lasts quite long, if your little dog doesn't chew up the air line.  Or your significant other doesn't use it to cure their hangover w/o brushing their teeth.  "Oh, that's nice....is that a Jagerbomb in my mask.....? Glad someone is having fun."  ;)

Angela

The O₂ptimask, sold at the CH store on this website for around $27, is a step up from the disposable non-rebreather masks. The bag is surgical grade rubber and holds 3 litres. You also get the option of using either a mask or a mouthpiece, and the mask forms a better seal around the face.

Settle for nothing less than 100% pure O₂ entering your lungs when trying to abort a hit.

Brew wrote on Dec 16^th, 2009 at 7:47am:

The O2ptimask, sold at the CH store on this website for around $27, is a step up from the disposable non-rebreather masks. The bag is surgical grade rubber and holds 3 litres. You also get the option of using either a mask or a mouthpiece, and the mask forms a better seal around the face. Settle for nothing less than 100% pure O2 entering your lungs when trying to abort a hit.

I agree with Brew.

After spending way too my hours in agony, I strongly suggest buying the mask sold here or a twin to it.

Once you have used one, you will realize that you weren't getting 100% when you were sure that you were - at least that's what happened to me!

For what it's worth, I use the mouthpiece.

Marc