Hello folks.
New to posting here but sufferer for about 15 years and currently in cycle. Cutting to the chase if you don't mind...

These days I only use o2.
I have a Clustermasx and use the mouthpiece.
Being hit 3-6 times a day at the momment and I am worried my old mask is going to give up on me.

As far as I can tell Ben is no longer doing the masx so the O2ptimask (ohtwopity??) seems the way to go. All the parts look the same but it has a 3 litre bag which to me doesn't look nearly large enough!

Does anyone know what the volume was of the largest bag that Ben used as that size is the minimum I require?


Nice to join here at last and say something :)
thanks for any advice and help

the scone

You can put any size bag on it your little heart desires.

Some folks put a large trash bag on it and leave it filled so it's ready to huff at the drop of a hat.

BTW, I own three O₂ptimasks, and the 3L bag is plenty bigger than I can flatten at 25 lpm.

Brew wrote on Jan 12^th, 2011 at 7:52pm:

BTW, I own three O2ptimasks, and the 3L bag is plenty bigger than I can flatten at 25 lpm.

I only have 15 lpm max so it's easier for me to flatten the bag.
However, I too use the "keep her loaded" method and at 15 lpm and with the bag always full and ready to go, I abort most attacks in 6-9 mins and stay on the pipe a futher 3 mins regardless.The bag never empties which I was under the impression was the reason for upping the LPM.


All the chat is about flow rate but surely the size of the bag is just as relevant.
Seems to me if I had a 20 litre bag and it was full, a flow rate of 9/10 lpm or less would suffice?
Of course, after years of all the usual perscription drugs I am pretty stupid.......   :)

As long as you're not flattening the bag, you're good.

I'd look into getting a regulator that goes to 25 lpm, however. You could probably cut your abort times in half.

At 25 lpm I still flatten the bag at the beginning of a hit and continue to do so for about the first 3 mins.  I can usually slow down the breathing at that point to where the bag stays somewhat full.  By the time the bag is staying full it is time for me to cut the flow down and do my after hit breathing.

Jerry

Callico wrote on Jan 12^th, 2011 at 10:46pm:

At 25 lpm I still flatten the bag at the beginning of a hit and continue to do so for about the first 3 mins.  I can usually slow down the breathing at that point to where the bag stays somewhat full.  By the time the bag is staying full it is time for me to cut the flow down and do my after hit breathing.Jerry

Dittos. And for what it's worth, I found the use of a demand flow valve solved that issue right fast. And it saves O2 on the exhale. Might be worth lookin' into. Blessings. lance

If you have the cash, I'm with Lance, the demand valve is the only way to go. Lets out the 02 as fast, or as slow as you want it.

Joe

Thank you all.
So, if the high flow rate is purely to ensure 100% at all time
it still begs the question why the stock O2PTIMASK bag is not bigger?

At 25 lpm it doesn't matter to me because I use the ox faster than it goes in anyway.  3 liters is a pretty big lung-full.

Jerry

Scone,

Great topic.  Brew and Marc hit the nail on the head with their comments.  Clearly, reservoir bag size and oxygen flow rates are interrelated and very important if you're trying to improve the effectiveness of your oxygen therapy.

We've learned a lot about using oxygen therapy and how to improve its effectiveness to abort our cluster headaches over the past few years.  Reservoir bag size, oxygen flow rates, and work of breathing are the key parameters.  In short, if we want reliable aborts in the shortest time possible with oxygen therapy, we need oxygen flow rates that support hyperventilation and a reservoir bag that doesn't restrict us from breathing that fast.   

We've found that an oxygen flow rate of 25 liters/minute is the minimum that supports hyperventilation for most folks if we can remain as motionless as possible and the cluster headache pain isn't too high.  A growing number of us use significantly higher flow rates up to 60 liters/minute for short periods to jump-start the abort process before throttling back to 40 liters/minute until the abort.  Most of us have also found the 3-liter reservoir bag that comes with the O2PTIMASK™ kit more than adequate at these flow rates. 

As Brew pointed out, some of us have even used a 40-gallon trash bag as an oxygen reservoir bag.  I've found reservoir bags this large allow unrestricted respiration rates while hyperventilating on 100% oxygen.  They also require less work of breathing than the 3-liter reservoir bag on the O2PTIMASK™ or even top of the line demand valves.  They're just a bit cumbersome.

I hope this helps.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Count me in as someone who finds it necessary to use a 40 gallon trash bag.

Man it's ugly as all hell but it really works, and I guess this isn't exactly a fashion show.  ;D

Your topic title 'Reservoir Bags' would also make a darn good band name.

bejeeber wrote on Jan 14^th, 2011 at 2:37am:

... Your topic title 'Reservoir Bags' would also make a darn good band name.

Wasn't it a Quentin Tarantino movie???