Hey all,

I've been going through an M tank every 4 days since my cycle has ramped up. Is this too much? I'm using it on every hit I get throughout the night, which is every 45 minutes to 1.5 hours for 10-20 min at 15Lpm. I'm noticing that the roof of my mouth is getting sore. I don't know if it's from too much oxygen or if it's because I suck on the hose and the coldness of the oxygen is damaging the nerves in my mouth.

I've just ordered the o2 mask from ch.com and tried a homemade non-rebreather mask I saw somewhere around here at some point but I'll be honest, it doesn't seem to work as well as sucking on the hose.

Doesn't sound like "too much" O2. You can dry your mouth out with O2......back in the low flow days people used "bubblers" to add moisture.

Just to be clear....are you staying on the O2 for 10-20 minutes before it aborts the attack?

Hi there,

Sometimes I will abort an attack in as little as 5 minutes. Other times it can be as long as 20. It depends on how quickly I catch it. Most often it takes around 10-12 minutes. I then stay on for an additional 3-4 minutes after that to be sure I'm not going to get a rebound headache.

As far as breathing techniques, I will allow the tube to fill my lungs and then I'll explosively expel the air until I feel my lungs are empty. I'll even kind of crouch over and try to get that last little bit that won't normally come out on its own by constricting my diaphram. (If that's a thing) then repeat until the headache let's go of me.

At some point in the past I read about the hyperventilating techniques that Batch has posted on both ch.com and cb.org. the above is my approximation of trying to deplete co2 between breaths minus the holding my breath part.

I'd like to know is if others are using as much oxygen as I am. And is x2 M tanks a week too much. Crappy breathing techniques notwithstanding. If so, has anyone heard of someone having issues due to it.

I want to abort my headaches, not possibly cause long term damage to myself from something like oxygen toxicity because I couldn't follow instructions properly.

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That is the O2 info page which has a load of information.

Trying to determine "too much" is not easy as different people have different CH frequencies, etc.

The way you're describing your hyperventilation sounds pretty much spot on.

Batch has previously posted how US Navy pilots are on oxygen from take off to landing, with missions lasting up to 10 hours.

Similarly astronauts use pure oxygen for extended period around space walks - START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE.

As with anything medical, if in doubt, talk to your doctor about your concerns.

Colin,
I was able to cut way down on my O2 usage by improving my breathing method, and especially by using Batch's "redneck reservoir" system.  An M-60 tank (60 cubic feet) use to give me 6-8 aborts. But with the redneck system, I was able to increase that to 30 aborts! This is easiest to use in the home where it can stay in one place. I basically used Batch's instructions (see link), except I used a large black garbage bag and duck taped all four edges just to be sure there would be no leakage. The advantage to using a bottle is that you can close it in between breaths. You can let the O2 into the bag slowly until you have what you need for a couple of breaths. Start your breathing at your comfortable rate until you're done. Any O2 left in the bag will stay put for at least a couple of days. Very little gets wasted. This was so successful for me, I don't really need to use a traditionl mask and reservoir. You might want to give this a try since you are already comfortable breathing O2 through a mouthpiece. 

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Take care.
Patti

That's great, thanks for the feedback! Since posting this, it seems that the vitamin D regimen has kicked in because my headaches have dropped right off.

Great news that your CHs are dropping off. Only people who know CH understand just how much that means to you.

Hey Colin,

There no such thing as too much oxygen... Without it, we would end up on the wrong side and the air-grass interface.

I've over 3000 hours flying Navy fighters and all 3000 hours were spent breathing 100% oxygen from takeoff or Cat Shot to landing or arrested landing aboard ship on missions lasting an average of 1.8 hours and a few extended missions up to 7 hours.  I'm still here at 73.

Part of your problem with high O2 consumption deals with the method of oxygen therapy you're using.  The following method of oxygen therapy I developed calls for hyperventilation at forced vital capacity tidal volumes with room air for 30 seconds followed by inhaling a lung full of 100% oxygen and holding it for 30 seconds.  Four to seven complete cycles like this usually results in a CH pain free abort.

If you understand basic respiratory physiology, hyperventilating like this results in respiratory alkalosis...  Remember the movie The Andromeda Strain?

The adult lungs hold ~ 4 liters or air or oxygen. That means 4 to 7 cycles using the above method of oxygen therapy consumes 16 to 28 liters of oxygen per abort.  The standard method of oxygen therapy at a flow rate of 15 liters/minute consumes 280 to 350 liters of oxygen to achieve an abort.  That means the method of oxygen therapy I developed consumes one tenth the volume of oxygen as the common method of oxygen therapy.

Is this new method of oxygen therapy effective?  In a word, YES.  In more words, like 99% effective if started before the pain level reaches 9 on the 10-Point Headache Pain Scale.  Once a CH has reached a 9 or 10 we're all in for some heavy sledding.

The following chart comes from a pilot study of the oxygen demand valve method of oxygen therapy where users inhale from the demand valve much the same as a SCUBA regulator at an effective oxygen flow rate of 40 liters/minute.  The results are illustrated on the bottom line.  The upper line represents the times to abort by pain level using an oxygen flow rate of 15 liters/minute.

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The new method I developed is just as effective as the demand valve (DEVO2) method, but consumes one tenth the oxygen as the oxygen demand valve method and you don't need to go to the expense $400 to $550 of buying one.

The following link will take you to a post I made that covers the breathing technique and procedure for this new method of oxygen therapy.  It also illustrates how to build a DIY Redneck oxygen reservoir breathing system you can build for less than a couple dollars and that works very effectively with the new oxygen therapy procedure.

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While you're at it, download a copy of the anti-inflammatory regimen CH preventative treatment protocol.  If you follow this treatment protocol, the odds are high you'll experience a favorable response with a reduction in CH frequency that will further reduce your oxygen therapy oxygen consumption.

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Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch