Hey CHRD,

You and your husband have taken the right steps starting the anti-inflammatory regimen with at least 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 as a preventative and obtaining oxygen therapy as an abortive.

Based on feedback from hundreds of CH'ers here at CH.com taking the anti-inflammatory regimen and data collected from a separate online survey of 127 CH'ers also taking this regimen, I'm confident your husband will respond.  The odds are better than 85% in his favor. 

Remember to have your husband start the vitamin D3 loading schedule.  It will help insure the fastest favorable response time possible.

Regarding oxygen therapy...  The single biggest reason CH'ers have problems obtaining rapid aborts, ~ 7 minutes to a pain free state, is too many neurologists don't know how to instruct CH'ers on its proper use. 

Fortunately, I can help.  In 2005, after turning chronic, I developed a method of oxygen therapy that involves hyperventilating with 100% oxygen at flow rates between 25 and 60 liters/minute.  The average flow rate used during this method of hyperventilating with 100% oxygen was 40 liters/minute.

I also hold a patent as a co-inventor of the demand valve method of oxygen therapy we developed in 2007.  That involved modifying the initial method of hyperventilating with a 0-60 liter/minute oxygen regulator to work with the oxygen demand valve.

In 2008 we conducted a pilot study of these two methods with 7 CH'ers each logging their abort times and pain levels on every abort for 8 weeks.  In all, we collected data on 366 aborts with these two methods of oxygen therapy.

In addition, one study participant collected data on his aborts with a 0-15 liter/minute oxygen regulator and non-rebreathing oxygen mask for one week to provide a relative comparison between methods of oxygen therapy with and without hyperventilation.

The results were impressive.  The abort rate effectiveness was 99%, the average abort time for CH between pain levels 3 and 9 was seven minutes, and all but two aborts took less than 20 minutes of oxygen therapy using either of these two methods.  The results of this pilot study are illustrated in the following chart.

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

In 2012 I developed a third method of oxygen therapy to abort CH that involves hyperventilating with room air for 30 seconds then inhaling a lung full of 100% oxygen and holding it for 30 seconds before repeating the complete sequence 4 to 5 times for a complete abort to a pain free state.

All three methods are equally effective.  This last method, hyperventilating with room air for 30 seconds then inhaling a lung full of oxygen and holding it for 30 seconds has several advantages. It works exceptionally well with 0 to 15 liter/minute oxygen regulators. Abort times average 4 to 6 minutes and it consumes much less oxygen.  This also significantly reduces the cost per abort.

A typical abort with an oxygen demand valve, 0-60 liter/minute regulator or even a 15 liter/minute regulator consumes an average of 150 to 200 liters of oxygen. 

This latest method consumes an average of 25 to 35 liters of oxygen per abort.  That means a fully charged E-size oxygen cylinder that usually contains enough oxygen for 3 aborts at 15 liters/minute can last for 15 to 20 aborts.

You prepare for this last method of oxygen therapy by standing with the jaw dropped like saying the word "Haw."  Standing gives the diaphragm full range of motion to better ventilate the lungs. You also set your regulator so if fills the ClusterO2 green reservoir bag in one minute.  You'll need to remove the face mask so you can breath directly from the 22 mm port on the green "T" manifold opposite the exhaust port shown in the photo below.

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

You'll also need to cup the exhaust port on the green "T" manifold in the palm of your hand and press the breathing port to your cheek or chin to form a gas tight seal.  This will allow the reservoir bag to fill completely between breaths of oxygen. 

If the reservoir bag fills completely and oxygen starts pushing out before you're ready to inhale, lower the regulator flow rate.  Conversely, if the reservoir bag hasn't filled completely when you're ready to inhale the oxygen, raise the flow rate.

Start this procedure by exhaling rapidly and when it feels like the lungs are empty, they're not... do an abdominal crunch like doing situps and hold this squeeze until the exhaled breath makes a wheezing sound for a couple seconds. Without delay, inhale a lung full of room air rapidly and fully then repeat the forced exhalation.  This technique is called breathing at forced vital capacity lung tidal volumes.  It forces out an additional half to full liter of exhaled breath highest in CO2 concentration.

Keep repeating this sequence for 30 seconds.  If you doing this properly, it should work out to 10 complete respiration cycles in 30 seconds.

On the 10th exhalation, hold the chest and abdominal squeeze for a good five seconds then inhale a complete lungful of 100% oxygen from the ClusterO2 mask and hold it for 30 seconds. 

It's important to try to relax at this point.  You'll also experience some of the symptoms of paresthesia, a slight tingling or prickling of the lips and finger tips along with a slight sense of dizziness.  You'll also likely feel a slight rush while holding the lungful of oxygen.

These symptoms indicate you've pushed yourself into respiratory alkalosis...  and that's the goal.  If you feel too dizzy, lean against a wall or sit erect in a chair.

Keep repeating this entire sequence until the pain is completely gone.  With practice this should take 4 to 5 complete sequences...

This procedure and breathing technique are very safe.  Although you'll feel a little dizzy, there's no risk of passing out as you're super oxygenating your blood stream and lowering it's CO2 content at the same time.

Practice makes perfect.  Be sure to practice this procedure before the next CH so you can recognize the symptoms

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch