Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT): General information and discussion of Home Units

[Laurentien2]

How do you check the flow?

Don't you have a gauge on your unit. Mine does in the front, see this picture on this post;
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: General information and discussion of Home Units

The knob with the arrow is to raise or lower the flow of oxygen. Your may be set to low. My chamber isn't the same as your but there must be a gauge and a adjustment device.

 

[Z...]

Very good suggestions, thank you. We have a fan and we will certainly start using it!

I just received the parcel with extra bits one day ahead of schedule - will install it today and report the result.

 

[Z...]

Don't you have a gauge on your unit. Mine does in the front, see this picture on this post;
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: General information and discussion of Home Units

The knob with the arrow is to raise or lower the flow of oxygen. Your may be set to low. My chamber isn't the same as your but there must be a gauge and a adjustment)

Yes of course but it is my understanding this gauge is to regulate the output from oxygen concentrator -not to measure the actual inflow of oxygen in the chamber.
In any case mine is always set to 10L

 

[Pierre]

How do you check the flow?

You get a plastic bag with a certain volume let's say 10 l, you put your pipe in the bag, you measure the time it takes to fill the bag. You can do this procedure with or without external pressure. Volume of your bag divided by the the time equals flow rate.

 

[Z...]

@Alana and @Timótheos
I just tested it with modifications. Worked fine - chamber was dry and cool.
And water was this time in the cup not in the pipe.
Macypan even sent a thread to secure good seal on screw in bits.

 

[Alana]

@Alana and @Timótheos
I just tested it with modifications. Worked fine - chamber was dry and cool.
And water was this time in the cup not in the pipe.
Macypan even sent a thread to secure good seal on screw in bits.

Thanks for letting us know, and for all your help! Aso, thanks to @Pierre , @Laura , @luc , and @maiko .

It's possible that our problem might be different from yours because after a few back and forths with Riley - images and videos attached - she diagnosed that we need a new cooling system. It seems that ours is defective so she will send us a new unit.

Meanwhile, we connected the chamber directly to the compressor machine today (totally bypassing the cooling system) and we had 2 sessions back to back with no issues. The air coming inside the chamber is a bit warmer, but the weather here is (finally!) getting a bit cooler so it was no problem at all. And no water or extra humidity inside the chamber.

I am thinking that in the winter months we might not need to use the cooler at all, since the upper part of the house can get really cold, so it's good to know.

I'll update you when the new machine arrives!

 

[Persej]

I did some more research about what can increase the delivery of oxygen to tissues, besides the high altitude exposure. And it seems that the next best thing is an exercise.

Factors that Affect Hemoglobin Dissociation Curve

There are several important factors that affect the affinity of hemoglobin to oxygen as therefore affect the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve. These factors include the (1) pH (2) temperature (3) carbon dioxide (4) 2,3-BPG and (5) carbon monoxide. By increasing the hydrogen ion concentration (and therefore the pH), the temperature, the carbon dioxide concentration or the amount of 2,3-BPG present in the red blood cell, we ultimately decrease the affinity of hemoglobin to oxygen and therefore shift the curve to the right side. This allows us to unload more oxygen to our tissues. On the other hand, by increasing the concentration of carbon monoxide, we actually increase the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen and we therefore shift the curve to the left side. This means that less oxygen will actually be delivered to our tissues.

https://aklectures.com/lecture/respiratory-system/factors-that-affect-hemoglobin-dissociation-curve

More about Bohr effect:

Carbon dioxide and hydrogen ions are two allosteric effectors of hemoglobin. They bind to different sites on the hemoglobin molecule, stabilize the T-state of hemoglobin and lower its affinity for oxygen. This in turn shifts the oxygen-binding curve to the right side and allows hemoglobin to unload more oxygen to the exercising tissue. Hydrogen ions bind to several different groups such as the amino group of the terminal amino acid and histidine amino acids such beta-146 and alpha-122. By binding, they promote the formation of salt bridges that stabilize the T-state structure of hemoglobin, thereby lowering its affinity for oxygen and shifting the curve to the right side. Carbon dioxide on the other hand binds onto the terminal amino residue to form a carbamate ion. The carbamate ion can also participate in forming stabilizing salt bridges. Exercising tissue produce many carbon dioxide molecules, which are then transferred into the blood plasma and eventually enter the red blood cells. Inside the red blood cells, the majority of the carbon dioxide is transformed into carbonic acid, which dissociates into bicarbonate ions and hydrogen ions. Therefore, an increase in carbon dioxide concentration also means there will be more hydrogen ions and therefore a lower pH. Together the effect of hydrogen ions and carbon dioxide on hemoglobin is known as the Bohr effect.

https://aklectures.com/lecture/myoglobin-and-hemoglobin/the-bohr-effect-and-hemoglobin

The practical effect of exercise on oxygen:

When our body uses hemoglobin as the oxygen carrier, it is able to unload 21% of the oxygen to the resting tissue and 66% of oxygen to exercising tissue.

Respiration key to increase oxygen in the brain​

Contrary to accepted knowledge, blood can bring more oxygen to mice brains when they exercise because the increased respiration packs more oxygen into the hemoglobin, according to an international team of researchers who believe that this holds true for all mammals.

“Standard thought was that mammalian blood is always completely saturated with oxygen,” said Patrick J. Drew, Huck Distinguished Associate Professor of Neural Engineering and Neurosurgery and associate director of the Penn State Neuroscience Institute.

That would mean that the only way to get more oxygen to the brain would be to get more blood to the brain by increasing blood flow. The researchers were interested in seeing how brain oxygen levels were affected by natural behaviors, specifically exercise.

“We know that people change breathing patterns when doing cognitive tasks,” said Drew. “In fact, respiration phase locks to the task at hand. In the brain, increases in neural activity usually are accompanied by increases in blood flow.”

However, exactly what is happening in the body was unknown, so the researchers used mice who could chose to walk or run on a treadmill and monitored their respiration, neural activity, blood flow and brain oxygenation.

“We predicted that brain oxygenation would depend on neural activity and blood flow,” said Qing Guang Zhang, postdoctoral fellow in engineering science and mechanics. “We expected the oxygenation would drop in the brain’s frontal cortex if blood flow decreased.

“That was what we thought would happen, but then we realized it was the respiration that was keeping the oxygenation up.”

The only way that could happen would be if exercise was causing the blood to carry more oxygen, he explained, which would mean that the blood was not normally completely saturated with oxygen.

The researchers looked at oxygenation in the somatosensory cortex and the frontal cortex — which is an area involved in cognition — and the olfactory bulb — an area involved in the sense of smell – because they are the most accessible areas of the brain.

They used a variety of methods to monitor respiration, blood flow and oxygenation. They also tested oxygenation levels while suppressing neural activity and blood vessel dilation.

The researchers report in today’s (Dec. 4) issue of Nature Communications that “The oxygenation persisted when neural activity and functional hyperemia (blood flow increases) were blocked, occurred both in the tissue and in arteries feeding the brain, and were tightly correlated with respiration rate and the phase of respiration cycle.”

They conclude that “respiration provides a dynamic pathway for modulating cerebral oxygenation.”

Penn State Engineering: Respiration key to increase oxygen in the brain

Two more studies:

Voluntary exercise increases brain tissue oxygenation and spatially homogenizes oxygen delivery in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease - PubMed

Although vascular contributions to dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are increasingly recognized, the potential brain oxygenation disruption associated with AD and whether preventive strategies to maintain tissue oxygenation are beneficial remain largely unknown. This study aimed to examine...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cerebral tissue pO2 response to treadmill exercise in awake mice - PubMed

We exploited two-photon microscopy and Doppler optical coherence tomography to examine the cerebral blood flow and tissue pO₂ response to forced treadmill exercise in awake mice. To our knowledge, this is the first study performing both direct measure of brain tissue pO₂...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Aeneas]

The condensation in my chamber became really significant and i noticed that air dryer actually spewed the water out into the outlet pipe. I messaged my sales rep and she asked me to film it so they can diagnose the problem.

I think we have the same problem with our Macy-Pan.

Seems this is a common problem and they already have procedures in place to fix it. They will send you a bit to screw on the dry air outlet to seal it and a new water collection bit to replace the old one.

I just tested it with modifications. Worked fine - chamber was dry and cool.
And water was this time in the cup not in the pipe.
Macypan even sent a thread to secure good seal on screw in bits.

Thank you for the advice about this. We had the same problem with condensation coming into the chamber from the cooling element. I thought it could be due to water in the little glass beaker and emptied it of what little water was in there. Afterwards the seal of the beaker wasn't tight anymore and I just put a cup underneath it and it worked fine, though it has some hissing noises. It is not an ideal solution and after being reminded about it thanks to @Z... , then I emailed them today. They have been very good at responding in the past and I am confident a solution will be found.

 

[Z...]

Does anyone else experience shortness of breath since starting HBOT?
I did 10 sessions in the last 17 days and I noticed that occasionally I get short of breath especially going up the stairs or walking up steep slope. I also had few brief episodes of palpitations. I also noticed energy crash happening usually on the day following HBOT. It lasts for couple of hours and then I am fine. Funny thing is - if i work out at the gym or paddling at the sea and swimming there is no shortness of breath.
Recently, unrelated to this i had ECG which was normal and I had my BP taken and it was text book perfect.
As mentioned previously in this thread I noticed these energy slumps from the beginning and I laid off fasting. Decided to take it easy and do the dives on alternate days.

I spoke to a friend who is a doctor and he theorises that there might be a mild oedema in the lungs as a part of healing process initiated by higher oxygen. Not so sure about this.
I had COVID in June which ended with mild pneumonia so I am not sure if this has anything to do with it. Since than i had total anaesthesia for routine endoscopy procedure and everything was perfectly fine which would rule out serious problem with lungs.
I did ramp up liposomal vitamin C, NAC , omega 3 and ALA. Was also going to start Q10.
Granted this could be a coincidence unrelated to HBOT but I am not sure. I did restart Lugol after long break - only 2 drops per day but after palpitations I stopped it. Havent had palpitations since. Thing of note is that i did experience palpitations just before getting sick with COVID.

I am inclined to continue with HBOT and soldier through but I was also thinking to maybe give it at least 7-10 days break and see what happens. I am posting a relevant bit from the Oxygen revolution book which made me think slower pace is maybe what is needed in my particular case.

What do you all think is the right way to move forward? Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[Korzik18]

Does anyone else experience shortness of breath since starting HBOT?
I did 10 sessions in the last 17 days and I noticed that occasionally I get short of breath especially going up the stairs or walking up steep slope. I also had few brief episodes of palpitations. I also noticed energy crash happening usually on the day following HBOT. It lasts for couple of hours and then I am fine. Funny thing is - if i work out at the gym or paddling at the sea and swimming there is no shortness of breath.
Recently, unrelated to this i had ECG which was normal and I had my BP taken and it was text book perfect.
As mentioned previously in this thread I noticed these energy slumps from the beginning and I laid off fasting. Decided to take it easy and do the dives on alternate days.

I spoke to a friend who is a doctor and he theorises that there might be a mild oedema in the lungs as a part of healing process initiated by higher oxygen. Not so sure about this.
I had COVID in June which ended with mild pneumonia so I am not sure if this has anything to do with it. Since than i had total anaesthesia for routine endoscopy procedure and everything was perfectly fine which would rule out serious problem with lungs.
I did ramp up liposomal vitamin C, NAC , omega 3 and ALA. Was also going to start Q10.
Granted this could be a coincidence unrelated to HBOT but I am not sure. I did restart Lugol after long break - only 2 drops per day but after palpitations I stopped it. Havent had palpitations since. Thing of note is that i did experience palpitations just before getting sick with COVID.

I am inclined to continue with HBOT and soldier through but I was also thinking to maybe give it at least 7-10 days break and see what happens. I am posting a relevant bit from the Oxygen revolution book which made me think slower pace is maybe what is needed in my particular case.

What do you all think is the right way to move forward? Any thoughts appreciated.

I too had 10 sessions of HBOs and decided to take a 2 week break. Luckily I was able to figure out the reasons for my bad feeling and now I know how to overcome it.

I too reacted negatively due to anemia. Oxygen has to attach to hemoglobin in order to transport it safely throughout the body. If oxygen is not taken up by the hemoglobin it will then become reactive. Post HBOT exercise will clear the excess oxygen but doing a shorter or lower pressure sessions until you have cleared the anemia will be best.

That's really what happened.
As I wrote above, I had a general body reaction at 1.6 atm. I had panic and mild sound hallucinations (I heard soft music) during the session and after the session I felt dizzy, euphoric, weak, feverish, nauseous and heartbeat (which persisted the next day).

I found myself with symptoms of oxygen toxicity on CNS:

Oxygen Toxicity
Oxygen toxicity results from breathing oxygen at higher partial pressure. Central Nervous System (CNS) oxygen toxicity is the main concern for divers and HBOT; pulmonary oxygen toxicity may become an issue with extended dive operations or HBOT. Oxygen toxicity is dose-dependent based on the partial pressure of oxygen and duration of exposure.
Symptoms of CNS oxygen toxicity can include vision changes, tinnitus/auditory hallucinations, nausea, twitching/tremors, irritability or mood changes, dizziness, and convulsions. The risk of CNS oxygen toxicity is increased at a partial pressure of oxygen greater than 1.6 ata underwater, although a higher partial pressure is tolerated in resting and dry conditions like HBOT. There is significant inter- and intrapersonal variability in the presentation of CNS oxygen toxicity.

I did not have enough haemoglobin to bind all the incoming oxygen when I started HBO. And the extra free oxygen was having a reactive effect.
I took iron and vitamins for 8 days, my hemoglobin went up and I made it through the last 3 sessions at 1.6 atm without these unpleasant symptoms (only a little anxiety at the beginning of the session). Maybe a frequent heart rate persists after sessions, but that has been my problem for years and also my low blood pressure.

Does anyone else experience shortness of breath since starting HBOT?

Shortness of breath could be a symptom of lung toxicity:

Pulmonary oxygen toxicity typically results from longer, lower pressure exposures and includes a recognizable pattern of an insidious onset of mild substernal irritation or chest tightness progressing to cough, then constant burning exacerbated by inspiration, to shortness of breath (on exertion and then at rest).

I wonder if the pressure is short and high, there will be no irritation?

Everyone has their own weak spot in the body. In your case it is the lungs, which are very slow to recover from covid, let alone pneumonia. And a break can be justified, as well as any measures to recover your lungs as quickly as possible. You have to listen to your body and help it.

I also saw an old Russian study that recommended taking Q10 and pycnogenol (an antioxidant-bioflavonoid extracted from pine bark) for HBOs.

Флавоноид пикногенол: полезные свойства

Флавоноид пикногенол: полезные свойства

cgon.rospotrebnadzor.ru

Pycnogenol is a substance derived from pine bark. Studies have shown that pycnogenol has health benefits.
Pycnogenol can help to strengthen the cardiovascular system, protect the nervous system and eliminate pain.

Pine is one of the most common plants in the world. Pine has been used in various areas of human life throughout history. For example, pines are used to combat soil erosion, as some pine species grow quite fast, making it effective for strengthening steep slopes.

The bark of pine trees can benefit your health. Pycnogenol is a natural substance derived from the bark of the seaside pine tree, originating from the western Mediterranean. Pycnogenol belongs to the largest class of plant polyphenols, the flavonoids. Flavonoids are phytonutrients, plant pigments found in large quantities in fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that can have health benefits.

Pycnogenol can be obtained from different species of pine trees, such as Pinus radiata, Pinus densiflora and Pinus thunbergii. Pycnogenol is of interest to many scientists as it affects various biological functions in the body.

Studies have shown that the use of pycnogenol can help reduce glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

Also, because of its antioxidant properties, pycnogenol may have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system by reducing oxidative stress and improving vascular endothelial function.

Pycnogenol can improve the respiratory system by influencing serum leukotrienes levels.

One study found that the addition of pycnogenol can have beneficial effects in viral myocraditis in mice by suppressing viral replication and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Pycnogenol can reduce menstrual pain. Pycnogenol can have a beneficial effect on lipid levels by reducing the level of low density lipoproteins in the blood.

Pycnogenol may help maintain skin elasticity (when used as a cream).

In a study on mice, the use of pycnogenol demonstrated neuroprotective effects. Researchers noted that pycnogenol can be used in neurodegenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.

There are few adverse effects when using pycnogenol.
Pycnogenol is generally well tolerated by most people. However, some people may experience digestive problems, headaches, mouth ulcers and dizziness. If side effects occur, you should stop using the supplements immediately and consult a doctor. People with autoimmune diseases should not use pycnogenol supplements, as pycnogenol may stimulate the immune system. The use of pycnogenol should also be avoided after surgical interventions, as it can slow down blood clotting.

There is currently insufficient data on the safety of pycnogenol supplements in pregnant and lactating women, so it is better not to use it during these periods.

Before starting to use pycnogenol supplements, a doctor should be consulted.

automatic translation www.deepl.com

 

[Z...]

I too had 10 sessions of HBOs and decided to take a 2 week break. Luckily I was able to figure out the reasons for my bad feeling and now I know how to overcome it.

That's really what happened.
As I wrote above, I had a general body reaction at 1.6 atm. I had panic and mild sound hallucinations (I heard soft music) during the session and after the session I felt dizzy, euphoric, weak, feverish, nauseous and heartbeat (which persisted the next day).

I found myself with symptoms of oxygen toxicity on CNS:

I did not have enough haemoglobin to bind all the incoming oxygen when I started HBO. And the extra free oxygen was having a reactive effect.
I took iron and vitamins for 8 days, my hemoglobin went up and I made it through the last 3 sessions at 1.6 atm without these unpleasant symptoms (only a little anxiety at the beginning of the session). Maybe a frequent heart rate persists after sessions, but that has been my problem for years and also my low blood pressure.

Shortness of breath could be a symptom of lung toxicity:

I wonder if the pressure is short and high, there will be no irritation?

Everyone has their own weak spot in the body. In your case it is the lungs, which are very slow to recover from covid, let alone pneumonia. And a break can be justified, as well as any measures to recover your lungs as quickly as possible. You have to listen to your body and help it.

I also saw an old Russian study that recommended taking Q10 and pycnogenol (an antioxidant-bioflavonoid extracted from pine bark) for HBOs.

Thanks for sharing your experience Korzik.

I think oxygen toxicity is always characterised by neurological symptoms first ( hallucinations, dizziness, brain fog etc) and i didn’t have any.
The lung toxicity symptoms (as I understand) progress from chest discomfort or pain to cough and then to shortness of breath- i only have shortness of breath.
But maybe this is a mild form.
In retrospect i think last week i had one or two episodes of word confusion- for example wanted to say “ your daughter” and said “ your sister” . I wrote it of as lapsus linguae since these sometimes happen.
But you are right I need to listen to my body and take the slow approach. I will make 7 days break now and take it slow - in the meantime ill do the blood work.
I am not at all convinced i have anemia - since i always had good blood test results. But i will do fresh test just to rule it out.

I have been taking this product for some time now - mostly to boost my nitric oxide levels but it would also take care of any garden variety anaemia:

Concentrated beetroot - Superfood juice BIO Rüben Herz

Nutrients-high combination of 80% concentrated beetroot juice, topinambur, herbs&spice and passionfruit - concentrated root-power straight out of nature!

www.fitrabbit.com

 

[Laura]

Does anyone else experience shortness of breath since starting HBOT?
I did 10 sessions in the last 17 days and I noticed that occasionally I get short of breath especially going up the stairs or walking up steep slope. I also had few brief episodes of palpitations. I also noticed energy crash happening usually on the day following HBOT. It lasts for couple of hours and then I am fine. Funny thing is - if i work out at the gym or paddling at the sea and swimming there is no shortness of breath.
Recently, unrelated to this i had ECG which was normal and I had my BP taken and it was text book perfect.
As mentioned previously in this thread I noticed these energy slumps from the beginning and I laid off fasting. Decided to take it easy and do the dives on alternate days.

As many have noted, if you have read this thread, all kinds of issues come up in the beginning days of the therapy, most notably, extreme tiredness and possibly shortness of breath in some situations, simply because the body repair systems have been initialized and are working very hard. Just take it easy, do the therapy, rest as needed, don't think you are superman all of a sudden. That will only come after 60 or more sessions.

I spoke to a friend who is a doctor and he theorises that there might be a mild oedema in the lungs as a part of healing process initiated by higher oxygen. Not so sure about this.

Possible. I take mucosan (ambroxol) every night for another issue, so I get regularly cleared of mucus.

I had COVID in June which ended with mild pneumonia so I am not sure if this has anything to do with it. Since than i had total anaesthesia for routine endoscopy procedure and everything was perfectly fine which would rule out serious problem with lungs.

See above.

I did ramp up liposomal vitamin C, NAC , omega 3 and ALA. Was also going to start Q10.

Yes, we take all the relevant supplements every day.

Granted this could be a coincidence unrelated to HBOT but I am not sure. I did restart Lugol after long break - only 2 drops per day but after palpitations I stopped it. Havent had palpitations since. Thing of note is that i did experience palpitations just before getting sick with COVID.

I am inclined to continue with HBOT and soldier through but I was also thinking to maybe give it at least 7-10 days break and see what happens. I am posting a relevant bit from the Oxygen revolution book which made me think slower pace is maybe what is needed in my particular case.

What do you all think is the right way to move forward? Any thoughts appreciated.

I would continue.

But also be aware that some emotional issues can begin to surface and possibly without any real cognitive awareness. Just the body remembering as the neural connections are being repaired.

 

[Laura]

Now, for my update. Today we did dive number 123.

What I have been noticing for the past couple of weeks is a definitive improvement in the appearance of my skin. The aging crepey-ness is going away. I mean, the skin on my hands and forearms looks about 5 to 10 years younger.

Second: we have been doing our gym workouts twice a week and I've been using my knee quite a bit on the leg press. In the early days, it would trigger some backlash... pain and swelling and just general glitchiness. Now, I can do the leg press and other leg exercises and NO repercussions. It's like my knee is really and truly rebuilding itself.

I am also working on back strengthening exercises and a lot of my back pain is reduced, but it is not gone yet. Still working on that.

Anyway, I am really thrilled with the changes in my skin more than anything right now. I hated looking at my arms and hands and seeing them look so OLD!

 

[Z...]

Thank you so much for the encouragement Laura.
With my health scare of the past it is so easy to get into paranoia mode.
You guys are true trailblazers in uncharted territory and your input is priceless.
Keep shining

 

[Laura]

Thank you so much for the encouragement Laura.
With my health scare of the past it is so easy to get into paranoia mode.
You guys are true trailblazers in uncharted territory and your input is priceless.
Keep shining

And you need to read the thread.