I started doing small amounts of oxygen at home a week and a half ago. Haven't done it every day. My sleep has gotten worse (not as deep) and my brain function is noticeably worse. I thought oxygen was supposed to help with PCS.

Has anyone else with TBI or PCS used oxygen? If so, did you feel better or worse?

When people talk of using oxygen in a therapeutic situation, it is in medically supervised Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) This is in a chamber where the air pressure is increased to cause better transfer of oxygen across cellular membranes.

Self treatment with oxygen has never been discussed here. Did you do this under the direction of a doctor or did you just use someone elses oxygen system ?

When do you do this ? During sleep ?

The oxygen was prescribed by my internist. He thought I would be a good candidate for it because I also have chronic fatigue syndrome and haven't been able to exercise. He does have a hyperbaric chamber and said he has had mixed results using it for PCS, but I don't think I could handle the pressure in my head.

I am not surprised. Most of the hype for oxygen comes from those who have a business interest in using it. The patients are paying to be part of this anecdotal research.

Properly done, the pressure should be increased slow enough to not cause a problem. But then, do you have the money to pay for 60 to 80 treatments with a chance of a slight improvement ?

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I haven't tried HBOT. I've been breathing oxygen with a mask and tanks at home. It's very inexpensive (only $40/month) and I don't get it from my doctor.

The functional neurology chiropractor I saw said the two things the brain needs are glucose and oxygen, and recommends that I do the oxygen while doing the vision exercises he gave me to do at home.

I'm starting on a very low dose (2 liters/minute) for a short time period (10-15 minutes/day). I do seem to feel better after the oxygen, but the benefit tapers off after a few hours. Although there seems to be a temporary benefit, I've been feeling worse in general over the past couple of weeks and am wondering if the oxygen could be causing that. So I'm just wondering if anyone else has tried this type of oxygen.

"...I'm starting on a very low dose (2 liters/minute) for a short time period (10-15 minutes/day). I do seem to feel better after the oxygen, but the benefit tapers off after a few hours. Although there seems to be a temporary benefit, I've been feeling worse in general over the past couple of weeks and am wondering if the oxygen could be causing that. So I'm just wondering if anyone else has tried this type of oxygen.[/QUOTE]"

CBS, I am a Respiratory Therapist. It's important to know if you are actually using a mask that fits over your face, and not a nasal cannula that just goes in your nose. If it is a mask, then at 2 liters/minute you are not flushing out your carbon dioxide from the mask when you breathe out, and you are rebreathing back in that same carbon dioxide. The CO2 builds up and WILL cause you to feel worse. You are basically smothering yourself. Run that mask at LEAST 5 l/m. Oxygenation and Ventilation are 2 different actions of the cardio-respiratory system.

Better yet, get a nasal cannula instead of a mask, it's okay to run that at 2 L/M.

Here is a link that gives the range of side effects of CO2 : http://www.livestrong.com/article/21...n-dioxide-gas/

Oxygen is used up by the body's organs and tissues within minutes; just 10 minutes of therapy is unlikely to have lasting effects. Your oxygen tank would probably run out within a few hours, depending on its size and the liter flow, changing that out all the time would be $$$. Use an oxygen "concentrator" (machine that makes it's own O2) if you decide to keep using O2 for your exercises.

So what I'm saying is that the oxygen itself probably isn't hurting, but how you are using it probably is.

I find many people that like to sleep with their blankets over their head; the same effect happens. (Just puttin' that out there for people...) I used to do that, too, when I was a kid but I realized I felt better if I had my nose stuck out. When you are being "smothered" by this, some side effects can be headaches, fatigue, irritability, high blood pressure, some confusion. For years now I just put a very lightweight down pillow over my upper head, blocks out noise and light, works great.

Hope this helps! Feel better soon!