What are your experiences with HBOT?

[Biarritz13]

Yes, about 3 weeks worth, 5 days a week. I don't think they made a difference at least symptoms-wise.

Hi Helen,

Sorry to hear it didn't work for you :-(

Do you know more about the pressure of the HBOT you used? Or the type?

 

[helen1]

I knew all that stuff last July but have since forgotten such details, sorry. I think I might have benefitted from long term use as studies seem to show that the longer you use them, the better the results. But it's expensive, so couldn't do more than 3.5 weeks.

@Theodore

 

[Biarritz13]

I knew all that stuff last July but have since forgotten such details, sorry. I think I might have benefitted from long term use as studies seem to show that the longer you use them, the better the results. But it's expensive, so couldn't do more than 3.5 weeks.

@Theodore

You don't have to be sorry!

I only saw one study, this one that last 3 weeks!

 

[EMilo]

Hi Everyone. I have FM and have been looking desperately for a modality that could help. About 10 months ago I read about the Israeli/ Rice PLOS 1 and several other hyperbaric studies and there seemed to be real promise. I stumbled upon a local hospital that is looking to replicate the result and was successful in getting in on the study. It is an 8 week study with 40 sessions of 90 minutes 5 days a week at 2.4ATA. It commences the end of January. I will keep everyone updated.

@Down-but-not-out , How did the HBOT study go??

 

[helen1]

@EMilo @Theodore

I'm starting to think the HBOT did do something helpful a year ago after all. Originally I hadn't thought so because I didn't see any improvement during or shortly after finishing HBOT.

A week or two after finishing those HBOT sessions, I started a new treatment and did improve, for over 4 months. I attributed the improvement to that treatment of course. Then I relapsed from overdoing things. Now I'm repeating that same treatment and am seeing only minimal improvements, not even close to what I experienced last fall. That got me wondering if maybe it was the HBOT that gave me those much improved 4.5 months.

I'm going to read up some more on HBOT to see if there's often a somewhat delayed response. If so, I may do some more sessions. I loved being able to walk so much more during those 4.5 months and would love to have that again...

 

[Biarritz13]

@helen1

Interesting...Thank you for this information.

So basically you had much more energy. I like that

Did you notice something else?

 

[helen1]

@Theodore I was able to walk my puppy twice a day most days for 4 months!!! It was fantastic. I was also able to swim a bit. I got no PEM for 4 months. Wow.

 

[Biarritz13]

@helen1

That's very impressive Helen! So what will you do? Will you try it again?

 

[helen1]

If what I'm doing now doesn't help much then yes I think I'll do another batch of sessions.

 

[EMilo]

If what I'm doing now doesn't help much then yes I think I'll do another batch of sessions.

I saw my doctor the other day, told her I had chickened out and cancelled all my HBOT appts. She said worse case scenario, I'll get uncomfortable ear popping. So I'm going to try it, I'm just nervous to rock the boat when I've been finally making improvements this past 8 months.

 

[helen1]

I saw my doctor the other day, told her I had chickened out and cancelled all my HBOT appts. She said worse case scenario, I'll get uncomfortable ear popping. So I'm going to try it, I'm just nervous to rock the boat when I've been finally making improvements this past 8 months.

I understand that feeling. I'm just one person, but I had no side effects from it, though I did feel a bit claustrophobic the first few times. It helped a lot that they had a screen hooked up to Netflix above each machine, so that distracted me quite well from the claustrophobia. @EMilo