What's the deal with Oxygen?

Hi Stronglady4me,

Oxygen is usually prescribed for the treatment of Cluster Headache, as with this condition the blood vessels in the head swell up many times their normal size. By breathing 100% pure oxygen the brain panics that it is getting too much oxygen and reduces the size of the blood vessels in the head only!!!! - thus relieving the cluster attack!!!

This can also work for migraine in some cases but is unproven!!! However, that said, I have believed that I have suffered from chronic migraine for around 30 years but have found out in the last year that I may have something else as well as a pituitary tumour, but I may still have migraine!!! I am still waiting for my Headache Specialist to give his final diagnosis!!!! But my point is that I have home oxygen and have found that it works very well for me!!!!

I was only prescribed the oxygen because last September I had a reaction to Imitrex and have been unable to have it since (I am still being checked out by the Cardiologist!) and Imitrex was the only abortive that worked for me!!!!!

Please discuss this fully with your Doctor, you may find that there is somewhere that is doing a trial for oxygen and migraine and you may be able to get onto it!!!! Hope this helps!!

take care

Ann

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Co-Moderator of the Migraine/Headache Forum