Anyone ever get a perscription for oxygen?

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mikegreen

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mike g.
I can't believe this hasnt been asked.. maybe I just couldn't find the right search terms..

If I goto my doc and tell him I have a hard time breathing when I fly at 7-9k (my oximeter is down to around 88-90%?), would he prescribe me oxygen?

I think you know where I'm going with this... anyone have an experience?
 
mikegreen said:
If I goto my doc and tell him I have a hard time breathing when I fly at 7-9k (my oximeter is down to around 88-90%?), would he prescribe me oxygen?

I think you know where I'm going with this... anyone have an experience?
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I don't ... but it sounds like you're getting ready to begin listing COPD on all your medicals. If you're looking for cheap O2 hit the welding shops. If you're looking for insurance to pay for it, welcome to deductible land.
 
I probably could get an O2 prescription if I wanted it...but not for that. O2 is a common treatment for cluster headaches (fully declared to FAA)
 
mikegreen said:
I can't believe this hasnt been asked.. maybe I just couldn't find the right search terms..

If I goto my doc and tell him I have a hard time breathing when I fly at 7-9k (my oximeter is down to around 88-90%?), would he prescribe me oxygen?

I think you know where I'm going with this... anyone have an experience?
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good way to get your next medical deferred. You don't need a prescription for aviator's breathing oxygen. You certainly don't need one for welding oxygen either.

Do you have an aircraft oxygen setup now?
 
Why? Just go fill it up at the welding supply house . . .
 
Some places will ask for a prescription if you ask for medical O2. I've never done it, and the welding O2 usually comes from the same tank, just hasn't had the same assurance checks performed.
 
The only thing that differs is the paperwork. If you say it's a medical reason they'll want a prescription. If you're a diver, they MIGHT (occasionally) want to see a c card. If you tell them you're going to weld with it they's had you the DOT paper and send you on your way.
 
My AME wrote a standing prescription for me and put it on file at a home health supply store. I can drop off my bottle and get it filled for ~$15 as many times as I need. The Rx expires after a year, but that is easily rectified with a phone call to the AME office. Simple and cheap.
 
KSMooniac said:
My AME wrote a standing prescription for me and put it on file at a home health supply store. I can drop off my bottle and get it filled for ~$15 as many times as I need. The Rx expires after a year, but that is easily rectified with a phone call to the AME office. Simple and cheap.
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15 bucks.......:dunno:...

Must be a VERY small cylinder...;)
 
Mike,

Were it me, I'd be more interested in finding out what the problem with your lungs is. I'm a smoker, and I've spent considerable time at 10,000 without O2 and never had a problem. Being short of breath at 5 to 7 says "something's wrong".
 
The OP did not say he was SOB at 5-7. He indicated 7-9. For people who live at sea level and are acclimated to that altitude, it is not uncommon to have a saturation around 90% at around 8,000 MSL. A saturation below 90% is undesirable and will affect performance. As such, those of us who live low but fly above 8,000 or so would benefit by monitoring our pulse oximetry reading and using supplemental oxygen as needed.
 
1) While at my doctor's for my physical, I asked him to write me a script for "O2 as required for flight." That gives me the ability to purchase O2 from any medical supply place, since O2 is considered a drug (at least in my state).
2)The O2 supplier provided a regulator which is built to accommodate the medical O2 cylinder. Mine was $47 and it permits me to modulate O2 flow rates from .025L/min up to 5L/min in predetermined increments.
3) With the script, I can 'rent' a size D bottle for $15. When it's empty or approaching empty I take it back to the medical supplier and for $15 I get a filled one.
4) The O2 bottle stays in an overnight bag that is seatbelted into the rear seat so that it doesn't become a projectile in turbulence.
5) To deliver the O2, I purchased oxymizer cannulas from the medical supply store ($10 each) and was able to connect two of them in tandem to the regulator.
6) Total cost: under $100.

ALSO:

1) If it is just me using the O2, I can get about 8 hours per bottle.
2) I strongly suggest getting a PulseOximizer if you don't have one. I purchased one at Costco on sale and it has served me well. I live at sea level, so I use O2 from 8000' up and that keeps my O2 at 95-96%.

Just my $ .02.
 
My soaring club gets full size O2 bottles from the local "gas supply" company. We use those bottles for private owners to refil their own aircraft O2 bottles. We use AEROX regulators, flow meters and oximizer canulas.

We don't need a script to by the O2.

We do recommend pilots check their levels with an oxy meter.
 
Slightly OT but I had been told many years ago by a high school welding teacher that you didn't want to use welding O2 for diving because it sometimes contained some oil that could be harmful if you were breathing it.

Or something like that, it was a long time ago. Anyone know any basis for something like that?
 
Marauder is right. In fact, the opposite is true. You don't want to put oxygen in regular (previously air filled) scuba gear. Those who use oxygen in diving, use carefully inspected and cleaned "oxygen safe" where enriched oxygen is going to be used. Diving air will have oil in it otherwise.

Oxygen from gas suppliers these days all come from the same cryo produced tap. The only thing that differs is the paperwork. Most of the oxygen dealers are welding suppliers anyhow. While Roberts Oxygen sells medical O2, if you walk into their shop, you'd find a welding equipment showroom.

I have a 22 cuft tank and the Precise flows. That gives me over a dozen hours of flow time. At that rate, even going to the local FBO at $50 a fill, it's hardly worth doing anything else. I've talked to my local gas place (I regularly get tanks of Nitrogen and CO2 for other reasons). They don't fill O2 there (though they'll swap tanks) and would send it over to their other facility across town if I wanted it filled. Of course, I could buy/rent a larger tank and transfix, but it hardly seems worth the effort.

Oxygen is cheap, use it liberally.

Amusingly, I was a firefighter and a paramedic in days gone by. We had cascades of air to fill the breathing apparatus on the engines and an O2 cascade for the ambulance. One day when welding on the engine the guy goes "Crap." I say "What's up?" He says he's out of oxygen. I say we got all kinds of oxygen and go grab the thumper bottle off the ambulance.
 
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flyingron said:
I have a 22 cuft tank and the Precise flows. That gives me over a dozen hours of flow time. At that rate, even going to the local FBO at $50 a fill, it's hardly worth doing anything else. I've talked to my local gas place (I regularly get tanks of Nitrogen and CO2 for other reasons). They don't fill O2 there (though they'll swap tanks) and would send it over to their other facility across town if I wanted it filled. Of course, I could buy/rent a larger tank and transfix, but it hardly seems worth the effort.

Oxygen is cheap, use it liberally.
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Look on craigslist and such. I found 2 300 cu ft tanks from a mining operation. Our local airgas will fill them for $28 if I recall.
 
FORANE said:
Look on craigslist and such. I found 2 300 cu ft tanks from a mining operation. Our local airgas will fill them for $28 if I recall.
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Careful, a lot of the gas suppliers will only fill there bottles. I've got a couple "orphan" cascade bottles that I have to fill myself. Also have a couple that I can just swap with the local airgas supplier if I need another bottled of O2 or He (Diving stuff).

-Dan
 
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