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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

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somedud

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Dec 8, 2010
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515
So someone I know owns a HBOT machine (hyperbaric oxygen machine) and offered me some uses.

I've read that HBOT is highly effective in TBI, parkinsons, cerebral palsy and even autism.

I've read a few abstracts mentioning axonal resprouting, axonal regeneration, and repair, even with damaged cells. Aswell as aiding in the reapir of the nervous system and improving cognition.

It also inhibits monoamine oxidase, and enhances the permeability of the BBB making it easier for nutrients, aswell as NGF and BDNF factors such as lions mane (for example) to cross. This could very well bring nootroopics and supplementation to whole new realm.

I was wondering if it could possibly aid in the damage caused by MDMA (ab)use. Waste of time? I think it would be a cool experience either way, seeing how it is free.

What do you think, any other informative details about HBOT are welcome aswell.
 
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wow, very interesting and a simple take on a well known condition that effects divers... Perhaps i'm playing with fire here but what about adding other gasses into the o2 mix like nitrogen to simulate nitrogen narcosis or some more fun gasses like Xe or N2O
 
That was an awesome link vektor. I was always semi interested since I heard that it could help tbi.

I had a bad injury in the back right portion of my brain, 3 years ago. I still have localized headaches.

Things turned out much worse a year later; on amph, I seemed to stroke out, from too much competing vasodilators & constrictors, amphetamine + blunts w/ no tolerance.

After the stroke or hypoxia, much freaking out, and then unable to have any energy to do anything for like a few hours, my brain started to get headaches parallel to the spot of the injury.

I have had reinjures, in nearby parts closer to the temporal lobe, but still on the right side from violence since then as well.

I wasn't about to jump into the nearest tank without medical supervision, as the only way to help my head injury but the, idea seemed novel since, it felt like I had gotten a case of hypoxic ischemia.
 
So to avoid toxicity using a mixture of pressurized gasses is better???
 
I talked to him today, he said that the studies that result in oxygen toxicity are conducted at 2.7-3.0 atm, with 100% oxygen

Apparently it's completely save to undergo 1.5-2.5 ATM with 100% oxygen for 1-1.5 hours on a daily basis.

He also mentioned it'll increase the efficiency of the mitochondria and activate "dormant" neurons, which will aid in repair and help brain function.

He also showed me a study where daily sessions for 40-60 days, under 1.5. atm with 100% oxygen, increased the stem cell count in the blood stream by 800%, pretty phenomenal if you ask me.

Also mentioned how it would be great treatment to undergo for axon repair and sprouting, especially after MDMA neurotoxic lesions. He showed me studies about axonal density increases, along with regeneration.
 
He also mentioned it'll increase the efficiency of the mitochondria and activate "dormant" neurons, which will aid in repair and help brain function.
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How does a neuron become dormant?
 
"The use of HBOT for chronic brain injury, cerebral palsy, and stroke is based on the theory that, in any brain injury, there are inactive cells that have the potential to recover. According to this theory, these “idling neurons” exist in the ischemic penumbra, a transition area of dormant neurons between areas of dead tissue and the unaffected healthy tissue. 70, 74, 77–79 The theory is that oxygen availability to these cells stimulates the cells to function normally, reactivating them metabolically or electrically."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK37109/

It's towards the bottom. Check out the specific numbered studies for more in-depth detail.
 
Well I had always thought that exercise helped remove MDMA-induced mental lethargy, especially in the days after use, and felt this had something to do with exercise stimulating more blood flow to the brain as I always feel/notice the blood flowing into my head more (ie, headrushes) when I have done powerful psychs especially MDMA in recent days. Usually it is only the 1 or 2 workouts following the use that I get it most readily.

But more blood flow means more oxygen, and while I'm not going to advocate a direct link to the hyperbaric chamber it certainly sounds like it could replicate that effect (assuming I even have it right to begin with). It would probably be even more effective.

If I were going to try it, I would probably do it either the day after or second day after drug use to maximize the window for therapeutic effect. Keep in mind that an afterglow could feasibly blind you from feeling the effect of the chamber because, well, you would still be feeling good to begin with. I'd try to pick a time when I was feeling the worst to see how it fares. ;-P
 
My thoughts exactly, I just never felt illustrating it would be a good stand point. Exercise is the over best cure for cogntive, as well as emotional, peroblems from MDMA abuse. The increased blood flow is the beneficiary for the cognition, while the endorphins are most likely to hold accountable for the emotional aspect, but two go hand in hand IMO.

Unfortuneately, I won't be able to reapt the immediate benefits from treatment, due to my last use being months ago, but I believe it would still be beneficial, and I can only imagine the afterglow in a chamber, I bet you'd almost roll again. Its shown to increase serotonin production, as well it's been reported some people feel a eurohoria once they step out.

Overall, my friends offering me as man uses as I'd like, and I just read and abstract mentioned an 8 fold increase in stem cells after 40-60 days of consecutive treatment. That's quite amazing.

Also, MDMA neurotoxicity markedly effects the rCBF in the brain, lowering it of course. Now it takes 6 months to symmetrically regionalize again to controls, which in my view point shows recovery to the serotogenic system, as it regulates blood flow in the brain to certain degree. So enhancing the blood flow via HBOT could very well speed up recovery, as it's shown to increase rCBF.

From what I've read, I believe given enough treatments of this, could very well lead to a very substantial recovery of the serotgenic system aswell as emotional/cognitive inabilites. As every brain cell is receiving adequate amounts of it's most prized compound (O2), they will operate very efficiently, and as a specialist told me, every working cell is capable of repair.

PsychedelicPeptide said:
Well I had always thought that exercise helped remove MDMA-induced mental lethargy, especially in the days after use, and felt this had something to do with exercise stimulating more blood flow to the brain as I always feel/notice the blood flowing into my head more (ie, headrushes) when I have done powerful psychs especially MDMA in recent days. Usually it is only the 1 or 2 workouts following the use that I get it most readily.

But more blood flow means more oxygen, and while I'm not going to advocate a direct link to the hyperbaric chamber it certainly sounds like it could replicate that effect (assuming I even have it right to begin with). It would probably be even more effective.

If I were going to try it, I would probably do it either the day after or second day after drug use to maximize the window for therapeutic effect. Keep in mind that an afterglow could feasibly blind you from feeling the effect of the chamber because, well, you would still be feeling good to begin with. I'd try to pick a time when I was feeling the worst to see how it fares. ;-P
Click to expand...
 
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He also mentioned it'll increase the efficiency of the mitochondria and activate "dormant" neurons, which will aid in repair and help brain function.
Click to expand...

Neurons are postmitotic cells; they don't lay 'dormant' - they are either functional or damaged. I would be very cautious with HBOT - very little is known in the medical literature about chemical brain injury. Indeed the little research that has been done was conducted on rats and monkeys and showed that the method of neurotoxic damage was done by 'oxygen radicals' - highly reactive oxygen molecules that somehow get into the brain (we don't know how, nor if they are broken down in the liver or brain). I would have to agree with what vecktor is saying - there is no science what so ever behind HBOT, it could very well be a fad. Not to mention dangerous.
 
^ it's been used successfully for 60+ years. I can't really see how it could make my condition worse, unless it's not used properly. Oxygen radicals, are you saying hat HbOT could possibility cause this?
 
Personally I wouldn't be too worried about it. Pro athletes use them a lot to help their body recover. I cannot attest to them because I have never tried, but I certainly would try it at least once if I had the free opportunity (especially given my current back injury!). I don't think there is much it will do if you are not hurt somehow though, whether your muscles, neurons or other cells are damaged and need to be stimulated out of the atrophy phase.

Really I think you should go balls out with at least an available RC like aMT or M1 or whatever can cause a good amount of neurotransmitter depletion and/or receptor downregulation and get in there as soon as you can following the experience. I think it would be a waste going in with good health. The other option is to put in a good 5 days straight of brutal workouts and go in shortly after the last one, ideally on the same day.
 
^ I just came off an ssri a month ago. Why should I try to cause some downregulation? I'm interested to hear your view point of this, could lead to something.

As for having a heathly body/brain, Im a body builder, so I'll always need repair, but I also suffered a TBI from an assault almost a year ago, along with MDMA abuse, so my brain most definitely isn't healthly and I think I could benefit from this in some form or another.
 
Oh ok well yea I was just suggesting that for the chamber to show benefit, you would want your body to be broken down in some respect.

Whether this is from drugs, exercise, injury, whatever... I doubt the increased oxygen is going to give you much benefit unless your body/brain can actually take advantage of the stimulus.

Regarding MDMA abuse, I don't think the negative effects last longer than a few months if you live a healthy lifestyle and take supplements, especially piracetam which in my opinion removes much of the mental fog effects right away.

The TBI though, pending how serious it was, could be more damaging. I would just try my best to consider aspects of cognition where I feel like I am hurting, for instance word recall and speech or short-term memory, and try to make note of if you see or do not see improvement from the chamber.

Finally with lifting, yeah I would just put in all hell at the gym for 4-5 days straight and get in there on the last day and see how you feel the next day. Make sure your last day you pummel your legs so you know under normal conditions they would be sore as hell the next day.

Or try something like the prison workout. You do bench press, military press, barbell row, deadlift and squat for 3 workouts in a row. When I first learned it the protocol was for 3 sets at 10 reps each at the same weight each day. But if you're advanced you can go for more sets and change the weight or reps accordingly, and toss in abs of course. You could try something like this, full body workouts multiple days in a row that you are not used to.

Muscle recovery would probably be your best bet to see a quick, legitimate healing effect.
 
Bumping for input.

I know this is a 4 year old thread. And I know that somedud eventually passed away, most likely due to suicide.

However, I'm wondering if anyone knows whether or not he underwent the hyperbaric oxygen therapy. He seemed really keen on it here, but never mentioned it as far as I can tell in later posts. This leads me to think that he either never underwent the therapy or that he did and it didn't help. Posting here to see if anyone knows if he used the therapy or not.

I'm seriously considering it as well. It's been almost 5 months and I don't feel much better at all.

link to relevant article:

http://nocamels.com/2013/02/study-reveals-oxygen-rich-air-can-reverse-severe-brain-damage/
 
Hi there Skeeto, did you say it's been 5 months post-MDMA for you? I'm very familiar with MDMA.

My understanding of Hyperbaric chambers was they were meant for people with less than perfect oxygen saturation, oxygen saturation is generally around 98% for normal people but if you happened to have cancer and failing lungs then your saturation can drop quite a bit. That being said, respiratory alkalosis, or too much oxygen, is a very bad thing and actually reduces bloodflow to the brain to the point of unconsciousness. I think someone with normal lung function and normal blood oxygen saturation would be vulnerable to respiratory alkalosis. The cheaper and not quite as effective option if your saturation is running on the low side (can buy a cheap oximeter to check for like 30-40$) is regular oxygen therapy though by the way. Most of all I recommend exercise. Cardio is essential.
 
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Hi Cotcha,

Not sure if you read the article that I posted. It was based off of research done in 2013 in Israel. Basically the Doctor who performed the study used hyperbaric oxygen chambers on people with other brain disorders from Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injuries, even years after the damage. These are people whose lungs work fine normally, but their brains still have not healed. They even were able to reverse the damage done, or at least the effects from it, up to 20 years after it happened, something that neurologists previously. People were able to regain their ability to walk. Some who had cognitive problems, being unable to read, were able to read again after the hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

I have exercised a bit, not as much as I should, and have not seen much if any improvements. I don't want to divert this thread and talk about my numerous issues. But I have about 10-12 bodily changes after one drug filled weekend in which one night I consumed up to a half gram of pure mdma, perhaps more or a little less, I really don't remember. Suffice to say my life has been absolute shit since then. It's not an exaggeration to say I would've rather retained my normal mental and sensory factories and had my legs blown off instead, that would be much more preferable to what I'm going through now. It's been awful.

Really the only question is whether increased oxygen would help and MDMA users brain recover or whether the damage is more severe. For stroke and TBI patients often what happens is that blood flow doesn't get to the brain as fast which causes the damage. Whereas in the case of mdma it is a bit murkier. To be honest I don't fully understand how the damage works. My understanding is it causes Serotonin down-regulation but over time also leads to neuronal cell death. However...the same was previously thought of stroke patients as well. And it is this hyperbaric oxygen therapy has caused people to reverse that and conclude that many cells didn't die but just kind of shut off into a "dormant" state. Perhaps the same happens with damage from MDMA, I have read that much of the damage is caused by "oxidative stress" from the mdma and how it interacts with the brain.

I know it might be a long shot but there's a lot of us suffering out there and if this is a solution it would be good to know.
 
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