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LO has been ordered home oxygen. The machine is so loud it literally hurts my ears when it is on. There is no place to put it, LO's bedroom is packed with things, everywhere else it is extremely loud. Put it in the bathroom but it is still loud and it generates extreme amounts of heat (we are already in a near tropical climate). Now they are saying we have to lug these large silver containers of oxygen with her whenever she goes to medical appointments (she has many). They only each last two hours a piece, just getting disability transport to arrive and get her there is going to take up one. Oxygen will have to be replaced during the medical appointment, and then likely again to another tank on the way back waiting on disability transport. She is in a wheelchair and now I have to push her plus lug large tanks of oxygen to all her appointments. I am overwhelmed and I really cannot deal with this. Does anyone have any experience with a LO requiring home oxygen and it being EXTREMELY LOUD to the point of hurting your ears, and then having to manage a wheelchair plus multiple tanks of oxygen on your own? As she is desaturating repeatedly at different times I have to go back and forth and adjust the oxygen as needed, which now means sleeping in hypervigilance in the event her 02 monitor alarm goes off periodically and she desaturates so I can increase the oxygen. I am really overwhelmed. Any advice on the oxygen situation from others who have dealt with it? Thanks.

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Been here and my heart goes out to you. One time the rental company dropped off a different model and brand of oxygen machine to replace one that had broken because they didn't have that exact same model available and the different model/brand was so incredibly loud. I was shocked at how loud the oxygen machine was. We put it as far away from both of our rooms as possible (the kitchen) and it sounded like a leaf blower was running in the kitchen. I called the company repeatedly trying to get the other brand and model as soon as possible and explained that this machine was so loud that it was unbearable (truly, it was, and I know and feel your pain). After a solid week of hell from the loud noise which was driving me insane and inescapable, I called the company and demanded that they send their emergency person out to drop off a new machine to replace this one (as in any brand or other machine). I kept saying that the noise was unbearable and they acted as if I was lying. I had actually bought a decibel reader and told them how loud it registered and when I said that, something finally clicked and they actually did believe me and start to believe something was wrong after saying that the machines weren't loud. The emergency person came late that night and once they heard the machine for themselves (they could actually hear it walking through the garage before coming in the house), they were shocked and realized that I was right and immediately figured out that the machine was missing a filter. It truly was a loud as a leaf blower, so--yes--they actually can get that loud but none of them should get that loud. Fortunately they did have the other model available again finally, but if they had just put in the missing filter on the one we had, that would have massively reduced the noise. This may not be your situation, but I share it to at least acknowledge that they can get shockingly loud (because even the rental company itself repeatedly denied that it was possible). I would ask about filters and make sure there isn't a missing filter or piece on the machine that is making it louder. They can get clogged with dust, too. If you can ask for a different kind of brand or model of the same level of oxygen, I would push for that to see if it fixes it. You are justified and right in recognizing the toll it is taking on you. I hope that you can at least resolve this issue.
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Reply to caredalot
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It sounds like your LO would qualify for palliative care which can greatly reduce her doctor appointments. Bloodwork and simple x-rays can be done at home. Request a new oxygen concentrator. Yes they make some noise but certainly should not be hurting your ears. It became more of a white noise to me. Also, as someone pointed out you should not be needing to titrate her oxygen all the time. If she comes back to her apartment, make sure you are instructed by respiratory therapy how to appropriately manage it. Definitely speak to the hospital(or rehab social worker if she goes) about palliative care or possibly hospice services.
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Reply to MidwestOT
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My now adult son was on oxygen for a time as a child. We had both the large tank and a portable tank. He couldn’t use the concentrator as those require a threshold of oxygenation he didn’t meet. Your post is interesting to me as we don’t recall much noise with either tank. We slept in the room with it often and had no issues. We had 25 feet of tubing in the home from the large tank, and just worked around it. I’m sorry you’re having such a rough time, it really doesn’t sound sustainable for either of you. I hope you can ask about some alternatives to make the arrangements better for you both
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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If sats are low, you can temporarily bump up the oxygen to keep her Sats around 90 until you speak to the doctor. If her alarms are set above 90, ask the DME how to adjust. She may do just fine at 89 sat since she only requires oxygen at 88%. Her chronc lung disease can be allowed with lower sats and you can confirm with the pulmonologist. At 4 liters, when you increase flow, be aware that the machine will have difficulty delivering 100% as it will start mixing with air.
Some options: see if the pulmonologist can order a type of bulky oxygen cannula called an Oxy Miser to use on the tanks. You can lower the flow by almost half. She will not like to wear it all of the time because of its bulk.
You can ask for a simple mask to wear over the cannula to conserve some exhaled oxygen.

Obviously I assume that you live in a rural area and I would worry about weather disasters or long outages. If this happens, grab many tanks and bring her to the emergency room where she will need a social admit.
Ideally, she will not have so many ups and downs to be in LTC. Unless you are sharing housing because of finances. Such high oxygen with uncontroled dips may mean she is coming to the end of her days. Can you survive without her income?
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Reply to MACinCT
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My mom just started on oxygen a few weeks ago. I don't have your scenario so no advice but I wanted to suggest a Facebook group called Breathing In. I asked a question and got 29 responses so you get a variety of explanations and tips and experiences in addition to what you can glean from this forum.

My mom's machine also is loud but it doesn't bother her and it throws off heat. One of the fb group members posted a funny photo of hers with the caption "I identify as a space heater"

I wish you luck.
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Reply to casole
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The concentrator should not be extremely loud, nor should it be letting off lots of heat. The rental companies keep "refurbishing" pieces of crap that should've been trashed years ago. My mother had an extremely loud concentrator in her room at memory care. I called Apria to complain, they sent out another, much quieter machine.

There is no way around the large tanks unless your LO can afford to buy a portable oxygen machine that comes in a backpack. Look online, FB Marketplace and Craigslist, etc. I purchased myself a very small in size oxygen concentrator at an estate sale for $30. Its so quiet, I forget it's on at night when I need to use it. It was pretty new when I bought it, so make sure of the age of a unit if you buy one. The difference is amazing, in size and in noise output.

Lastly, You may have to consider placement for your LO with this level of oxygen dependence. Very few of us are equipped to handle such a fluctuating, dire need on a 24/7 basis! What about YOUR life and sleep needs?

Best of luck to you.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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ksjfshdk Feb 11, 2025
How long does the portable oxygen device you have last? She needs to be on continuous oxygen 24/7. I am currently at her apartment she was readmitted to the hospital, they are trying to send her back here but she really needs rehab so I am trying to get that in place. I've finally been able to sleep a little but am honestly dreading her returning due to the loud oxygen concentrator having to be on, all of the getting tangled up in the cords, the excessive heat of the machine. I reached out to the company that the hospital uses to set up home oxygen and was told they are only going to bring out the same type of machine to replace the one they had. Also, that due to her oxygen requirements being a requirement of 4 or higher she has to be on a specific type of machine, and her doctor would have to write a prescription for a lower level of oxygen which is not appropriate for her.
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My late husband was on 24/7 oxygen for the last 22 months of his life, but he was completely bedridden so I didn't have to worry about taking him out and about and lugging around the oxygen tanks.
We kept the oxygen concentrator in our dining room as my husband was in a hospital bed in our living room, and while it was a bit loud, it wasn't what I would call annoying. And to be honest I got used to it after a while.
Perhaps you need to call the company supplying the oxygen concentrator to have them come out to see if there is something wrong with it, and if there's not you'll just have to get used to it if you're going to continue to live with your loved one.
And I would just keep the oxygen level at a number where you don't have to worry about it going off overnight as you do need to get a good night's sleep if possible.
I never adjusted my husbands I just kept it on what the hospice nurse said it should be on.
And if all of this is getting to be just too much for you it may be time to think about having your loved one placed in the appropriate facility where they will receive the care they require and you can get back to just being their loving family member and advocate and not their overwhelmed and burned out caregiver.
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