Question

I know several people with ME who claim that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been helpful. I’ve read your review of the evidence in a previous issue of ME Essential and have been following the interesting reports on the MEA website and Facebook page regarding the clinical trials that are now assessing its use in Long Covid. So, while I’m aware that this has to be regarded as a very experimental treatment, I would like to give it a try. But are there side effects that I need to be aware of?

Answer

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing pure oxygen inside a highly pressurized chamber. The pressure is normally 1.5 to 3 times greater than normal air pressure.

It was originally used by undersea medicine specialists to treat deep-sea divers who got decompression sickness – also called “the bends.” It’s now used to treat various conditions including severe burns and wounds, and carbon monoxide poisoning. However, as you appreciate, it is not a recognised treatment for ME/CFS.

The treatment involves lying or sitting in an enclosed chamber. The pressure inside the chamber is slowly increased while you breathe in oxygen. The pressure is then returned to normal. Because the pressure is so high, some people may have discomfort while in the chamber so it’s quite common to have ear pain or a popping feeling in your ears.

The actual dose of oxygen given is specific for each person, so the healthcare provider should consider any health problems you have as well as your age. This helps reduce the risk of side-effects and complications. As with all medical procedures, HBOT does have some risks.

Possible symptoms or side-effects that can occur after HBOT:

• fatigue and light-headedness
• lung damage, including collapse of the lung
• fluid build-up or bursting of the middle ear
• sinus damage
• changes in vision, causing near-sightedness, which usually goes away days to weeks after the last treatment
• oxygen poisoning, which can cause lung failure, fluid in the lungs, or seizures. Seizures from oxygen poisoning don’t typically cause brain damage.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy isn’t therefore safe for everyone and you normally shouldn’t have HBOT if you have certain types of lung disease because of an increased risk for a collapsed lung, have a cold or a fever, had recent ear surgery or injury, and don’t like small, enclosed spaces (claustrophobia).

The best way to avoid side effects and complications of HBOT is to be treated by certified and trained medical staff.

Please let us know if you are using, or have been using HBOT.

See Also: Treatment: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), Blood Flow: Oxygenation