Just wondering because a friend of mine told me that you can not just purchase with out prescription?
2007-02-18 13:56:19 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Respiratory Diseases
Medical grade oxygen requires a prescription. This is because it is regulated by, in addition to other organizations, the FDA. It is considered a drug. This classification allows rigorous standards to be applied to Medical Oxygen preparation and delivery - standards regarding purity, concentration, and storage.
Buying oxygen from a welding store and breathing it is dangerous. Don't do it.
2007-02-18 15:25:54 · answer #1 · answered by MedGeek 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Misred2000 is absolutely correct. There is a huge difference between the oxygen used for welding and medical grade oxygen. You must have a doctor's prescription to get medical grade oxygen. I know, because I am on it all of the time and I have both portable liquid and a concentrator like misred2000. If you need information on the different types of portable oxygen, this is a terrific site with a lot of great information. Good luck.
http://www.portableoxygen.org/
2007-02-18 15:20:07 · answer #2 · answered by Barry M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your friend was correct! I have an oxygen concentrator (a machine for while I am home which converts the air which it takes in, into oxygen) & portable tanks which are quite cumbersome, but are used for when I need to leave home. There are supposed to be many non traditional benefits from oxygen use (such as helping people with migraine's, and supposedly preserving the skin), I am a patient with no medical training other than having been ill all of my life & am glad to share my knowledge with you.
The down side, or one of them anyway is that it is very expensive! If you are lucky enough to have insurance which covors the majority of the price then you are in much better shape than many people I know.
In addition to the info above you can contact the local O2 providers which are in your geographic area & inquire about liquid oxygen. The portable tanks are much lighter, and therefore more simple to tote around with you. The only draw back that I know if with the liquid 02 is that it can not be processed from air as is done with my concentrator. They deliver quite a large machine which stores the liquid o2 and allows you to fill your portable tanks from it. I can not give you any more feed back about the liquid as it is something which I am just researching now for myself.
Please feel free to email me (especially if you have more specific medical questions) and in a much more private setting you are welcome to tell me why you, or whomever it is which you are asking these questions for needs the oxygen and rest assured that I have never, nor would I ever disclose your personal medical status to anyone.
I used to moderate in a chat room for people who were on chemo therapy (which is how I ended up needing the o2 at such a young age) & I take peoples privacy very seriously. I wish you the best & please let me know if I can be of any more assistance to you.
Take care & be well!!
2007-02-18 14:21:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You need a Doctors permission to obtain oxygen, you also have to go through a small of amount training, it is a pressurized container after all
2007-02-18 21:04:06 · answer #4 · answered by stephen g 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you breath too much oxygen you will become transparent, like the invisible man. That might sound like fun, but it makes taking a passport photo very difficult.
2016-05-24 04:35:54 · answer #5 · answered by Deborah 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your friend is right. It is considered a medication, and to get it, you have to have a prescription from a dr.
2007-02-18 13:59:01 · answer #6 · answered by dragonkisses 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People who weld with acetylene torches purchase it all the time to do oxy-acetylene welding and cutting. Of course they never have a prescription.
2007-02-18 14:00:03 · answer #7 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
well any one that welds with gas has oxygen . so there goes your friends idea. now the filtering of the oxygen is not as good but that is what it is . anyone can have this in there home many do .
i think your friend might think OK its a drug well it can be. you certainly could kill yourself with it too . but you can get it if you like.
2007-02-18 14:00:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
At least in IL, you have to have a dr's order to obtain oxygen.
2007-02-18 13:59:09 · answer #9 · answered by lrna83 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
anyone can buy it, but you need to "qualify" for it in order for insurance to cover it. That usually means a doctor signs a note that your spO2 drops to 87% or lower.
(in PA)
2007-02-18 14:12:47 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋