I'm a polio survivor,?

Question

I had polio as a child and my left leg was affected. i had a fall 15 months ago, and as a result I have bad painful leg ulcers now. my dr has suggested Hyperbaric Therapy. Has anyone experienced good results from this?

This is a last resort. if it does not work. i will have to have it amputated.

Answer 1

Dear Maggie,

You have had one pretty thorough answer about the hperbaric chamber. I have only heard of good results and am not an expert on this.
But if you had polio as a child and are falling I would highly recommend you get to a doctor who knows about post polio as you may be experience post polio syndrome. You may need to adjust your lifestyle so that you can elimate falls and such.
The after math of polio is Post Polio Syndrome and in 1998 the head count was appoximated to be 1.63 million post polio's in the U.S. and about 20 million world wide.
If we can be of help to you please come visit our site or bulletin board. You will find lots of support there.
Your leg sounds quite serious, have you gone for a second opinion on this? Do you have diabetes too, sometimes legs get ulcerated easily when diabetes plays a role in our health issues. I know my step son has had to have long stays in the hospital on strong medicatioin to heal ulcerated legs, I would strongly suggest you see a second doctor to see what they have to say before submitting yourself to such drastic measures.

Answer 2

My late husband had treatments in the hyperbaric chamber after his leg was amputated. Here's some info I searched for:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbaric_oxygen_therapy

"Several therapeutic principles are made use of in HBOT:

The increased overall pressure is of therapeutic value when HBOT is used in the treatment of decompression sickness and air embolism.
For many other conditions, the therapeutic principle of HBOT lies in a drastically increased partial pressure of oxygen in the tissues of the body. The oxygen partial pressures achievable under HBOT are much higher than those under breathing pure oxygen at normobaric conditions (i.e. at normal atmospheric pressure).
A related effect is the increased oxygen transport capacity of the blood. Under atmospheric pressure, oxygen transport is limited by the oxygen binding capacity of hemoglobin in red blood cells and very little oxygen is transported by blood plasma. Because the hemoglobin of the red blood cells is almost saturated with oxygen under atmospheric pressure, this route of transport can not be exploited any further. Oxygen transport by plasma, however is significantly increased under HBOT. "

Side effects: :There are risks associated with HBOT, similar to some diving disorders. Pressure changes can cause a "squeeze" or barotrauma in the tissues surrounding trapped air inside the body, such as the lungs, behind the eardrum, inside paranasal sinuses, or trapped underneath dental fillings.[citation needed] Breathing high-pressure oxygen for long periods can cause oxygen toxicity. Temporarily blurred vision can be caused by swelling of the lens, which usually resolves in two to four weeks.[citation needed]

The only absolute contraindication to hyperbaric oxygen therapy is untreated pneumothorax.[citation needed] Relative complications include grand mal seizure, fever, the inability to clear the ears or sinuses, and the use of certain chemotherapy agents.[citation needed]

There are reports that cataract may progress following HBOT.[citation needed] Also a rare side effect has been blindness secondary to optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve).[citation needed]

Answer 3

Please see Google search for more details on Hyperbaric therapy.

Answer 4

no, but if he suggested it, it may be worth a try.