December 12, 2009

Oxygen therapy of IPF
The only IPF therapy my pulmonologist, Dr. Richard Matthay of Yale, recommends is oxygen. I am currently using it during exercise and whenever my oxygen blood saturation gets below 90%. With the delivery rate of 2L/min I can bring oxygen saturation from 85 to 95% in ca 3 to 5 minutes. When I seat queitly in my chair oxygen saturation remains above 90%, but climbing stairs to second floor immediately reduces it to 80-82%. Oxygen therapy has not been shown to prolong life, but it restores normal breathing very rapidly, it also prevents or even abolishes a cough attack. I am concerned that excess oxygen will enhance formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), e.g. hydrogen peroxide, hydroxy radicals etc. ROS are known to enhance fibrotic process and can be expected, therefore, to shorten life expectancy.
I am treating myself with antioxidants: N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), 2 X 600 mg, vitamin C, 1 g per day and resveratrol, 60 mg per day. Hopefully, these antioxidants will prevent excessive formation of ROS.