[Peter Franks]

When you say you use 2 liters @ rest— do you mean 2 liters or an inogen set @ 2.? The Inogen numbers are not liters/mn—- the maxiumum on an inogen is 1L/mn— though it is only generating O2 during inspiration— approximately equivalent to 2 liters/mn continuously at its maximum setting. And it is true that your O2 needs increase at full flying altitude. So if you need 2L/mn at rest on the ground you will likely need more at full alttitude. So the inogen may not be sufficient (even on its maximum setting). If you mean you use an Inogen setting of 2 @ rest on the ground— your Inogen will likely be fine (probably needing a significantly higher setting at cruising height). On a flight of 2 hours you likely only spend 1 hour or so at maximum cruising height. You will benefit from an oximeter to monitor your O2 needs while flying. I filled out the forms on the first flight I took– but havent since— no-one seems that interested. I also plug in the Inogen to run it on the power supply.— You hould check whether your seat has power— especially if you need a higher setting (the battery will run out sooner).

[Peter Franks]

this one on amazon works pretty well

 

btw —- i use it with the pack on the front—- easier to control it

[Peter Franks]

Hiatus hernia/GERD is very common—- whether or not you have IPF.  Some suggest GERD causes IPF, but there is no smoking gun.  Seems to me if GERD caused IPF, then IPF would be much more common. PPIs like Prilosec help symptoms, but long-term use is associated with rare, serious side-effects, so many docs have become reluctant to recommend it long-term.  I have GERD and started using melatonin (10 mg)  I find it helps a lot (along with having a full length wedge under the bed and sleeping on the left side).  Some evidence suggests that melatonin helps in part by increasing the pressure in the valve between the  stomach and lower esophagus (LES) to normal (see for example, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2821302/ ). LES is low in GERD — allowing reflux.  Anyway melatonin helps a lot and I no longer have to take prilosec (omeprazole).  Incidentally, melatonin is over-the-counter (and not FDA certified) and initially I got some version from Amazon—- it didn’t work, but the stuff from CVS does work

 

[Peter Franks]

It’s more complicated.

1) If you use 3 L/m continuous around the house, your oxygen needs are much lower than what you need during exercise to avoid hypoxia.  How much lower will vary from person to person.  How much hypoxia you can “tolerate” also varies from person to person. Apart from the discomfort of hypoxia, preventing prolonged hypoxia ( pa O2 <90) with O2 for 12-16 +hours/day has been shown to reduce mortality.  But I am not aware that for short periods of exercise, hypoxia shortens life.

2) A pulse  POC delivers oxygen only briefly, during inspiration. Continuous machines deliver it continuously, including during expiration. Delivery during expiration is not used by your body. So while it may be that the total L/m of a pulse machine is much lower  (for example the maximum is often 1 l/m on a setting of 5 or 6), the amount of useable O2 delivered to your lungs is not so much lower. How much lower varies from machine to machine and person to person and how you breath (mouth, nose, length of inspiration/expiration).  Learning how to use a POC is helpful ,especially with exercise.

3) I wouldn’t worry too much about your O2 sat during exercise beyond how it makes you feel (i.e. what you tolerate) as long as after your exercise the O2 level gets back above 90 once you are at rest with home O2.