Oxygen?

[curlee]

Is it possible to be getting too much oxygen? My mother is on oxygen full time (medically prescribed) and now all of a sudden she's been 'hearing things...hearing people talk..hearing singing', and we don't understand what is happening. She's not taking any different medications than before (this has only been happening the last 2-3 weeks). The only thing that is different is the oxygen (set on 2).

[National Jewish]

It is possible to get too much oxygen but 2lites per minute is generally not too much.  Excessive amounts may cause a person with severe COPD to under-breathe but would never cause a person to "hear things".  You need to contact your mother

[Toby Too]

Hi Curlee,

I am also on oxygen - 2 liters.  2 liters is not a large amount and, although I am not a doctor, I would think that it would not be causing the problems you mentioned.  Hope you can find out the reason.

[~!?~]

Hello curlee-  I'm obviously no physician, but could this hearing things be related to sleeping?  Let me explain, a family member of mine was on a ventilator and started having the same problems a while ago, but we soon found that it was only because she was mixing up her dreams with reality, she wasn't sure which was which.  She was taking naps during the day and it was confusing her, not to mention us, but don't worry about it, I'm sure that as soon as her sleeping regulizes (if that turns out to be the problem) the voices will go away.  Remember, I'm no physician, but I hope I helped in some way.  Just food for thought.