My husband was on oxygen for six months before his passing in 2020. It was an absolute nightmare to figure out and a huge learning curve. Anyone who is going through this has my sincere sympathies. I spent many a day crying into the phone at my insurance company, doctors office, and oxygen supplier in sheer frustration and dismay.

Unfortunately, not everyone can use the small portable oxygen systems like Inogen. My husband went through testing (ordered by his pulmonologist) to determine what was appropriate for him and the technician told him that it wouldn't supply enough oxygen for his needs. We were dismayed at the size and unportability of the large tanks that were supplied to us, so we went ahead and purchased an Inogen portable anyway in desperation and had to return it. Not every place allows returns so if your friend is purchasing this, make sure they know the return policy. They are far from cheap. And the stores here that sell oxygen systems don't do the testing; they will sell you whatever you ask for, whether it is appropriate or not.

The large tanks you mentioned (I believe you are talking about the big green tanks) do come in a much smaller size that can be used with a backpack, but the oxygen does not last long at all in them and can run out very quickly, depending on the required setting used to release the oxygen. You can purchase a rolling cart to use with the large tanks; ours was supplied by the oxygen company. Maybe they just forgot to leave one with your friend when they delivered the oxygen. Yes, they are terribly inconvenient and limiting, but they may be the only option.

Best of luck to you and your friend.

I believe we got Mom a Phillips Simply Go portable concentrator for use when she left the house. IIRC, the battery life was not very long, maybe 45 minutes to an hour. We got a second battery to double the time, so she could have a leisurely lunch. While in the car going/coming, it was plugged into the cigarette lighter.

The pictures show a person wearing the concentrator with a shoulder strap like a purse, Mother could not handle the weight. It is not lightweight. We bought a folding trolley for Mother.

She was very self-conscious about the noise it made, even though we assured her that it wasn’t noticeable. It is not whisper-quiet, but it is substantially quieter than the at-home model.

I don’t recall why the Simply Go was chosen over the Inogen. If it matters to you, I can ask my sister this evening. She was living in the same town as Mom and was on hand to help with a lot of the tasks and decisions.

The more I’m thinking about this and remembering, I think it had to do with the flow type. Mother could not use pulse flow. She had to have continuous flow.

Regarding pulse flow vs. continuous flow ... the Simply Go only provides for up to 2 lpm of continuous flow and will only give you up to .9 hours of use at that setting. My husband started out at 6 lpm so none of the portable concentrator machines would work. As I said, there is a lot to learn when it comes to supplemental oxygen and it's not as simple as you would think (or hope). Far from it. And the advertising for these portable machines makes no mention of any of this. You will need to know how much oxygen your friend needs, whether pulse will work or if continuous flow is necessary, how much time you will get on a given machine at the setting you need before the battery runs out, and if the setting you need is available on the machine you're thinking of getting. Also, oxygen needs can change over time so what is sufficient now may need to get upgraded later. Eventually my husband needed liquid oxygen and those tanks were huge and not portable. There were six tanks that were each nearly as big as me and they took up a good portion of our home office.

Thank you all for the replies! I was following everything you all said until the mention of flow! The technician that brought the equipment said that the doctor had ordered ”2 liters continuous”. Friend was in bad shape, so I was listening carefully to all the instructions. I asked what the “2L continuous” meant and was told the setting should be 2L and he should ”do it continuously”. I suspect now that it has to do with continuous vs pulse flow and I must research that! I think this weekend isn’t the time to be making phonecalls, but I will try to talk to the medical supply place and his insurance customer support ASAP after Labor Day.

PM, Mom was on Medicare and the portable device was not covered. She paid for it out of pocket.

If I remember correctly, Mom could not use pulse flow because she was not able to inhale strongly enough to trigger the flow of oxygen. Pulse flow conserves oxygen by only releasing it on the inhale (that is probably not the correct terminology, but it is basically how it works).

I think my dad had a 2-4 hour battery life on his, but the battery will last longer on pulse (it pushes air out in pulses, just like it sounds) than on continuous -- a constant flow of air. The rate of flow will also matter -- the more air it pushes, the faster the battery will run low.

My dad's was covered, but he was under hospice care most or all of the time he had it - and it was a rental, nit a purchase.

Bbstx, now I understand flow. Odd that they would call that pulse flow… draw flow makes more sense. Thank you all so much — I know what to look for in a portable OC now!

lascatx, I missed your last post — so now I do clearly understand pulse flow. The portable tank they gave him will only last an hour, which is why we think he needs something that lasts longer and is truly more portable. His insurance is good, and I’m hopeful that I can help him get something better.

Thank you again lascatx, jellytoast, and bbstx for taking the time to reply! Your collective information is very helpful to me and will definitely benefit my friend.

You’re a good friend, party_music50 ❤️

Kswl, thanks for the support. It’s been a rough summer! <3

It's always good to be able to share something you have dealt with and hope it can help someone else, and I'm glad your friend has you to help him. Life is easier as a team sport.

Yes, my husband has used both the heavy in-home ones and a portable one for the last three years. I think we bought the portable one from A*****, and it was about $600, weighs about 5 lbs., was not covered by Medicare. Look for "medical grade." Two details that may be important: (1) the one we bought only has a regular plug, not USB, so we also bought a USB-220V adapter for the car, so DH can use it in the car, and (2) try to get one with a backpack case with it if you can. DH's is a shoulder strap, and we really need to order a backpack so it will be more convenient to carry. Oh, and if your friend does not already have a pulse oximeter at home, he will want to buy a few. Those are the little finger devices that measure your oxygen level. They are under $20. We found it's convenient to keep one in the bedroom and one in the living room.

lascatx: Life is easier as a team sport. I like that! and it's ever so true.

Bestyears, thank you! I didn't end up chasing his problems today because I had my own stuff to deal with. lol! I will notice the power supply situation when I'm doing my research. He won't go anywhere without his pulse oximeter, but it is a good idea to get another! Not sure about the backpack for him... this all started because he had multiple compression fractures in his spine. He recently had kyphoplasty done, and the drugs they gave him apparently put him into a crisis hypoxia situation with his asthma. It's been fun. At least the ER doctor recognizes and smiles at me. :)

My DH also has multiple compression fractures in his spine. So I understand -DH is not going to go in an extended walk even with just a five lb. backpack. But shoulder straps can pull at the spine too -just a matter of what works best. Thank god was for this option now.

Until you get something, you can buy portable oxygen bottles at Walmart. They are in the sporting goods department.

Boost Oxygen Supplemental Oxygen Natural Medium 5 Liter, 1 Pack, Model 601

You can also order larger cans. They are all very lightweight. I do not like the flavored.

https://www.walmart.com/search?q=oxygen&facet=retailer_type%3AWalmart%7C%7Cbrand%3ABoost+Oxygen

Understood, Bestyears.

Sherry, that Rx-free oxygen would have been very helpful to him before all those trips he took to the ER! wow, I had no idea they sold stuff like that.

His insurance is very good and will cover most of the cost of whatever he buys, provided that he purchases it through an approved medical supply store. He’s been doing his research. :)

Thank you, both!

I didn't know about the sports oxygen either. I wonder how long that has been a thing. Sounds like you are navigating through things. If he can't carry the weight on his back or shoulder, look at small rolling baskets or carts -- the kind of thing you might use when shopping or toting things in and out of a car. You don't want the thing that is supposed to help to wind up hurting him.