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dragonbehind2
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Newbie going crazy with rebounds
« on: Jul 21st, 2005, 6:11pm » |
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Hello to all and wishing you a pain free night and day. I found this board and have been reading it through the last bout of CHs. I've had CHs for over 27 years now and still have not been diagnosed. My PPO took some convincing to get verapamil. She also gave me a lidocaine nose spray and good' ol vicodin - not much help there, but highly addictive. She wouldn't even give me trex. The verapamil seemed to help and today and for the last couple of weeks I've been suffering from rebounds only. I'm at work and have one right now about a kip 4. So guess what I do? Take another vicodin. Stupid, I know, but I'm afraid it's got me around the throat, monkey's on the back. Just before my chs started, I had surgery and was on vicodin for that. The the PCP adds to it. I just need to know if any one has some words of wisdom for getting rid of the rebounds. I know I need to stop the Vicodin and just writing this helps me to think about picking the date to do so. Should I stop the verapamil? All CH meds? Should I try kadzu (SP) for the rebounds? What do the CH sufferers say? 
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Kris_in_SJ
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Re: Newbie going crazy with rebounds
« Reply #1 on: Jul 21st, 2005, 7:58pm » |
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I'm sorry for your suffering dragon. But, I'm telling you now to stop the Vicodin. Throw it down the toilet, sell it to the local junkie, whatever. If you DO have CH, it will only make things worse (as you're discovering). Plus, it will permanently install that monkey on your back.
Next ... demand a referral to a competent neurologist. Print out the medical info on the link to the left and take it to your PPO to read. There are other articles that provide further info. If you'd like them, please PM me with your email addy and I'll send them. If necessary, find a competent neuro on your own, save your money and pay for the consult yourself. There's a good listing of neuro's on the OUCH website. You can also ask your PPO for a script for oxygen that must be prescribed a certain way according to the other link to the left.
Next ... start a headache diary, but get off the Vicodin first since it masks the actual symptoms. Note the times of day, duration of HA's, what you take or do at the time, etc. Backtrack as best your memory will allow. Take this with you to the neuro. Your goal here is to get a true diagnosis. Until you have that, you'll be considered just one more headache sufferer. And, there are many different types of headaches.
If you truly believe you have clusters, DO NOT stop taking the Verapamil. Hopefully you're on a dose that's adequate. I find anything less than 480mg/day does little to shorten my cycle.
OK - Sorry for preaching, but you desperately need to get a proper diagnosis before you can be adequately treated. With regard to Kudzu, there are others better qualified to answer your questions. I'm currently out of cycle and haven't yet tried it. Hang in there!
Hugs,
Kris
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AussieBrian
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Re: Newbie going crazy with rebounds
« Reply #2 on: Jul 21st, 2005, 8:26pm » |
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G'day. Sorry you had to find us but glad you did.
Kris is dead right, priority one is diagnosis. Firstly to make sure you're being treated correctly, and secondly to make sure another problem isn't going untreated.
There's heaps of information here and lots of understanding people who can help you along the way, so stay in touch and keep asking questions.
All the best to you and yours,
Brian.
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thebbz
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Re: Newbie going crazy with rebounds
« Reply #3 on: Jul 21st, 2005, 10:47pm » |
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Well said Kris. Any questions? Coffee helps sometimes and sometimes it will worsen the rebounds may get you by to get to the NEUROLOGIST.
All the best to ya draggin, hang in there.
BB
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burnt-toast
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Re: Newbie going crazy with rebounds
« Reply #4 on: Jul 22nd, 2005, 3:39am » |
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From experience pain meds. are terrible solutions to CH attacks - you're risking addiction for something that is not effective.
Don't stop taking prescription meds. until you have discussed it with a doctor.
I've had the best results finding good neurologists that understand CH - working in headache clinics. Be prepared with all of the H/A information you have as well a results from tests that you have undergone.
Please get a good diagnosis there are a huge variety H/As and probably even more reasons that folks suffer from them.
Good luck on your journey.
Tom
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BobG
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Re: Newbie going crazy with rebounds
« Reply #5 on: Jul 22nd, 2005, 4:00am » |
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GET OFF THE VICODIN. PICKING A DATE TO GET OFF? HOW ABOUT NOW! TODAY!
And do not stop the verapamil. Consult with your doctor. If it is not helping it may be because you are not taking a high enough dose. How much are you taking?
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dragonbehind2
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Re: Newbie going crazy with rebounds
« Reply #6 on: Jul 22nd, 2005, 10:29am » |
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Thanks for all of the sound advice. Woke up this a.m. with another rebound and the left side of my face (where my CHs and rebounds manifest their ugly little selves) was completely numb for the second day in a row. Get thee to a Nuero, is the goal of the day. I'll check the dose of the Verapamil -so far one blue pill a day is prescribed. I'll trash the vicodin - I can hear the toilet flushing now and I hope my doctor can too - her head should be in it. Then deal with the ramifications of withdrawal. At least the two months of CHs have passed for now. The beast is laying low. May you all have pain free days and nights. I am exetremely grateful for this site and all of the CH sufferers who understand this agony.
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Sean_C
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Re: Newbie going crazy with rebounds
« Reply #7 on: Jul 22nd, 2005, 11:20pm » |
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on Jul 21st, 2005, 6:11pm, dragonbehind2 wrote:| I know I need to stop the Vicodin and just writing this helps me to think about picking the date to do so. Should I stop the verapamil? |
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| « Last Edit: Jul 23rd, 2005, 6:32am by Sean_C » |
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Kirk
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Re: Newbie going crazy with rebounds
« Reply #8 on: Jul 24th, 2005, 12:56am » |
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Unless you need the Vicodin for something else. Get rid of it NOW. It took about 2 weeks for the Verapamil to take effect with me, but everyone is a little different.
O2 is one of the best abortives I've tried. It takes a bit longer than Imitrex injections, but there are no side affects.
Print out the O2 info on the left and take it to your Doc.
Best of luck
Kirk
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Jonny
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Re: Newbie going crazy with rebounds
« Reply #9 on: Jul 24th, 2005, 2:37am » |
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on Jul 22nd, 2005, 10:29am, dragonbehind2 wrote:| I'll trash the vicodin - Then deal with the ramifications of withdrawal. At least the two months of CHs have passed for now. The beast is laying low. |
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Sounds like the Vicodin will live on....The CH leaves real fast when your told to get off the good stuff 
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It is up to YOU to educate yourself and then help your doctor plan your treatment. If you just sit down in front of your doctor and say "make me better" you are setting yourself up for a great deal of pain.
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hdido
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Re: Newbie going crazy with rebounds
« Reply #10 on: Jul 24th, 2005, 3:33am » |
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Sorry for your pain. You say that you have been suffeing from "rebound" CH pain for quite awhile-without having been diagnosed, how do you know that and how do you tie it to Vicodin? How much Vicodin have you been taking on a daily basis and for how long? When you say that you are addicted to Vicodin, what do you mean? Do you crave it, continually overuse the prescribed dosage? Go from doctor to doctor to get more prescriptions? Has it caused you problems in your social/work life? Do get yourself to a neurologist, preferably one in a HA clinic and find out what is going on-good luck. P.S.: unless it was a typo on your part, which I hope that it was, you wrote that you were using PCP; if not the street drug, what do the initials mean? If it is of any comfort to you, Vicodin is not highly addictive and is relatively low strength on the scale of narcotic analgesics. Less than 1% of people taking such drugs for chronic pain become addicted; some, who must use them long term, become dependent which is a whole other animal.
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