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wing_nut
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Am I Chronic?
« on: Apr 7th, 2006, 9:50am »
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Need some help from the old timers. My usual cycle is every 2-3 years lasting anywhere from 6-12 weeks. Since July, I will go anywhere from 2 weeks to 5 weeks PF and then Slam......the beast returns. My next question is if I am Chronic, is this as good as it gets? I have been on 480 mg of Verap. Last month I did the Prednisone Med Pack and that seemed to help for the 2 weeks.. I oredered the seeds and they never showed up. Apparently the place I ordered them was having some type of difficulty.
« Last Edit: Apr 7th, 2006, 9:51am by wing_nut » IP Logged
BarbaraD
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Hugs to ya

   
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Re: Am I Chronic?
« Reply #1 on: Apr 7th, 2006, 11:50am »
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I've been chronic since 97 and in that time, I've seldom had a day without at least shadows appearing. To me that is pain free time.  
 
The best advice I can give you is just enjoy the PF time and don't worry too much about whether you're chronic or not. You can't do a damn thing about it anyhow.  
 
Hugs BD
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Mikey99
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Re: Am I Chronic?
« Reply #2 on: Apr 7th, 2006, 12:05pm »
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You  may find  this interesting.  My cycle  is  2  years  as well  and my headaches  usually lasts about   10 - 12 weeks.   When  I started going into  3 months  or  more,  I knew something was wrong  because the  headache  changed a little  in terms  of the way it felt.  I told  my doctor  and he said  that I should  start  to wean off of the  verapamil  because my cycle  had probably   ended  but at  this  point,  the verapamil  was  causing the  headaches.
 
He was  right.    Somtimes  preventive  meds   will cause headaches when  not  in cycle.
 
The down side is that you may have to  use the abortives to kill the  residual  headaches that occur as a result  of the  verapamil.  The same thing  happened  when  I used  Depakote.
 
Just something to think  about.
 
If I didn't find this  out,  I would  have thought  I was chronic  as well.
 
I hope it's   the  meds.
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chewy
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Re: Am I Chronic?
« Reply #3 on: Apr 8th, 2006, 8:35am »
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Chronic is 1 year of pain with less than 30 continuous pain free days.
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MJ
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Re: Am I Chronic?
« Reply #4 on: Apr 8th, 2006, 6:32pm »
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Mikey has some good advice above. It may indeed be the meds prolonging your cycle.
 
It has happened to me as well. The fact that you can get the 2-5 weeks pain free may be an indicator.
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Re: Am I Chronic?
« Reply #5 on: Apr 9th, 2006, 12:18pm »
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Quote:
Somtimes  preventive  meds   will cause headaches when  not  in cycle.  

 
What? In 30 years of CH I have never heard of a preventative triggering a CH. Especially verapamil.
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MJ
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Re: Am I Chronic?
« Reply #6 on: Apr 9th, 2006, 2:22pm »
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Chewy
 
Its not that the meds are a trigger persay. Its more like a bad marriage where each enables the other.
 
Though it appears that one med will be helping the CH on the other hand the CH cant exist without the med.
 
Allmost like they reach a point of eqaulibrium where the med is not quite enough to do the whole job but does enough to make one think its working and causes a sort of rebounding effect.  Not sure how to explain that but past experience tells me it happens.
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MJ
burnt-toast
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Re: Am I Chronic?
« Reply #7 on: Apr 10th, 2006, 5:38am »
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By definition you're not chronic (1-year or more without a remission of 30 days or more).  "Chronic" is much worse than you are experiencing.  
 
My cycles last anywhere from 1.5 to over 3.5 years without remission.  In between I've experienced a couple remissions of about 1-month.  Over the last 12 years I've enjoyed one 3-month remission and am currently enjoying a remission of just over 2-months after a chronic cycle lasting over 3.5 years.  I'll call myself a semi-chronic.  Other folks suffer daily for many years and even decades wihthout remission.
 
However most here (even the chronics), can't deny that what you are experincing is having an effect on you life.  You don't mention how long your cycle lasts each time CH returns - but when attacks start returning every few weeks and last for a week or more - for that sufferer the condition surely feels chronic.
 
Work closely with your doctor - keep records of how your condition is changing and records that will help you work through treatment options that may provide better relief.  You're going to have to take some initiative and do some work if you want things to get better.  
 
Best wishes on your journey,
 
Tom  
  
« Last Edit: Apr 10th, 2006, 5:39am by burnt-toast » IP Logged

Would the owner of the propane torch, egg beater, pipe expander and vise grips please claim these items. They're lodged in my head and I need the space.
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