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KarynG
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Verapamil dosage problem
« on: Jun 16th, 2003, 5:41pm » |
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Hi Everyone,
I'm getting ready to begin my yearly cycle so I have started taking Verapamil as a preventative. I had first tried Verapamil last year, but as I was already having CH's, I was also using Imitrex. My heart skipped beats for several hours and was scary and uncomfortable. I assumed it was the combination of the two medications. This year I decided to start the Verapamil before my cycle started and hopefully avoid needing the Imitrex. I began with 120 mg once a day for three days and then on my doctors advice upped the dosage to 240. I started having problems with my heart beating too fast and skipping beats again. My question is: Does anyone have any experience with such a low dose being at all helpful? I lowered the dose again today and haven't had any problems but I don't know if it is worth taking at this dosage. I am almost six feet tall and 155 pounds so it is not because I am a little person. I am also getting botoxed again on Thursday as I feel it might have had a little effect last year. Will post any results. Thanks for any input.
Karyn
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| « Last Edit: Jun 16th, 2003, 10:08pm by KarynG » |
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eyes_afire
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Re: Verapamil dosage problem
« Reply #1 on: Jun 16th, 2003, 6:38pm » |
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Hi Karyn. I can only speak for my experience with verapamil. EVERY time I start verapamil or increase the dosage, my heart feels fluttery. Eventually, that feeling goes away once my body adjusts to it.
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cbolony
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Re: Verapamil dosage problem
« Reply #2 on: Jun 17th, 2003, 11:26am » |
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KarynG i take 240mgs 2x aday do problems yet
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stuey
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Re: Verapamil dosage problem
« Reply #3 on: Jun 18th, 2003, 10:51am » |
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Hey Karyn. I have taken verapamil 240 for blood pressure for about three years now. I had no idea people had palpitations from this medication because I was under the impression verapamil was used to treat arthymias. I have had no luck at all with 240 mgs of verapamil or 440 in controlling my attacks. I am now on 720 and they have lessened somewhat. I have had no palps whatsoever with verapamil, just lethargy when I stepped up to 720. Only time I had palpitations was when I tried 2 cafergots at once. That was real uncomfortable. It seems the body gets used to different doses pretty quickly. Don't know if this helps at all but 240 did nothing for me other than control my pressure. Stuey
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KarynG
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Re: Verapamil dosage problem
« Reply #4 on: Jun 18th, 2003, 7:16pm » |
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Thank you all very much for your input. It doesn't seem that anyone has had success with a low dose of Verapamil. I saw my neurologist today for my botox injections and he said to continue at 120 and not to mess around with my heart by taking 240. He said the same thing I've always heard here that it is usually easy to tolerate. I'm not surprised though; I am allergic/sensitive to lots of drugs. I'll post if I have any interesting/new results. Thanks again.
Karyn
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b.bop
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Re: Verapamil dosage problem
« Reply #5 on: Jun 19th, 2003, 11:02pm » |
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Hi Karyn,
I started on 80mg a day and it was then upped to 120. I stayed on this for several weeks and I was fine without any headaches. Its such a relief to be able to work and have fun again. I hope this helps and best of luck with your verapamil  !
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Larry_K
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Re: Verapamil dosage problem
« Reply #6 on: Jun 24th, 2003, 1:37pm » |
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Hi Karyn:
I've lived with CH for about fifteen years. It took my n euro about one year to figure out what I had and to try several different formulations. Finally we tried verapamil and lithium - 240 X 2 verapamil and 300 X 2 lithium. The only side effects were a slight trempling of the hands for about a month from the lithium and excess sweating during exertions from the verapamil.
For fourteen years those two drugs have kept the beast away except for two two month periods. (The last two month period ended just forty-five days ago.)
After hearing the experiences of others, I realize how fortunate I am. So, yes, low dosages do work...at least for me. Best to you.
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Larry K
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Dave_W
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Re: Verapamil dosage problem
« Reply #7 on: Jun 24th, 2003, 3:53pm » |
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Hi Karyn,
I've had cycles in which 120 mg/day was enough, and I've had cycles in which 480 mg AM + 480 mg PM was not quite enough to kill 'em off but did reduce the frequency and severity. I've noticed no side effects at all.
When I've added up to 900 mg/day of lithium, no side effects but above that level (I've been to 1800) I get a little trembling. One note on lithium from my experience is that the long-acting kind tends to really raise my serum levels, to the point that it makes me groggy and I have to cut back. No such experience with the instant-acting kind although I have to take it more often (3 doses/day).
Good luck, and let us know how you do!
Dave
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KarynG
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Re: Verapamil dosage problem
« Reply #8 on: Jun 24th, 2003, 8:08pm » |
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Thank you again for replies; hope is a beautiful thing. Will continue taking 120 mg Verapamil and post my results. Karyn
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| « Last Edit: Jun 24th, 2003, 8:13pm by KarynG » |
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JoeKen
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Re: Verapamil dosage problem
« Reply #9 on: Jun 26th, 2003, 3:52pm » |
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Hi KarynG,
My experience on low dose Verapamil is very limited but it may be of interest to you. I am a 63 year old male and I have been recently diagnosed by a Cosultant Neuro as suffering CH, but my symptoms are not classic. I was prescibed Sumatriptan (Imigran) at 50 mg to be taken at the onset of a h/a, which for me worked fine. During a recent foreign holiday I purchased over the counter from a pharmacist some 40 mg Verapamil tablets to see whether prevention was better than cure. Not knowing what the correct dose was, I started with a single 40 mg tablet. Later that day I had a very strange and disturbing 'attack', during which I suffered no pain, but my heart started pounding very heavily, (as if it was going to burst out of my chest), but the pulse remained normally steady (ish) - I do not recall any flutterings or missed beats, but I was feeling so ill and sweaty (mild panic ?), that I may not have noticed them. Your description of "scary and uncomfortable" fits the bill exactly. These 'attacks' lasted for about an hour and repeated after 3 or 4 hours, getting less each time, until they finished completely after around 24 hours. Thinking back on it after reading one of the postings above, the Verapamil was taken just a few hours after taking 50 mg of Sumatriptan - maybe it was the combination of the 2 - how long does Sumatriptan remain in our systems?
I needed to be sure of the cause, so after a few days I repeated the experiment, again a few hours after taking a single 50 mg Sumatriptan tablet to fend off a CH, and got exactly the same reaction, but to a lesser degree. The remaining Verapamil tablets will remain untouched and I just hope my GP doesn't decide to reduce his drugs budget by taking me off the Sumatriptan and putting me on Verapamil - I guess that that is when I find out whether it is Verapamil alone or it's combination with Sumatriptan that my system dislikes so much.
Hope this helps.
JoeKen
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jonny
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Re: Verapamil dosage problem
« Reply #10 on: Jun 26th, 2003, 6:06pm » |
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on Jun 24th, 2003, 1:37pm, Larry_K wrote:| Finally we tried verapamil and lithium - 240 X 2 verapamil and 300 X 2 lithium. |
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Larry,
Ive been on the same for 13 years, out of my 28 years chronic the last 13 have been like a real life....not free of pain but free of the insanity of pain that you think will kill you.
To me its not the dosage its the mix, I tried Verap (nothing), I tried Lith (nothing).....when I put them together it was a chronics heaven!! (To me)
Same goes with 02, doc gave it to me and told me to just breath it....it did nothing. I showed up here nearly four years ago and was taught how....it kills 80% of my HA's now.
.....................................jonny
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cbolony
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Re: Verapamil dosage problem
« Reply #11 on: Jun 27th, 2003, 5:31am » |
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Quote:To me its not the dosage its the mix, I tried Verap (nothing), I tried Lith (nothing).....when I put them together it was a chronics heaven!! (To me)
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jonny you are right a lot of neuros are starting verapamil
and combo it with lith,depakote and ect...my combo is vera and depak can't take the lith because of thyroid.
Quote:| not free of pain but free of the insanity of pain that you think will kill you |
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jonny i'am not pain free but to keep the CH low kips i will take over the 8-10 anytime
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