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(Message started by: iukid on Sep 17th, 2002, 12:36am)

Title: are med worth it
Post by iukid on Sep 17th, 2002, 12:36am
Im starting to wonder if its even worth getting meds.  From what I hear there very expensive, cause rebounds, and cause cause you to be chronic or make you cycles closer together.  
Also people flamed one of my posts for asking whether preventatives or abortives were better.  By this I meant whether drugs like imitrex are better than drugs like vermapile.  I heard that imitrex can reduce peoples kips by 2 or 3 but preventatives stop the frequency and pain.  Know see what I meant

Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by Slammy on Sep 17th, 2002, 1:09am

on 09/17/02 at 00:36:44, iukid wrote:
By this I meant whether drugs like imitrex are better than drugs like vermapile. ...Know what I meant



Hmmm isn't vermapile the stuff left by rats after they get into your cheese?   ;D

I'll stick with verapamil with O2 and the cafergot chaser....   :D



Slammy     8)

Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by Mastifflvr28 on Sep 17th, 2002, 1:16am
verapamil, imitrex and O2 here.

Kid...how much have you actually READ about all the meds?  Like documents, not the posts.
You need to do some more reading kid.
Mast

Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by jonny on Sep 17th, 2002, 1:28am
Prevenitives and abortives are apples and oranges......(Did I just use that term?)

..........................jonny

Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by Jim R on Sep 17th, 2002, 3:32am
I don't thik people were nesessarily flaming you on that post...but I think if anyone can prevent a CH and therefore the associated pain, that is much better than getting the CH with the pain and then trying to get rid of it, because it is certainly more "iffy" at that point whether you will have success.  Verapamil is a first line preventative - doesn't work for everyone, but when it does, it often stops the beast in its tracks.  It did work for me for years without taking any other meds, then stopped.  I'm still on it at an increased dose and because I am now on other drugs, I can't determine if it is still working at a reduced level or what...I'm still getting CH's, but better of late with catapres added (another preventative).  Personally I would much rather prevent a CH then try and gid rid of one I have...IMHO - Good luck.  Jim R

Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by don on Sep 17th, 2002, 7:12am
Steady diet of verap while in cycle.

When out of cycle I have to go to I A
(Imitrex Anonymous)

Vermapile is not rat droppings. It is a type of Afghanastan carpeting made from Taliban beard hairs.

Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by Mastifflvr28 on Sep 17th, 2002, 8:44am
Kid,
The only reason I ask if you've read up on the meds is cause I'm not sure you quite "get it".

No one here is going to be able to give you a straight answer for your questions because we are all so different.  You have episodic and chronic, and sufferers that have found no drugs that work for them.

For me I will never go through a cycle without both prevents (verap) and aborts (imitrex & O2).  But I only have a peedily 3 months of hell to go through once a year.  I use prevents to lessen the frequency of attacks, and the aborts to get rid of the hell that I don't want to go through, so I can get some sleep.

Now a chronic might be way different then me, especially if they've not found the right med combination that takes down the frequency and intensity of the attacks.  I can see a chronic getting frustrated and giving up on meds, especially if their experience with meds makes their attacks worse.  But for ME, I can't see that.

So, did THIS answer your question?  Probably not.  We are all too different.  You have to experiment and use what works for YOU.
Mast

Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by pjeje on Sep 17th, 2002, 9:13am
Hi all,

Just my two cents...

Personally ANYTHING is worth preventing the clusters, and or aborting the clusters.  

I am not a cooperative patient even in other health issues, Once a side effect is felt, and I dont like it, I tend to find alternatives.  Not in this case.  Never.

I dont have money, I didnt have insurance even in this last health crisis, but I found a way.  I cried when I found the expence of imitrix, thank god all evened out in less then a week, did everything I was supposed to do and found samples for now.  My credit is proably even more ruined, conning the Drs to bill me, but hey I had to take a stand I was that scared! My good insurance wont even kick in until the next open enrollment which I put off ..."I never get sick"...ho hum.

My point is through research, research and that much more research professionally, here along with O.U.C.H. I would and will do anything to get this beast, even if it costs me. I am a master though of robbing peter to pay paul...when there is a will, there is a way....always.

Dont get discouraged...ever

A hug and a smile
Pat


Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by don on Sep 17th, 2002, 9:17am

Quote:
The only reason I ask if you've read up on the meds is cause I'm not sure you quite "get it".



Quote:
You need to do some more reading kid.


AMEN TO THAT

Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by echo on Sep 17th, 2002, 9:53am
If you can find the combo platter that works -- absolutly the meds are worth it.
It's important to become an active participant when dealing with the treatment of CH.  Most doctors want to have the patient who is a spectator.  The uninformed, unquestioning person who agrees with whatever they decide to prescribe.  Most often the doctor is just practicing on the patient.  The information available on the this site will give you the power you need to convince your doctor of the treatments you are willing to try.  
For me,  I have tried so many things in my 25+ yrs that I cannot remember half of them.  I have found things that would work for awhile and then the bastard would mutate on me and the meds would be ineffective.
Read, read, read --  you will find the combo platter that will help you the most.  Doc doesn't like it -- find a new one that does.

Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by Drk^Angel on Sep 17th, 2002, 11:41am
Meds are good...

PFDAN............................. Drk^Angel

Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by pjbgravely on Sep 17th, 2002, 4:12pm
Any Body who has clusters or cluster like ha's would do any thing to relieve the pain and try to prevent it from happening again. If your pain doesn't put you in this position then you cannot have clusters. Drugs too much money? I would live in a tent if I had too to afford meds. I paid $155 to buy 6 Imitrex sprays to prevent 6 times I didn't have to stop myself from smashing my head in. That was a lot of money to me, I paid $350 for my last car.

Title: Re: are med worth it
Post by 2late on Sep 17th, 2002, 9:40pm
if it weren't for meds, i don't know where i'd be today. risk of a rebound, side effect, or potential health probs doesn't matter, i want my ch gone now. i'll pay that price, ; it's a bargain! ;D                                                                                                 ...........2late



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