Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        New Message Board Archives >> 2002 Posts >> The Melatonin Experiment
        
(Message started by: Dave_Emond on Sep 17^th, 2002, 7:55pm)

Title: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by Dave_Emond on Sep 17^th, 2002, 7:55pm

For those who attended the Vancouver Convention, we heard and received information from Doug Wright in his presentation on Melatonin.
I'm going to give this idea a shot. I imagine I'll make a decent case study as I once was episodic and now am chronic. I've run the table on prescription meds with no relief from any. I have no insurance, and have not taken any CH related meds in the last 5 months. This should help in determining if Melatonin alone can make any difference.
I will be starting 9 mg of Melatonin tonight at 10 PM for the first time. I will log all information that differs from my normal routine.
For those who don't know me, I should tell you now ahead of time just what my "normal" routine is:
Chronic shadows 24 hours a day, with a minimum of 3 attacks per day. I have to fall asleep in a sitting position and average 3 hours sleep per night. Of course, I wake up out of position and to tremendous pain each morning. Takes a few to several hours before I reach a tolerable level to go about my business of the day and then cope as best I can with any attacks. The pain usually gets to be too much to be in public around 10 to 11 PM each night ... each long night!
So, I guess I would make a good canidate to test this treatment.
Doug handed out literature on Melatonin at the Convention, and I believe he will soon be presenting an indepth report to all soon. In the meantime, if others have or wish to try this I believe Doug would agree to have you check out information or work with your doctor to see if this is safe for you.
I found different sites on Melatonin, and will add a link to the one I found to be a good starting point. Make sure you check out the "Drug Interactions" as well as the Melatonin information.
On a side note, thanks to all who supported me while at the convention. I can hide my CH from the general public pretty well, but couldn't sneak anything past other sufferrers ;) It was great to see old friends again and meet many new ones. Warren, Bonnie and Tracy did a fantistic job of making this all work. Linda Howell and Doug thanks for the persistence :)
Sorry my birthday cake held up the the coffee ;)
Will keep you up to date, here is a link for information on Melatonin: http://www.drugdigest.org
Love ya all!
Dave
PS: I bought 120 tablets of 3 mg Melatonin for .......
$6.32 !!!!

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by Karla on Sep 17^th, 2002, 9:06pm

good luck Dave and please keep us* informed of your progress. I am very interested in this and after hearing your report of how you are doing in a month or two I may be willing to try it myself. I pray you will find some pain free days/nights using this method and get relief soon.

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by Mastifflvr28 on Sep 17^th, 2002, 10:45pm

Wishing you the BEST luck Dave. It was great seeing you in Vancouver, and happy birthday :)
Mast

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by tracy on Sep 18^th, 2002, 2:28am

Good Luck Dave. I hope this will bring you some relief you deserve it! Tracy

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by Jim R on Sep 18^th, 2002, 4:54am

My God Dave - you poor guy! :( I'm sorry you are in this condition from these bastards. I truly hope and pray you find some relief through this experiment. Best wishes Dave. Jim R

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by Dave_Emond on Sep 18^th, 2002, 9:29am

Thanks for the well wishes friends.
I took the 9 mg last night, there were a few differences, although I do keep in mind that the night before we drove 999.5 miles (850+ I did of the driving) and got home at 3 in the morning.
I normally fall asleep around 3 or 4 AM and wake at 6 or 7, last night I fell alseep about 12 and woke up at 4. No changes in pain before or after waking. Eye lids very heavy and sore (could be from the previous days drive?). Most significant difference is probably that I remember dreaming. I normally can't recall dreams, maybe 3 a year if that.
I doubt this one night means anything, time will be the true test. Now I need the hottest shower I can stand to try to get myself some type of relief. (I'm typing like jonny at the moment ... heh heh) ;)
Thanks for the support!
Dave

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by jonny on Sep 18^th, 2002, 7:50pm

Theres one good thing about the way I type, Bro.......you get to think alot about what you are typing before you are done.

Would never know that from some of my posts........LOL

Good luck with the Melatonin.

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

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by Bonnie on Sep 18^th, 2002, 8:09pm

Best of luck Dave - you certainly deserve some good luck for a change. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. Give my love to Annette too - it was so great to see you guys again!

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by maria on Sep 18^th, 2002, 8:11pm

Hey Dave,

I met you and Annette in Vancouver, best of luck in your trial with Melatonin. I am hoping you can find some relief. Maria

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by NancyMcFree on Sep 18^th, 2002, 8:20pm

Good luck with the new treatment. You really do deserve some relief. I feel sooo lucky that I found something right away that worked for me. Keep us posted.

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by sueellen83 on Sep 18^th, 2002, 8:27pm

Hi Dave,
I am sorry to hear you are having such a bad time with the beast. Good luck with the melatonin. I am really interested in knowing how well it works.
Take care,
Sue Ellen

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by Dave_Emond on Sep 19^th, 2002, 11:23am

Thanks all for your support, concerns and interest in my personal battle with the Beast. I'd like to reply to each message individually, but then of course my post would be very long, just want you all to know I appreciate each response.
As for Day 2 on the Melatonin, pretty much the same as Day 1. Again fell asleep around 12 and woke up at 4:15, although this time I think I dozed off after waking and repositioning myself for about another half hour. No changes in pain yet however. Recall dreaming again, very unusual. Maybe this means the sleep I am getting is better than before? Although, I've been told many times I have learned to suppress my dreams because of childhood abuse. These recent dreams seem to have no significance to anything, just dreams.
No side effects so far, although I'm drowsy most of the day, which still could be from being on the road for 3 weeks.
Taking a few days to recoop and try to get myself back into a mindset to try to find some more work and where I believe I can do it safely. Going to go bid on a carpet job at a hospital today (now there's a nice safe place) ;)
Annette and I both send our love and thanks to all of you,
Dave

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by BobG on Sep 19^th, 2002, 1:22pm

Dave, Good luck with the melatonin. Keep us posted of the results.

Carpet job in a hospital? Hospitals are not safe places for a healthy (or sick) person to be. Only the strongest of the germs, virus' and bugs of all kinds live there.

I can catch a cold just walking past the front door of a hospital.

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by oringkid on Sep 19^th, 2002, 4:54pm

LOL Bob, that is one of the reasons I won't go to ER's! I am afraid of getting something worse than what I came there to get treated! Hate doctors offices for the same reason!

Dave, I'll be looking forward to your posts on the melatonin treatment. One question, how do you know what brand to get?

Sherry

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by Dave_Emond on Sep 20^th, 2002, 9:03am

Yeah, after Senior Citizens homes, hospitals can be the filthiest places to work on floors. But, I'll take any work I can get :)
So ... Day 3 ... interesting.
Yesterday was the same routine up until 9:45 in the PM, seems we had a bout of Dueling Beasto's going on. Jack the Ripper would do his usual attacks at the right side of my face with an ice pick, then stop and Norman Bates would take over on the left side. Although Norman only weilded a hypodermic needle, he was pretty good at it. These attacks lasted for about an hour, taking turns "jumping" back and forth. I've had Clusters hit on the left side before, but I don't think this is coincidence ... somethings happening. On the rare occasion I get hit on the left side, that would be the only side. I finally went and sat in bed about 11 and think I fell asleep a little after 12, then woke up a few minutes after 6. That's a lot of sleep for me! Still woke to pain, but more tolerable than most mornings.
I'm not going to get my hopes up just yet though, don't want to set myself up for that frustration or depression the Beast has brought before when I was first going from episodic to chronic. Plus, I have a feeling that if this possibly works, I'll have some worse times before any relief. At least that's how it was when I was episodic. Obviously still too early to tell anything for sure, only that "something" is happening. Question is, will it be good or bad? Time ........
Sherry, I don't know if brands of Melatonin make a lot of difference or not. The first store we hit had only 1 mg tablets (don't recall brand name), and I wasn't to thrilled about taking 9 pills a night. We finally found (we ... Annette did all the footwork as I sat in the car trying to look normal ;) ) 3mg tablets called Natrol's Melatonin. Oh, it has a cute little picture of a moon sleeping with a nightcap on, with the words "Sleep Aid" underneath. So my first thoughts weren't exactly thrilling!
Supplemental facts:
Serving size one tablet - Vitamin B-6, 10 mg, 500% - Calcium, 63 mg, 6% - Melatonin, 3 mg, (daily value not established.)
Other ingredients: Cellulose, Silica, Stearic Acid, Cellulose Gum ... and of course Magnesium Stearate. (Which I think is in every med I've taken, and am therefore still studying Magnesium.)
This Melatonin is also marked 100% vegetarian.
I'd say the effects of the long road trip are not a factor anymore, so whatever happens from here on out should be more telling.
Doug? You out there? Any thoughts or comments?
PFDAN's to all,
Dave

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by Charlie on Sep 20^th, 2002, 5:45pm

Sorry about the level and frequency of your pain Dave. They used to wake me up too but after screaming in the kitchen for a little while, I could usually depend on some serious sleep....especially if I slept in my recliner. I was never chronic though. I really hate this thing and what it does to you.

Good luck Dave. It's your turn for a break.

Charlie

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by Linda_Howell on Sep 20^th, 2002, 7:26pm

Dave,

I wanted to wait a while after I got home to start this due to the traveling affects you mentioned. There was no time change for me, but I was wayyyyy tired, so I started last night with 10mg. Whoa! I was so asleep til the beast woke me. I did feel groggy this morning, but then I'm blonde and feel sort-o-llike that EVERY morning. Going for day 2 tonight. Did Doug say how long to take 10 mg. per night? Linda

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by dougW on Sep 21^st, 2002, 8:08am

Dave: thanks for keeping us up-dated. Please remember Dave, the others things we discussed in Vancouver, and address those areas.

Linda, the studies reported improvement in 3 to 5, with remission in 5 to 7. You should know in a week if its worth continuing.

Good luck to you both

Doug

PS: 100% vegetarian means synthetic, it does sound more natural, being made by Natrol. I now use generic brands from Rexall thanks to a new freind in the USA! Basically, they are all the same.

Title: Re: The Melatonin Experiment
Post by Dave_Emond on Sep 21^st, 2002, 1:06pm

Don't worry Doug, Annette won't let me forget about all we discussed :) And Linda, glad to see you trying this too, we can compare results.
As for Day 4: I had a pretty decent day, the chronic shadows were toned down and the attacks more tolerable. I again took the 9 mg at 10 PM, and within an hour I was very tired. But, the Beast decided he was going to make up for my better than "normal" day. He hit hard ... hard enough to put me on the floor (which I thought I had that area under control). My thinking on this is that I was so tired, I moved out of my sitting position and tried laying down long before I should have. I can only guess how long I was under this attack, probably a little over 2 hours or more? This also made it so I'm not sure when I actually fell asleep as well. I didn't wake until 9:30 though, so I must have got some sleep in there. I woke up feeling as if someone had beat the living tar out of me. Still, I feel like even writing this post is a chore, but needs to be done. Guess all I can say now is we'll see how the rest of the day goes and what happens tonight. I know I won't lay down as quickly tonight though.
I have no reason to think I need to quit taking the Melatonin, I can feel changes going on, but still not sure where these changes are heading. Can say, I'm not going through the horrible side effects that most prescription meds gave me, so I'll continue on.
Thanks for all the support,
Dave