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        New Message Board Archives >> 2002 Posts >> clusters meds and drinking!
        
(Message started by: Elaine on Sep 20^th, 2002, 9:27am)

Title: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Elaine on Sep 20^th, 2002, 9:27am

I noticed at each of the conventions I have been to that people seem to not take their meds at the first signs of a cluster. Most all of us knew when someone was getting hit but they did not take their meds till after they were hit. I got hit on the Golf course my pocket book was in Bonnies car but I went stright to Margi and asked for a zomeg I did not wait. I also felt the need to vanish just incase. I left the corse even tho I caught it in time. I did not care for others to see if the zomeg did not work. Wouldn't it be best to take right away instead of waitting?

I also noticed that eposidic who were in cycle did not drink. I noticed that chronics did drink. I was asked at the convention what I thought about that. I am not a drinker and only drink maybe once or twice a year if that much. I figure at those times I am going to get hit anyway why not enjoy. I was really surprized I only got hit one time. I did not do a lot of drinking but I did drink. My answer to the questions was we are going to get hit any way why not drink. Chronics whats your intakes on this? I did not have a good answer because I am not a drinker so thought I would put it here for the chronics to answer for her who drink.

My question and my concern about drinking and the main reason I don't drink a lot is. If your drinking and you get hit won't that interfer with most the meds we take?

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Ted on Sep 20^th, 2002, 9:45am

Yup. That's a lot of it for me. I'm going to get hit anyway so why not, since I enjoy doing it. That's not the case with all my triggers though. I don't say I'll eat a certain food even though it has MSG, let's say, because I'll get hit anyway. But I can usually find the same food without it and like it just as much.
Also, often if I go out drinking I'll get a couple of days of a light cycle following it. So I'll take the attacks that night for the lighter days that will follow.
As for your other question, meds don't work for me anyway, prophylactics or abortives (other than O2 sometimes) so I don't have anything for it to interfere with.

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by catlind on Sep 20^th, 2002, 11:48am

Elaine,

I don't drink when I'm in cycle because I've learned that for me even a few swigs of beer, wine or liquor will bring on an instant kip 9-10. I'm not a big drinker anyway nowadays, I used to drink heavily as a teen and through my 20's. I also used to shrooms regularly, so maybe that's why I never got hit this hard when I was younger...who knows.

As for waiting to take the meds, I'm very guilty of that. First off, alcohol doesn't interfere with my preventative, and secondly, none of the traditional abortives seem to work for me or are acceptable for me to use because of other health issues...so when it comes to pain meds, I tend to wait as long as possible to resort to them. I've been told by the doctors that's the wrong way to use them, that I should take one at the first sign of onset with the O2, but I can't see taking tylox everytime I get a little kipper. I believe it would lead to addiction and rebound headaches. Because of my 2 year old, it's often difficult to get 15 full min on my O2 tank upstairs (the big one) so I tend to leave it until I know I'm going to get hit harder than a 3/4 level. Now that I have a portable (bless your heart and soul Bill_L) I can take a quick gulp of the O2 without too much trouble.

I suppose it would be best if I did what the neuro told me to do and take the pain meds at set times through the day to work as a preventative for escalating pain that is much harder to manage and abort, but I am too afraid of the cycle of rebounds that it causes. I dealt with that before and really want to avoid it. I'd love for an abortive to come out that doesn't affect the heart or b/p and doesn't interact with my preventative. New things are coming out everyday, so I'll keep looking.

Prolly not the answers you were looking for LOL, but I like to talk so I figured I'd fill in some space on the thread LOL

Cat

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Elaine on Sep 20^th, 2002, 1:06pm

I really wasn't looking for a answer the woman that ask me was. But I did find this about meds and drinking. Imitrex was one of them it says it can cause the headaches to get worst if you drink and ake imitrex. There are also a lot of drugs talked about that it effects.

http://alcoholism.about.com/library/bldrug_ia.htm

I think its just important to take meds as soon as you can...I hate clusters so bad I don't even want the small ones.

I am not preaching I smoke and that is not good for clusters or any of my medical problems, I am as bad as anyone else. If I liked the tase of beer and stuff I guess I would drink more. The drinking was really amid at chronics I think.

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Jim R on Sep 20^th, 2002, 1:25pm

I'm an episodic and if I were unmedicated or just on verapamil alone without my catapres, 1 beer would bring on a KIP 9-10 within 1/2 hr. It happened to me last year before I was on lithium - OMG, it was embarassing! Therefore, before catapres ("BC" LOL!) I simply would not drink - I only ever drink beer anyway - don't like the hard stuff. Last year, lithium allowed me to drink without getting a CH, so I'd hoist a few on weekends without ramifications. This year with the catapres, I can drink, but sometimes I'll get a strong shadows from it and sometimes I get nothing. If I get a shadow or even a mild CH, O2 seems to take it right away (whereas BC, it hardly ever did).

Regarding meds - my abortive has been either stadol or percocet - both narcs, and I'm like Cat - hate to take one at the start becasue it might be nothing, then if I don't take one, it might be a KIP( - it's a real quandry what to do. If it comes on fast and strong, I'll take the percocets right away 'cause I know they'll take at least 1/2 hr. to kick in, but if it's a slow to start one, sometimes I'm okay, but sometimes I get caught getting hammered by the beast....really really hard to know what to do. And now that I can take it, I'll have the same issue with Amerge (when I get the guts up to finally try it! LOL! - vasoconstrictor triptans scare the shit out of me - don't want my coronary arteries constricting!!!!) Jim R

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by catlind on Sep 20^th, 2002, 1:55pm

Elaine, thank you very much for that link....I learned something I didn't know before....My doc had given me trazadone to help me sleep....and I reacted SEVERELY to it...thought I was dying in fact...and after looking up celexa on the about site, it talks specifically about seratonin syndrome when taking trazadone and celexa at the same time. Learn something new every day :)

Thanks Mucho...that explains alot

Cat

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by jonny on Sep 20^th, 2002, 3:12pm

Beers not a trigger and out of the 20% fo CH that do break thru I can abort about 80% of those in less than 20 mins so I see it as having no effect on my meds.

What chronic that dont drink have these stats?

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

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Marc on Sep 20^th, 2002, 4:13pm

Ditto to Jonny's comment......

I can usually abort almost 100% of my break through CH's but I have good weeks and bad weeks. It doesn't matter if I drink zero beer or ten beers.

You guessed it, I love Verapamil!

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by DougL on Sep 20^th, 2002, 5:03pm

Well it all makes since to me.

Chronic's drink anyway. Well go figure. They get hit 24/7 so why not.
Eposidic's well they don't get hit all the time so Yea! (and this is what I do) dont't drink while in cycle.

Kinda weard ;D

Now when it comes to med's I take at the first moment. Every once in awhile I will try to wate but that usally does me in.

However taking imitrex while drinking and getting hit. It will work. But, it takes longer and does not last. I always have to take a second pill (50mg) to get rid of it. Usally followed up by a vicoden for what I call the left over pain.

DougL

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by oringkid on Sep 20^th, 2002, 6:36pm

I know you were looking for chronics E, but I'm episodic and I drink either when I want to, (since I'm gonna get hit whether I drink or not) go through the attack (which comes 20 to 30 min. after drinking 1/2 beer, depending on how far along I am in cycle) and then continue to drink. Or sometimes I drink to puposely bring on an attact right before bed so that I can sleep most of the night. These are for beginning of the cycle or ending of the cycle. At peak, I tend to avoid it.

Sherry

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Charlie on Sep 20^th, 2002, 7:00pm

Alcohol never seemed to be a problem. I used to head for my petri dish of a bar with my friend and get really stupid...even during a cycle...It was too much fun at the time.

I'm not much of a drinker today and just plain miserable to be around. Now I drink only on religious holidays.

Best I can do Elaine.

Charlie

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Jackie on Sep 20^th, 2002, 7:29pm

Interesting question, Elaine...and some interesting answers and comments.

Hubby, Blake, is a chronic. He used to say "to hell with it..I'm gonna get hit anyway so why not drink". The only problem with that is we discovered when he drinks the CH comes faster, harder and lasts longer. They (Diamond Headache Clinic... >:() say that vodka, VO, scotch & one brand/type wine are the least apt to trigger......they are full of shit where Blake is concerned anyway. They are full of shit about a lot of things but that's another story.. :-X It doesn't matter. All alcohol is like poison to him. However, he will still try to have a drink once in awhile. About 3 months ago we had worked in the yard all day. It was hot and a vodka and grapefruit sounded great.....so he tried one. BANG!! It took only about 20 minutes and he got hit....with three more that evening.

Blake is on verapamil, lithium and prednisone daily. He has zomig and imitrex to abort. With this much medication we don't figure his liver needs the added stress of the alcohol either. We do miss the party days though....we used to hit it pretty good ;D It's just not worth the price anymore >:(

Jacks 8)

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by maria on Sep 20^th, 2002, 7:54pm

Hi Elaine, it was probably me asking you the question about chronics and drinking in Vancouver. As an episodic and in remission (I hope!) I could not imagine having a drink while in cycle, cause I knew it would trigger a CH within 30 - 60 minutes. But I now have some sympathy for the chronics, when you do this 24/7, it would appear whether you drink or not you still get hit. So that, I guess, is the answer to my question to you. Interestingly enough, still on this alcohol issue and CH, I talked to someone this weekend in Vancouver, who shall remain nameless (you know who you are, you lurker) who actually used alcohol during a cycle for some reprieve from the CH attacks. What he did was get shit-faced (not his words) on booze, have a big head banger CH an hour later and then he would have 2 pain free days, where he could catch up on his sleep and no CH's, interesting huh? Nice meetin you Elaine this last weekend, Maria

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Elaine on Sep 20^th, 2002, 8:20pm

I thought it was you Maria but wasn't sure and I was drinking mostly coke a cola ;-)!

Its funny I got hit Sunday and drink faily heavey Sunday night I have not had a cluster yet..your friend maybe right but drinking for me is like drinking a bottle of castor oil YUCK !!!!!

Aren't you the lady that said golf cured her clusters...it gave me one :-(

I enjoy meeting clusterheads and find that I learn something from each meeting. I just hated to leave you hanging on that question...it really did not relate to me so I wanted others to answer it for ya.

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Linda_Howell on Sep 20^th, 2002, 9:13pm

Hmmmm. Drinking and clusters.

I've had clusters for 15 years now.
The first 5 were episodic and I am now chronic for the last10 yrs. When I was episodic, I could drink only "out of cycle" If I even looked at a beer or a glass of wine, I'd get hit , in cycle....

When I realized I was chronic (after about a year of no remission) I did a test. Now, I'm not a heavy drinker anyway. Don't close up the bars at 2:00 am sort of thing, but occasionally when I've had a hard, hot day of cleaning houses, I like to kick back with a couple of beers, or if I have as nice dinner, I like to have a glass of wine or two (not 20) So I do this test on myself....

For 3 months after I am chronic, I drink NOTHING alcoholic. NOTHING!!! I get hit regularly....every single MF-ing night. Then I drink like I would like to, for 3 months....I get hit same amount of time every single MF-in night. No differance. I have talked to other chronics and they have the same exact thing to say to me. So what am I saying?

Alcohol does nothing for or against my headaches. Thank you Elaine for bringing this subject up. It DOES need to be discussed. Linda

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Ted on Sep 20^th, 2002, 9:23pm

on 09/20/02 at 19:54:08, maria wrote:

Interestingly enough, still on this alcohol issue and CH, I talked to someone this weekend in Vancouver, who shall remain nameless (you know who you are, you lurker) who actually used alcohol during a cycle for some reprieve from the CH attacks. What he did was get shit-faced (not his words) on booze, have a big head banger CH an hour later and then he would have 2 pain free days, where he could catch up on his sleep and no CH's, interesting huh? Nice meetin you Elaine this last weekend, Maria

A number of us are like that and have posted about having that reaction and reason to drink. Why, I just posted that above several hours ago.

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by dentedgirl on Sep 20^th, 2002, 10:27pm

Hello people. Drinking is a trigger for me. The worst. If I can make it past three beers it's a miracle. After the attack, I continue to drink until I am pretty much toasted. I won't have an attack for a few days, within this period I get drunk agian. In other words, If I get drunk every other day, I can go weeks without a headache. Maybe some small ones in there somewhere.
I don't do this anymore. It has obvious disadvantages.
I don't even like to drink anymore, that first one is a real bitch. :'(
Mike

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Jasmyn on Sep 21^st, 2002, 3:28am

Elaine, wonderful topic!

After reading through them all, I decided to up my intake, as I have no intake at all at this stage because I'm in a period. >:(

I've been dying for a bottle of red wine or a G&T. South Africans makes the BEST red wine on the planet. :D

I'm always scared to drink even a drop as it gives me a Kip 12, if there is something like that! But I haven't concentrated on the next few days after as I had such a terrible hangover!

If it is true that drinking has no influence on meds and can actually sometimes keep the Monster away for a day or two, who's my liver to complain?! It's shot in any case due to the excessive med intake. ;D

Very, very happy!

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by maria on Sep 21^st, 2002, 10:19am

Elaine, sorry you got hit while on the golf course. Yes I am the golf fanatic that speculated golf may have "cured" my headaches. But it is really the by product of golf that may have helped which is increased exposure to natural light on a year round basis. Compounding the issue is about the same time I took up golf (8 years ago) I also started a new medication. I visited to ER at the peak of cycle at the end of my rope. The GP on duty was an old guy and a CHer. He told me to do what worked for him, which was to go on Prozac at the first hint of a cycle or few weeks before you think you will get one, and stay on it for 3-4 months. I followed this regime for the next several years, no CH's then forgot about them and taking the Prozac. So, 5 years no CH, I had major surgery 2 and 1/2 years ago and bam! started into a full bore CH cycle the evening of the surgery. So who knows, there is no rhyme or reason to these things. Maybe I am in remission or my biological clock is now set to 5 year remission periods, time will tell.

Ted, my comments about the binge drinking and effect on CH, were added to provide support for your comments, as I found this interesting and hadn't heard this before. I know, I know you said it first. :)

Maria

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Ted on Sep 21^st, 2002, 10:35am

Actually, a number of people posted about this before I. It sounded like that was the first time you ever heard of it so I just wanted to make sure you were doing your reading. :-)

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by maria on Sep 21^st, 2002, 11:34am

Hey cool! I just got my first sanction from the message board police ;D, LOL, no seriously Ted I have done a lot of reading on this site; but have to admit I have not done a search in the archives on drinking. :) Maria

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Ted on Sep 21^st, 2002, 11:41am

Hey cool! I just gave my first sanction to a regular about recent posts. ;D

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Jabeen on Sep 21^st, 2002, 2:07pm

I am episodic, not chronic and am currently under control with meds. I drink mostly only red wine. When I was first diagnosed and did some reading, I avoided certain common triggers (alcohol, aspartame products, etc) -but it seemed it changed nothing. So-I took the pills and kept on eating and drinking as I please. I do not drink every day-but probably every weekend. If my personal situation worsened, I would probably try to eliminate things and see if it worked. :) :) :)

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by 2late on Sep 21^st, 2002, 3:43pm

i love my beer (got my own tap system) but during a bad cycle i won't touch it, march thru may not a drop.but i sure do make up for it when i'm PF ;D ............2late

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Jasmyn on Sep 21^st, 2002, 4:13pm

Well, girls & guys, I'm your alcoholic gizmo by choice! I have just drank a whole bottle of red vino and drank my meds(a bad combination I might add), so either I'm pushing flowers by tomorrow or I'll report on my misbehaviour!

So far so good!

To Elaine's question:
My answer to the questions was we are going to get hit any way why not drink.

It's far better than sitting with shadows and being scared to go to bed.

And I agree at this stage with Ted:
I'm going to get hit anyway so why not, since I enjoy doing it.

I agree with Catlind:
I'd love for an abortive to come out that doesn't affect the heart or b/p and doesn't interact with my preventative.

Jim R - Just hang in there, pal!
Jonny - You're THE man! (besides Jack, the Kack)

Marc - I love verapamil, if it could work by itself!!!!
DougL - use Imitrex injects!

Charlie - become a friendly person again, you wierd guy! Drink more and forget about the relig. holidays! You will feel younger!
Oringkid - your logic makes sense!
Maria - you got me hooked on the 2 painfree days!

LindaH - always wise - Alcohol does nothing for or against my headaches. (You go Girl!!!)

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by maria on Sep 21^st, 2002, 8:53pm

Jasmyn, glad to be of help in any way I can. If you can get those 2 pain free days, you go for it girl. I just returned from a wine tasting/tour at one of our local wineries here in the Pacific Northwest and was informed that Alice White of Australia sends their oak barrels here and has this winery bottle them and distribute them. Interesting ,huh? What South African wines do you recommend? And I hope they are imported here. Maria

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by jonny on Sep 22^nd, 2002, 2:54am

Where the hell are the beer tours.....Im pissed!!!!

Can one chant while typing?

Beer tours, beer tours, beer tours

guess not :(

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

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Jasmyn on Sep 22^nd, 2002, 2:01pm

Maria, the best SA wine make is "Nederburg" and I love the full bodied "Baronne".

I survived last night - not pushing daisies yet! Feel much better this morning.

Jonny beer gives you a big belly, come and taste the wine! If you get a convention going I'll meet you guys there and bring some famous wines to celebrate and then "The HELL with the CH, we are going to PAAARRRTYYY!"

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by jonny on Sep 22^nd, 2002, 2:26pm

25 yrs of drinking beer and there is not one ounce of fat on this belly, hell, I dont have a belly.......LOL

Want a pic to prove it just say so ;D

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

Title: Re: clusters meds and drinking!
Post by Charlie on Sep 22^nd, 2002, 8:13pm

Make sure you have a few cans of wine for Jonny. I'll bring a box of South Buffalo 1992. It was a hell of vintage :D

Charlie 8)