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(Message started by: crispy on Feb 4^th, 2003, 5:17pm)

Title: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by crispy on Feb 4^th, 2003, 5:17pm

Hello everyone and anyone,There are so many messages here it seems it would take days or weeks to read them. This is my first time so be gentle.As I write I am celebrating my 30th year of clusters with an episode.It appears to be my worst.I used to get 1-2 a day now I'm getting 4 and they are almost at the exact same time every day,kinda like a routine.I am using imitrex (1/2 shots).So I'm wondering about a possible theory.Has anyone experienced or know of anyone who gets their headaches at the same time of day and night because it is treated by the shot at that same time? What I'm trying to say is that a pattern might develope internally.Or does everyone get them at the same time? Just a thought in my damaged head....thanks

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by jonny on Feb 4^th, 2003, 5:22pm

Being chronic the time line means nothing to me for the most part, What I can say is that the 6 months that I used the shots my HA's tripled. Since I stop using they are back to what they were before.

But thats just me.

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

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by echo on Feb 4^th, 2003, 5:26pm

I suppose it's possible for the brain to become dependant on something at a certain time and basically program you to respond as it wants. Kind of like a pavlows dog thing.

I'm sure the knowledge bank at your disposal here on the MB will help to answer your question.

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by cathy on Feb 4^th, 2003, 5:32pm

Hi...welcome...sorry not sure about the answer to your question...so I won't give you one..lol

on 02/04/03 at 17:26:52, echo wrote:

I suppose it's possible for the brain to become dependant on something at a certain time and basically program you to respond as it wants.

Hmmmm...that sounds interesting ;D

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by cbolony on Feb 4^th, 2003, 5:45pm

Crispy I use the imitrex injection and I get more ch.
In cycle for the first 3-4 weeks i get 3-4 a day around
the same time every day.Then they start to get less and less till the cycle ends in 6-8 weeks.Thats why my next
cycle i'am going to try oxygen and keep the imitrex
just in case the oxygen does not work

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by cootie on Feb 4^th, 2003, 7:07pm

Hello crispy.....Brad's started out like clockwork (close ta 20 yrs ago).....he took the imitrex pills 'n verapimil.....episodes after the very first one followed a pattern 'sumwhat' time wise also but this last episode was "very" different.....he got more of em and no time pattern and more shadows. Kinda has me worried even tho he is outa cycle....our doc jus sent us a letter he left his private practice for a hospital position in Michigan....now we gotta hope the referr'd doc knows his shit bout CH....but I kinda doubt it.....here we go "agin".......rats......good luck to ya...........Pam

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by jonny on Feb 4^th, 2003, 7:20pm

HONK!!!!!

;D ;D ;D

...............................jonny :D

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by suzy617 on Feb 4^th, 2003, 7:28pm

HONK! ;D

ooops, forget why i posted, LOL. I wanted to welcome you Crispy. I havent tried the shots yet but I have to say this year was also the worse of 21 years for me too. To think that the shots would give more ha's makes me want to think about NOT using them now.

suzy

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by jonny on Feb 4^th, 2003, 7:39pm

on 02/04/03 at 19:28:21, suzy617 wrote:

HONK!
To think that the shots would give more ha's makes me want to think about using them now.

Suzy,
You do know that "HA's" means headaches right?

Just checking.

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

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by suzy617 on Feb 4^th, 2003, 7:45pm

Sorry Jonny, been up since 3am, brains a little fried, I forgot to put that one little word "not" in there, as in, not using them.
Guess its bed time for me...
thanks for pointing out my mistake ;)

suzy
(yawn, honk, yawn)

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by 2late on Feb 4^th, 2003, 8:10pm

let me tell ya somethin' about trex injections,personally my last cycle went from Feb. to june last year, i took so many of em' i was convinced they were causing more & more ch's, thanks to this board i started using 02 & i know that's what broke the cycle of the rebound ch. i think there's definatley an internal pattern here. good luck! ..........2late

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by jonny on Feb 4^th, 2003, 8:19pm

on 02/04/03 at 19:45:41, suzy617 wrote:

(yawn, honk, yawn)

LMAO.......Dont be sorry....get some damn sleep.

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

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by ziggy on Feb 4^th, 2003, 9:07pm

I'm with 2late this last cycle which lasted 30 days is now over & I'm positive this time the o2 made them aleast bearable kip5-6 and less frequent with a added bag of frozen peas i didn't have to take shots. But the first week i was taking the shots & 3-4 headaches a day. 5 days later i got the o2. headaches went down to 2 times a day about the same time.No preds. this time and my cycle still lasted the same lentgh of time.Another thing i did different this time thanks to this site was try the water. icouldn't drink as much as you were supposed to but i did drink alot more than usual.{i think it might have helped with intensity} But the o2 hands down is my weapon of choice against the beast.

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by ozzman on Feb 4^th, 2003, 10:20pm

Ok,
I think I'm gonna have to disagree. If Imitrex produced rebound headaches due to its half life once the effect wears off you would get another one. If the Imitrex 1/2 life is 2.5 hours we would get and average of 9 CHs a day.

I beleive that the cycle starts off slow (for most of us, chronics are adifferent beast altogether, Jonny in particular, LOL), slow both in pain level, duration and frequency. When I'm nearing the peak I get 4 or 5 a day and without abortives they reach a hellacious K 8-10. I can almost always recognize the true peak when I get a K 10 for more than three hours, where no med actually works.

I've been a clusterhead for over 14 years and it seems that the cycle frequency, and duration are increasing. The pattern is similar to individual cycles, only in a larger scale. I don't know if the pattern is the same, then that would indicate that in a few years the "peak" of my cluster history will be to become the "C"word (the other C word, the one that is actually cluster related). Scary thought. >:(

To finish, actually there is a study on the OUCH website in the Meds section that talks about using the Triptans as a treatment for rebound headaches.

PFDAN to all.

Ozzy

(HONK)

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by ozzman on Feb 5^th, 2003, 9:36am

bump

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by Bob P on Feb 5^th, 2003, 9:46am

Ozzman,

Nice to read a post by a researcher and learner rather than a guesser. Lots of articles in the OUCH Library re rebound headaches and Imitrex use. I think the Library should be mandatory reading before anyone is allowed to post on the MB.

As is said around here so often, educate yourself.

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by Tony_M on Feb 5^th, 2003, 10:01am

I am chronic and my attacks start at set times of the night. But I am afraid of using needles so use Immitrex sparingly when I really need it. Yet the headaches still come at exactly the same time. Depending on severity I have a certain regimen of things I do with immitrex injections as a last resort. With nights of no injections at all. Yet the pattern is the same almost every night.

This anecdotal evidence would make me conclude that in my case it is not the Immitrex injection that is making my attacks appear at the same times every night.

IMO it has something to do with sleep, going into REM something like that.

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by Karla on Feb 5^th, 2003, 2:59pm

Quote:

IMO it has something to do with sleep, going into REM something like that.

I get 8 headaches at the exact same time everyday during my waking hours not sleep. So I don't think it has anything to do with sleep or imitrix.

Honk

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by Margi on Feb 5^th, 2003, 4:15pm

Hi Crispy and welcome. Mike (my husband) has gone through probably 15 or so cycles, completely unmedicated - save for the odd narcotic that some uneducated doctor gave him, or antibiotic for 'sinus infection' ::). He has tried OTC pain killers to no avail, the psilocybin treatment that was semi-successful for awhile and the water treatment (also worked once to end a cycle for him.) He has also, in the last cycle, tried going the med route, which did little for him except (we think) give him his longest cycle ever.

His attacks are pretty regular, medicated or not. 6 - 8 attacks in a 24 hour time frame, peak cycle, ramping down as the cycle nears its end. He has used Imitrex as an abortive, as well as oxygen, and both fail him at peak cycle. Neither one will reduce the number of attacks for him at any point in his cycle, however.

REM sleep IS a common trigger for a lot of cluster sufferers and can sometimes be avoided by taking Dramamine/Gravol or Benadryl before bed (none of these drugs allow the user to enter REM sleep).

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by crispy on Feb 5^th, 2003, 5:02pm

Hi Margi(and everybody), That brings up another thought.What happens if I took a good dose of a sleeping pill would I skip my nightime CH's or would I wake up it total agony and drugged up?

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by jonny on Feb 5^th, 2003, 5:10pm

Probably the latter, try the dramamine like Margi suggested.

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

Title: Re: Imitrex induced headache pattern
Post by Margi on Feb 5^th, 2003, 5:11pm

Hi Crispy - I'm not sure about sleeping pills....sure wouldn't mess with them.

Dramamine/Gravol or Benadryl produce sleep as a side effect, something we stumbled on during a particularily horrific cycle here. Dramamine is an anti-motion sickness med, available generically and over the counter. Benadryl is a decongestant. Don't take them together and don't take more than the recommended dose. Mike's never complained of waking up groggy, but I'm sure that's a possibility for some people. It's certainly not a cure all and it doesn't work every time, but those nights that it WILL let you sleep? Golden.