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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> verapamil ?
        
(Message started by: becky8 on Oct 3^rd, 2004, 8:32pm)

Title: verapamil ?
Post by becky8 on Oct 3^rd, 2004, 8:32pm

Last night I had my first trip to the ER. Started on and off last Wednesday and went on like that til Friday night. Then hit with full force and went on all night and day Saturday until I couldn't take anymore and even after 2 doses Imitrex(nose spray). I am chronic, I saw a Neuro last week for the first time and he was useless. I called him on Friday to tell him I was feeling real bad, I told him I wanted veramapil for preventive,since I read from all you it really helps. My question is how long before you know if its working and what side effects did most of you seem to get. Man, last night H2O didn't even help. I had 3 different shots before they found one that would give me releif, I waited to long. Well, I sure hope vermapil at least cuts these down day wise and pain wise. Anyone help????

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by vig on Oct 3^rd, 2004, 9:03pm

verapamil takes about a week...
anybody else?

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by becky8 on Oct 3^rd, 2004, 9:06pm

Does it help abort at all or not? I get confused with all these different drugs. I am still shadowing tonight and pray its not like last night

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by Redd715 on Oct 3^rd, 2004, 9:16pm

Verap has helped to keep the 10's away....but I'm rather low dose due to low BP to begin with. Depending on how high you can go and not have your BP bottom out, the more/better results you should see.

If I was able to go higher than 300mg extended release I would but I can't.

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by Karla on Oct 3^rd, 2004, 9:26pm

Sorry you are hurting so badly. I was ok on it with no luck till I took over 900mg. That caused me to have an irregular heart beat. But remember if it doesn't work at a higher dose try adding lithium900mg to it. I have heard it should take about a week to kick it and hopefully all your ha will end.

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by don on Oct 4^th, 2004, 9:32am

10 to 14 days at a theraputic dose.

I dose at 480 mg a day.

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by marfanoidus on Oct 4^th, 2004, 2:08pm

Yeah, it is definitely a preventative, not an abortive.

My (angel) neuro put me on a Prednisone taper while the Verapamil and Caffergot had time to build up in the system. That plan worked very well for me.

good luck to you,
walt

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Oct 4^th, 2004, 8:28pm

Ditto to the above.

My magic dose seems to be 480mg/day, but it takes at least a week to 10 days to kick in. Once it starts to work, the HA's that need Trex (statdose for me) gradually decrease in intensity until I only have shadows. Then they start to go away also. Start to finish, I'd say a cycle with Verapamil lasts about 5 weeks. Without it, I wouldn't even want to think about how long or bad it would be.

Chances are, your doc will want to start you out on a lower dose. Just encourage the idea of ramping it up quickly. A Prednisone taper started at the same time will often keep the beast at bay until the Verap has had time to start its magic.

As far as side effects - major constipation is a biggie! Fiber ... water ... the occasional laxative will be needed. Verapamil can also lower the B/P (causing dizziness, fatigue, etc.) and some people can't take it for that reason.

All I can say is that it has been great for me - hope it helps you as well.

Hugs and good wishes,

Kris

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by Tom K on Oct 5^th, 2004, 8:43pm

I have to agree, pred taper then verap. I'm on 240mg of verap but am on another hbp pill so my bp bottoms pretty easy. I got 2 trigger point injections in the back of the head to hold me over until the verap kicked in, one of them had pred in it. After a week and a half on verap, I'm pretty much PF.

T

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by don on Oct 5^th, 2004, 9:44pm

Best to get on the verapamil BEFORE the taper and continue after.

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by Pegase on Oct 6^th, 2004, 9:09am

at 240 mg it did the job for me... I'm still having slight shadows but i feel way better now... fatigue is sometimes a problem though.

Pegase

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by becky8 on Oct 6^th, 2004, 9:25am

Verapamil at 120mg will that even help at all, my neuro doesn't know anything I had to ask for it and he would only give 120mg. Is it going to anything???

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by Pegase on Oct 6^th, 2004, 9:45am

Usually the basic dosage is 240mg... Am I wrong gang???

Pegase

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by Margi on Oct 6^th, 2004, 9:53am

My hubby got up to 720mgs/day before it ended his cycle for him. Dosing that high, though, MUST be done with doc's supervision. Verap lowers blood pressure so you do have to be careful and keep getting your b/p checked.

Also important is to NEVER quit verapamil cold turkey! Because it does lower b/p, stopping suddenly could cause your readings to shoot high and put you at huge risk. Mike's doc recommended stepping down his dosages three days at a time.

Magnesium supplements work well with Verapamil. Not only is it suspected to improve clusters, it also helps with the ... uh... binding effects of Verap.

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by becky8 on Oct 6^th, 2004, 9:57am

I know I have to watch my blood pressure. What's the number for that to watch, I mean How low can it go and still be okay

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by eddie on Oct 6^th, 2004, 10:53am

77/50 is good enough
40/50 is to low {er trip}
140/90 is to high
180/ 110 severly to high

i think my reg bp is 138/88 pulse 78
now with 480mg verapamil the lowest it went 98/69 ok
the average while taking 480verapamil 108/68
when i started taking it along with pred taper
i made me HA diary also bp diary
i checked my bp every hour for a week it never got
to low for me. it kept it down but not to much.
PFDAN to all eddie

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by Margi on Oct 6^th, 2004, 3:29pm

i found a website today that considers 90/60 to be the mark at which they delcare you hypotensive - in other words, where it starts getting scary for you.

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by DerbyDemon on Oct 7^th, 2004, 5:37pm

I don't know why...but what was the website for the blood pressure? And by the way...960mg of Verapamil for me.

But I'm Sherlock.

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by becky8 on Oct 8^th, 2004, 8:19pm

960 of verapamil?? WOW!!!

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by Major_Headcase on Oct 11^th, 2004, 4:42pm

480 units Verapamil during cycle with Prednisone taper ... my doc had kept me on 240/day Verapamil since my last cycle as both a preventitive and an high blood pressure med. Previous cycle I was up to 720 a day, cycle before that I think 240 day worked for me. I'll start tapering the Verapmil after about 6 weeks or shortly after a week of being CH symptom free, I've had extremely good results this cycle [knock on wood].

-John

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by Valerie on Oct 11^th, 2004, 5:27pm

I just upped my dose from160 to 240 and it seems to be working a lot better. My presciption is for 240 but in the past it made me feel really weird. I think ramping up slowly to the 240 has done the trick for me. I haven't gone higher than a K 4 in the last few days - I was having a lot of k8's and k9's last week. I also hope this cycle is winding down :D

Valerie

Title: Re: verapamil ?
Post by Longhaired Redneck on Oct 11^th, 2004, 8:18pm

Been on "Calan" verapamil, for 6 or 7 years, 360 mg daily, been very lucky, it has worked well as prevenative, will not work as abortive. With 02 I have been very lucky.
Originally it took 2 or 3 weeks in the cycle, then not sure if it was the verap. Pred broke the cycle . No words of wisdom. Sorry.