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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> When to start abortive treatment???
        
(Message started by: elheilig on Nov 16^th, 2004, 12:09pm)

Title: When to start abortive treatment???
Post by elheilig on Nov 16^th, 2004, 12:09pm

I have recently been dx with CH (after years of unsuccessful treatment of "sinsus disease"; 2 surgeries). My headaches are always preceded by flushing and buring of my checks (L>R) and nasal congestion on the headache side (always left). Everyday between 11AM-3 PM Is this the time to use an abortive treamtent or should I wait until I fell headache pain?

Title: Re: When to start abortive treatment???
Post by unsolved1 on Nov 16^th, 2004, 12:27pm

You should wait until you feel pain before taking any abortive medications ... otherwise you could be wasting your meds.

Unsolved

Title: Re: When to start abortive treatment???
Post by don on Nov 16^th, 2004, 2:44pm

Wait for the pain, otherwise just what is it you are trying to abort? If you are episodic you will be dealing with the symptoms (shadows) almost around the clock. Dont use abortives for symtoms, use them for the actual pain.

Title: Re: When to start abortive treatment???
Post by Mac_Muz on Nov 16^th, 2004, 3:37pm

It has been a long time since I posted here.
If you try O2 and that works for you then I would say at the very first signs you get to that O2 and begin doing the breathing.

O2 won't harm you, and then you might save what ever meds you have better. O2 so long as it works for a person is probably the best way to abort. Tye longer you wait to abort with O2 the longer it takes to work, and the more you suffer.

I can see no reason why anyone would not want to try O2. It has no after effects and with in reason will not harm you, so is about as safe as it gets. Mac

Title: Re: When to start abortive treatment???
Post by Bob_Johnson on Nov 17^th, 2004, 7:39am

Most folks quickly learning their personal symptoms and so can tell when a certain set of symptoms means a cluster is coming. While I can understand why folks using Imitrex don't want to "waste" it, given the cost, I'll have to disagree about the timing advice.

Abortives work most effectively if you can get them into your body before the cluster has fully developed.

Title: Re: When to start abortive treatment???
Post by Mac_Muz on Nov 17^th, 2004, 8:01am

Bob,
I agree with that! First thing I get is a little sting in my right nostril. Thats when I mess around with tea's and other things I wonder "IF" about. This little sting hardly matters, and is a sign of whats coming soon....

Shortly that sting will run across my right cheek, and my nose begins to run clear mucus. And that is when I head for O2.

By doing that I can just about totally avoid suffering altogether, and that demon is beaten back to where it came from; granted I might rather being doing something else during the time it takes to breath in 35 breaths, but then when you compare the 1.5 hours of hell to the 45 minutes breathing somehow seems far better.

I owe Johnny here big time for the info and the how to and a few others that made a very big difference to me. I name Johnny because I can. Pirate's are afraid of nuthin ;)

My problems really begin when I am not home if the attacks occur. I really can't lug around a 5 foot tall steel bottle of welding O2 all that easy. And then I wait a bit longer as I have no choice but to abort with Imitrex.

Probably I am a very odd duck if you compare me to most other's no matter how you compare. Using Imitrex depresses me, and I feel like the demon won that battle whether or not I suffered much.

Mac