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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Posts >> Does meds make your cycles longer?
        
(Message started by: Drk^Angel on Apr 14^th, 2004, 12:31am)

Title: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by Drk^Angel on Apr 14^th, 2004, 12:31am

I'd say... Hell no! I'm done with the med free BS... I have a bottle of Verapamil, and I'm not afraid to use it! ;;D

PFDAN................................... Drk^Angel

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by Kevin_M on Apr 14^th, 2004, 1:45am

Without an effective enough prevent this last cycle, which was the longest yet, my doc believes my overabuse of imitrex abort kept it alive.

Couldn't help it though. Insanity otherwise.

Kevin M

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by stevegeebe on Apr 14^th, 2004, 7:24am

I don't know Dark.

I use to wait until I could not stand it before I would take meds and my cycle would last about eight weeks.

Last year, I started meds when my cycle started and had a six month cycle.

I don't know what I'll do when it comes around again. Brave pain free thinking now. When it hits me, I'll likely dance on over to the med stash and order up the o2.

Steve G

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by Kirk on Apr 14^th, 2004, 8:06am

Looking at my diaries I would have to say no.

TTFN

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by Melissa on Apr 14^th, 2004, 8:24am

No. Mine are pretty much the same length with or without meds.

:)mel

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by thomas on Apr 14^th, 2004, 8:45am

If I use imitrex, then the answer to your question is definately YES.

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by Margi on Apr 14^th, 2004, 10:30am

I'd have to say yes. Mike's cycles used to last two months, max, when he was med free (for about 15 years). However, the remissions were never longer than 6-8 months.

He has medicated with verapamil and Imitrex for the last two cycles (after his blessed current 2 YEAR remissions!) and these last two cycles have been 6 months and 5 months in duration.

So, is it aging? Length of remission? Or usage of preventatives/abortives that prolong the cycle. All the more reason to keep the research going!

edit: having said all this, mind you, Mike is never going to go med free again. This last cycle was the most manageable yet, thanks to verap/trex and trusty O2. Med free is brutal!

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by JDH on Apr 14^th, 2004, 10:47am

Back in the day when I was basically med free my cycles never lasted as long as they do now. When I started using use Imitrex it seemed to prolong the cycle and intensity of the hits.
But that's just me.

Jim

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by fubar on Apr 14^th, 2004, 12:03pm

I don't know, but remembering back to when I was episodic, it seemed like my cycles always 'bloomed' as soon as I gave in and started using meds to abort attacks. It could just be coincidence or the fact that I don't 'give in' until it was in bloom already, but either way it was strange.

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by Pegase on Apr 14^th, 2004, 12:32pm

For me... first time on med (Verapamil) and this cycle seems to be the lonnnngest i ever had... but also... like Margi said... the most manageable... in everyway, frequency, level of pain, etc... BUT my shadows are more annoying...

My humble testimonial

Pegase

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by ZAIRA on Apr 14^th, 2004, 3:44pm

on 04/14/04 at 00:31:10, Drk^Angel wrote:

Does meds make your cycles longer?

No, on the contrary, when I was episodic, the cycle was shorter. ;;D

See ya Dark, happy to see you around again! Be well! :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by brain_cramps on Apr 14^th, 2004, 3:50pm

While on various meds over a 15 year period (including narcotics, ergot-based meds, and triptans), my cycles were 6 to 8 weeks long.

While med-free for the last 7 years, my cycles have got shorter and shorter. The last cycle was only 18 days long.

grant
(who would rather count in days instead of weeks or months)

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by Rock_Lobster on Apr 14^th, 2004, 3:59pm

I was ready for this cycle... had a vast stockpile of meds ready...
and it lasted forever.

Last one (low meds) was 4-5 weeks. This one (high meds...lotsa Trex) 13+ weeks.

Since I have that 'pain allergy', leaning toward the 'high-med' route for my next cycle.

Wrokc

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by Prense on Apr 14^th, 2004, 7:07pm

What's a cycle? ;;D

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by Giovanni on Apr 14^th, 2004, 7:18pm

Quote:

Posted by: thomas Posted on: Today at 10:15am
If I use imitrex, then the answer to your question is definately YES.

Ditto

John

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by Drk^Angel on Apr 14^th, 2004, 9:32pm

Allz I know... Last cycle, I was on verapamil, and the cycle was my longest to that point... 8 months... I started thinkin'... Was it the vera? With that thought in mind, when the vera didn't seem to help at the beginning of the current cycle, I decided to go med free. Now I'm thinkin' maybe I should've just upped the dosage, and seen if that'd of worked. C'est la vie... Live and learn...

PFDAN.............................. Drk^Angel

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by buckeyescooter on Apr 14^th, 2004, 11:06pm

I remember back in the 80's asking my doc. (Robert Kunkle @ The Cleveland Clinic), if he thought that using drugs like pred just prevented the ha's from breaking through until the taper was over. I remember perfectly him saying that there were some people who felt that way. Like I told Thomas the other day....when that horse gets out of the barn, she's most likely just gonna run til she get's tired. Thank God for 02. No rebounds from that....at least not for me.

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by nancyc on Apr 15^th, 2004, 1:01am

When I was episodic, imitrex definetly made my cycles longer...After I became chronic, it made the chs more intense...What used to be a 15 minute head banger became a 1 hour one....Butt, I never left home without the trex. :)nancyc

Title: Length vs. Size.......
Post by Mr.Happy on Apr 15^th, 2004, 1:48am

Preventatives turned my 3 week hell cycles into 2-3 month PITA cycles.....I think. Once every 3 years. But they were "dealable" when treated. Episodic paranoia isn't so bad once you get a handle on it. Shadows don't count. Long live O2. The random mutation factor is what blows the equation. Who really knows?

I'll take the meds......
RJ

Title: Re: Does meds make your cycles longer?
Post by Turts on Apr 15^th, 2004, 7:15am

As per Mr Happy,

Regardless what the women say :Length vs Size" i wouldnt know as I have both. lol

But when it comes to CH I think I would prefer higher KIP's shorter cycle. Than long cycle low KIP, the longer they go the more sanity I lose, and thje closer the edge gets ( and Im not talking about the sunglassed- cowboy hatted U2 Guitarist, even though I love him)

I dont think meds have played a part either way though.

Turts