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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Posts >> Some advise for an eposodic??
        
(Message started by: 5-string on May 17^th, 2004, 11:58am)

Title: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by 5-string on May 17^th, 2004, 11:58am

My cycle pattern to date.This is my 6th year:

1st year-W-T-F is wrong with my head?End of October-December '99
2nd year- Attacks are worse.Starting eary October-Dec.2000
3rd year-mid sept. getting worse'2001
4rth -early sept. full on attacks,get M.R.I no clue what's wrong,muscle relaxers don't work. 8)'2002
5th-mid July-thought I was dying.another M.R.I see neurologist."cluster headaches!" Imitrex,verapamil,o2. meet you wonderful people. cycle lasts throught late November.
Each year they come earlier,hit harder and last longer.I fell fine now,but they're coming.
Am I alone with this pattern?
What should I do?
Will this lead to chronic?
Thanks,
...Mark..

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by thomas on May 17^th, 2004, 12:03pm

Try a different abortive besides imitrex, see if that will shorten your cycles. It worked for me.

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by Gena on May 17^th, 2004, 12:22pm

I have noticed that now that I am on meds:

1. My cycle is longer
2. I shadow almost all the time
3. Brake though CHs are few and far between and not
nearly as bad.

So even though my cycles are getting longer, most of the time I feel beter over all, then I did before meds.

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by JDH on May 17^th, 2004, 12:47pm

IMO imitrex will extend your cycle. It may make it more manageable but for me it definitely seems to make the cycle last longer.

Jim

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by Filbert on May 17^th, 2004, 1:12pm

on 05/17/04 at 12:47:32, JDH wrote:

IMO imitrex will extend your cycle. It may make it more manageable but for me it definitely seems to make the cycle last longer.

Jim

I agree totally!

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by BlueMeanie on May 17^th, 2004, 1:58pm

Hello 5-String. I'll try to explain my situation with Cluster cycles. Every year 25 yrs I get a cycle. I've had 2 cycles a year about 5 of those times.

Prior to Imitrex, O2 & other abortives. The good old days where I'd just tuff them out each & every time.

My neuro would give me narcotics to knock myself out or just be in a messed up daze all the time. I would keep track of each & every headache on paper. Here was my results.

Didn't matter how long the cycle lasted. Some as low as 8 weeks and ususally averaged 12 weeks.

The last 10 yrs or so. I use Imitrex, O2, and Amerge to abort.

Same thing. Didn't matter how long the cycle lasted. Some as low as 8 weeks and usually averaged 12 weeks. Except I've had a few weeks longer when using abortives.

My conclusion: The length of the cycle and the intensity of hits during the cycle seems to last a little longer, but how long the cycle actually last is how many KIP 9 &10 i've had during the cycle.

With or without abortives my cycle never ends until the Beast has kicked my ass with a KIP 9 or 10 approximately 22 times. Then and only then will my cycle end. Sounds strange I know, but that's how it works for me.

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by 5-string on May 17^th, 2004, 5:42pm

Thank's for the advise. I guess that's why my cycle lasted for 4 months last year.twice as long as before.
We'll see what happens this summer [smiley=huh.gif]
...Mark..

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by Carl_D on May 17^th, 2004, 6:56pm

Before becoming chronic, remembering my first episodes back in '87 were'nt real bad - just like putting a piece of ice on the eyeball and freezing it. Lasted a few weeks.
Everytime I cycled though, they got stronger and stronger and longer and longer. In '93, I had an 8 month bout that ruined me. I thought I had a tumor or aneurysm it was so bad - I was expecting to die. I never in a million years imagined pain like that, and thought it could never get any worse. I was so wrong.
In '98 I went chronic and the first 2 1/2 years was beyond brutal. I didn't understand a Kip 5, 6 or 7. When the beast hit - it was full force every fucking time. It more than ruined my life. No abortives worked, no preventatives. Pain meds only masked the pain a bit and made me dopey, but helped me cope.
Since becoming chronic, it has been a rollercoaster. Some days or weeks might only get hit a few times, and then there are periods where I get hit left and right. Been a rollercoaster the last couple of months, but it is starting to rear its ugly head more and more again.

Not everyone goes chronic though. Some people can even go into a permanent remission with them. Some chronics can even become episodic. Also, if something didn't work in the past, be it a preventative or abortive - always give something a try later - it just might work. Imitrex never did anything for me until I tried it again around August of last year, and found it now works.

Peace,
Carl D

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by Sean_C on May 17^th, 2004, 8:43pm

I"m with Blue, I know by the kip 10's that its going to be over in a few weeks. But man those weeks of kip 10's are enough to bring anybody down. Living in fear is more of a better term. Constant shadows, feels like somebody's constantly touching the back of my eye. In front of my right ear, not my temple, there must be an artery because it pounds with my heart, although its not painful.

But back to the question I think there the same 12 weeks 2 times a year with or without meds. Longest cycle was 16 weeks with trex and sancert.

Sean

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by jonny on May 17^th, 2004, 9:11pm

Rebounds.......Listen to Thomas.

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

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by Jeepgun on May 18^th, 2004, 12:40pm

So... Is it better to tough it out without Imitrex, or to use it only sparingly, if at all? What about the other meds like Verapamil?

-Frank

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by thomas on May 18^th, 2004, 12:48pm

on 05/18/04 at 12:40:28, Jeepgun wrote:

So... Is it better to tough it out without Imitrex, or to use it only sparingly, if at all? What about the other meds like Verapamil?

-Frank

You can try to tough it out, I prefer to use zomig instead of imitrex.

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by Jeepgun on May 18^th, 2004, 1:44pm

Thomas, is that the nasal spray? Is it available everywhere, now? I tried the Imitrex nasal spray and found it to be quite effective for inducing projectile vomiting, which could be a nifty party trick, but otherwise, it was useless.

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by BlueMeanie on May 18^th, 2004, 2:05pm

If you want a shorter cycle. Tough it out.

Unfortunately I've tried. It's just too hard for me to do when i'm getting my brain kicked and a shot is staring me in the face saying: take me, take me, i'll kill the beast for you. [smiley=huh.gif]

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by thomas on May 18^th, 2004, 3:32pm

on 05/18/04 at 13:44:21, Jeepgun wrote:

Thomas, is that the nasal spray?

I use the pill form of zomig.

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by Jeepgun on May 18^th, 2004, 4:27pm

I'll look into it next time the Beast comes a-knockin'. Thanks!

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by 5-string on May 18^th, 2004, 6:21pm

on 05/18/04 at 14:05:42, BlueMeanie wrote:

If you want a shorter cycle. Tough it out.

I don't know if I could tough it out again. I went med free before I was diagnosed. I think I'd try a root canal without novicane first. :-/
...Mark..

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by jonny on May 18^th, 2004, 6:37pm

Zomig pills and 02 for me, I have a script for Zomig NS but wont even cash it cause what I have works so well.

Some people say there is no such thing as rebounds, that its just a HA that was coming anyway. I use Trex inject for a week and I get three times the HA's, I dont use it and I dont get those extras.....You probably know where I stand on that arguement.....LOL ;;D

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

Title: Re: Some advise for an eposodic??
Post by Roxy on May 18^th, 2004, 6:49pm

on 05/18/04 at 18:21:10, 5-string wrote:

I don't know if I could tough it out again.

Mark,

There are quite a few chronics here who go med free. Not because they want to, but because nothing works for them. And they do it day, after day, after day....etc.

I used trex for about a year, it sure took care of the ch's, but it also caused more of them......nice little catch-22. I'm still suspicious that Glaxo put in an additive....more, more, more.....LOL.