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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Posts >> do I stay on verap or go off?
        
(Message started by: cschick on Nov 29^th, 2004, 10:13am)

Title: do I stay on verap or go off?
Post by cschick on Nov 29^th, 2004, 10:13am

I am coming to the end of my cycle, I believe. I am getting migraines more often than the clusters now. I should be ending in the next week or so. I have only had one bad one recently and that was a few days ago. So my question is when this cycle ends do I taper off the Verelan or stay on it? I go to the Dr. on Friday for follow up on clusters and need to have my ducks in a row so to speak! ;)

Thanks for your responses in advance - I gotta get on the phone now. It's gonna be a crazy day!

Karen

Title: Re: do I stay on verap or go off?
Post by don on Nov 29^th, 2004, 10:41am

There is no point in an episodic remaining on medication when they are not in cycle. Makes no sense.

I suggest you wait about two weeks after your last hit and get off the meds.

Title: Re: do I stay on verap or go off?
Post by Kevin_M on Nov 29^th, 2004, 7:28pm

on 11/29/04 at 10:41:50, don wrote:

There is no point in an episodic remaining on medication when they are not in cycle. Makes no sense.

I suggest you wait about two weeks after your last hit and get off the meds.

That's exactly what I do and yes I shadow a lot afterward but it's just bothersome, I've only had the very odd breakthrough once or twice so I keep a trex on hand but I'm confident that the shadows are leftover remnants of a beaten beast still trying to get up. My doc gave me similar advice.
I like to stay off as long as I can in the short 'tween stage so the next pending episode doesn't already have a tolerance to the verap causing the up and up dosage.

To each their own though.

Kevin M

Title: Re: do I stay on verap or go off?
Post by Redneck on Nov 29^th, 2004, 7:38pm

Episodic I am.
I ain't got off verap since 97, worked great, few major cycles instead of 2 to 4 a year. I will forget to eat, or take out the trash, but i never forget my verap!

Title: Re: do I stay on verap or go off?
Post by Rock_Lobster on Nov 30^th, 2004, 7:39am

Topa works for both. I have meegrainer friends who are on Topa as a preventative. Mayhaps that might be the ticket.

Title: Re: do I stay on verap or go off?
Post by helpless23 on Nov 30^th, 2004, 7:41am

Hubby is on Verapamil. We don't know what his cycle is. The only indication is 18 years on, 7 years off.

He's been on Verapamil since March,and when he went back to the Dr. a couple of months ago, was too afraid to go off of it, since it wasn't affecting his BP at all - and we dont' know what his cycle length really is.

Since Christopher passed away though, he's forgotten to take his Verapamil for a few days in a row without a hit. So I'm assuming that his cycle is over by now, but the Dr. said that if he doesn't feel comfortable going off of it right now, it's not a problem to just stay on. So we will see after another 6 months.

So who knows!

Good luck though!
Toni

Title: Re: do I stay on verap or go off?
Post by Carl_D on Nov 30^th, 2004, 7:46am

Back in '96 I waited 2 months from my last attack to wean myself off of it. Since this is a BP med, it's not good to just stop taking it, but rather taper off. Unfortunately though, Verapamil wouldn't work for me after I became chronic, so I sometimes wonder if I should have just stayed on it. Tough call.

Peace & hang tough,
Carl D