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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Morning Pain
        
(Message started by: bellarains on Apr 17^th, 2005, 9:09am)

Title: Morning Pain
Post by bellarains on Apr 17^th, 2005, 9:09am

Hi,

I am newly diagnosed with CH and will list again what meds I am taking for those who do not know. I am taking Topamax, up to 75mg a day as a preventative. I have not had a night hit now for almost two weeks( WooHoo). I do however wake up almost every morning with that familiar burning sensation from the right side of my sinuses through eye socket,all the way through my temple. This is not the hit your knees, roll around and pray pain, and I'm not very familiar with the kip scale, but on a scale from 1-10, I rate it a 4. I can usually handle this with some Advil Migraine and keep it at bay.

I do have an appointment with my Neuro tommorrow, but also wanted to confer with you guys to see what your experience with these have been as usually when the night hits are gone, they have just been gone. I am wondering if this has something to do with the Topa????

Thanks,

Lori

Title: Re: Morning Pain
Post by maffumatt on Apr 17^th, 2005, 9:24am

I get the same, I think your preventitive has kicked in. Think of it this way its a reminder to take your meds.

Title: Re: Morning Pain
Post by clarence on Apr 17^th, 2005, 9:31am

I've never taken topamax, so I really can't say. I really hope that it is working for you and that it continues to. Good luck at the Neuro tomorrow, and please let us all know how it goes.

Casey

Title: Re: Morning Pain
Post by sandie99 on Apr 17^th, 2005, 10:02am

the only thing I recall from taking topamax is that it gave me hellish ch attacks... :(

Title: Re: Morning Pain
Post by kimmeesue on Apr 19^th, 2005, 1:12am

Hi Lori,
Good luck with the neuro today.
I've been on Topamax since Nov. Up to 150 mg twice daily. I'm chronic, constant shadows with numerous hits (kip 3-5) throughout the day every day usually lasting 15-45 min. Few nighttime hits since beginning melatonin. Do have occasional kip 9 and 10's. Before the topa was having 9and 10's every day so there has been a big improvement. Only side effect is memory impairment...think that is fairly common and more a nuisance for me than a major problem.
Best wishes for a pain free future
Kim

Title: Re: Morning Pain
Post by bellarains on Apr 19^th, 2005, 9:04am

Hey Kim,

Thanks. All went well, and I have to say that I have been doing pretty well on the Topamax. I am actually maintaining at 75mg. I do have a bit of a problem with reading comprehension, and am a bit tired, but a b12 complex vitamin hopefully will help with that.

Doc gave me a new script for Indomethacin for pressure I still get on the right side of my head???? As I said, I am quiet new at trying to explain these symptons, so am not sure if these are what you all kip levels??? I will try and explain, and maybe you guys can help me identify my pain. It kind of feels like the pain before the CH sets in, but not exactly. It is a burning pressure, but not a stabbing pain, and my right eye does tend to tear up a little, but not droop. This pain is more intense at times than others. What do you all call this?

Oh, almost forgot. I did ask about the Melatonin, and she surprised me by saying she did have patients that used this with good results, and that it would not have any adverse effects with any of my current meds. The Kudzu she was not that familiar with, and did not or would not? discuss much. Guess that one I will have to check out for myself.

Hope this is a good day for all.

Lori

Title: Re: Morning Pain
Post by BarbaraD on Apr 19^th, 2005, 10:01am

The topamax worked wonders on me. Had several years of "remission" with it. 75mg was my starter dose and I finally leveled out at 100mg. At times with the "episodic" breakthrus I had to up the dosage, but when they subsided, I went back to 100mg.

Melatonin at 9-12mg has helped some (at least I get some sleep at night - most of the time).

Try drinking some coffee when you first get up in the morning. Sometimes the caffine will abort those 4-5s. O2 works well also.

Hoping you the best..

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Morning Pain
Post by Judge_Smails on Apr 19^th, 2005, 10:21am

I've been experiencing something similar and I'm also taking Topamax (100mg per day). I'm getting these occasional headaches that feel like a combination of a tension/migraine/CH (not a pure CH) - they aren't very strong, maybe a 3 on the scale, more of an bother than anything else, and they're often in the morning when I first get up. I've just been taking over the counter meds to deal with them, though I did use O2 the other day because I was getting ready for work and didn't have time to deal with it and figured I'd give it a try (it worked). My cycle should really only last another week or so so I don't know what to make of them.