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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004-2005 Getting to Know Ya Posts >> repeated nitemare
        
(Message started by: drap on Feb 11^th, 2004, 11:55am)

Title: repeated nitemare
Post by drap on Feb 11^th, 2004, 11:55am

i'm a newbie to your web i think it's great from what i've read so far.my nitemare started again 3 weeks ago. somehow i feel like the crazy weather here detroit started my ch i've been having them for about 6 years. always it seems in the fall or winter always on the one side of my head . it is the beast for sure. what a life. i'm currently on topamax and c/0 they are not working as we speak.can't use imtriex because of heart attack in 99. so my gp says.
so life goes on rigrt. GO RED WINGS DRAP ;;D

Title: Re: repeated nitemare
Post by amen on Feb 11^th, 2004, 1:02pm

Welcome aboard. Sorry you have to be here. Sorry you are getting hit. I am from Michigan too. Yeah, GO WINGS!
Andrea

Title: Alternative med
Post by Bob_Johnson on Feb 11^th, 2004, 4:42pm

If you can't use imitrex it likely rules out the ergotamines also. Print out the following and ask you doc for sample tabs. This med will not cause heart problems in the small doses we need.
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1: Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):813-6

Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.

Rozen TD.

Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. The initial olanzapine dose was 5 mg, and the dose was increased to 10 mg if there was no pain relief. The dosage was decreased to 2.5 mg if the 5-mg dose was effective but caused adverse effects. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and two patients became headache-free after taking the drug. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. It alleviates pain quickly and has a consistent response across multiple treated attacks. It appears to work in both episodic and chronic cluster headache.

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Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.