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        New Message Board Archives >> 2006-2007 Getting to Know Ya Posts >> Greetings fellow Clusterheads!!
        
(Message started by: dadoph on Jan 3^rd, 2007, 9:53am)

Title: Greetings fellow Clusterheads!!
Post by dadoph on Jan 3^rd, 2007, 9:53am

Well, here I am. I've actually read the forums for quite a while but never bothered registering. Foolishly, after about five years of pain free living I thought that it was gone for good. Silly me.

Started again right before Christmas. Mostly K4-5 with an occasional K7-8. Matter of fact, I'm finishing up a 3 right now. Daytime CH's, while painful for sure, don't bother me as much as nighttime.

Anyone believe in the placebo effect? For some reason, I've convinced myself that Sudafed PE helps me. As a decongestant, it sucks. But, it seems to help. In fact, last night before bed, I took one Aleve and one Sudafed PE and slept through the night with no attacks!! Yah!! Dumb luck, maybe. But who cares. I'll be trying it again tonight!

I've tried oxygen (helps somewhat), Imitrex (tabs only, not much help), Zomig (ditto), Erg-something (??, can't remember). Nothing really seems to work. Only thing that helped is Prednisone, though the docs seem reluctant to prescribe it (hard on the kidneys or something).

Anyhow, here's to pain free living for all in 2007 and beyond.

Dave

:)

Title: Re: Greetings fellow Clusterheads!!
Post by georgej on Jan 3^rd, 2007, 10:21am

on 01/03/07 at 09:53:06, dadoph wrote:

Anyone believe in the placebo effect? For some reason, I've convinced myself that Sudafed PE helps me. As a decongestant, it sucks. But, it seems to help. In fact, last night before bed, I took one Aleve and one Sudafed PE and slept through the night with no attacks!! Yah!! Dumb luck, maybe. But who cares. I'll be trying it again tonight!

I've tried oxygen (helps somewhat), Imitrex (tabs only, not much help), Zomig (ditto), Erg-something (??, can't remember). Nothing really seems to work. Only thing that helped is Prednisone, though the docs seem reluctant to prescribe it (hard on the kidneys or something).

Anyhow, here's to pain free living for all in 2007 and beyond.

Dave

:)

Welcome, Dave.

I don't know if anyone else remembers, but years ago there was a belief among doctors (or so I was told by one of mine) that the formulation in Sinutab was helpful in treating cluster headaches. Don't know if it's still being sold this way, but it used to be acetominaphen, chlorpheneramine maleate, and pseudoephedrine. At any rate, I went through a couple of cycles more or less continuously dosed up with Sinutab. Can't say it did much of anything for me except make me logy all the time. I gave up on it.

As for oxygen, be sure you're trying it in the recommended way--12-15 lpm with a NON-rebreather mask. You don't say how you've tried it....it may be that it's ineffective because it's not being administered correctly.

You might also wish to try melatonin--I take 9 mg 1/2 hour before bedtime. There's anecdotal evidence here that taking benedryl with it may help as well. Melatonin has significantly reduced the number of nighttime hits that I get.

As far as Zomig, imitrex and prednisone goes, I'll defer to others in this--I don't take them.

Again, welcome--sorry to hear that you're taking hits again, but perhaps we can help you find something or a combination of things that may be helpful to you.

Best wishes,

George

Title: Re: Greetings fellow Clusterheads!!
Post by Guiseppi on Jan 3^rd, 2007, 12:49pm

Glad you registered and welcome to the board! Prednisone is very effective for me, blocks 100% of the headaches but long term use is destructive on all kinds of body parts. Most of us use a 2 week pred taper when our cycle starts up to give time for our preventatives to ramp up. I use 1200 mg of lithium a day when on cycle, it blocks most attacks. The ones that break thru I treat with oxygen, oral cafergot, and for the real butt kickers Imitrex Injectables.

Sit down with your doc and try to formulate a plan of attack. A decent preventative when your on cycle, and an abortive strategy for when you get hit. Read everything you can on the left and be prepared to educate your doc some, most have evry little expertise in these things! Good luck and again, welcome!

Guiseppi

Title: Re: Greetings fellow Clusterheads!!
Post by dadoph on Jan 3^rd, 2007, 3:37pm

Thanks for the welcome everyone.

By the way, I'm running a K3.5 right now. 2nd time today. Ugh.

Title: Re: Greetings fellow Clusterheads!!
Post by georgej on Jan 3^rd, 2007, 3:48pm

on 01/03/07 at 15:37:51, dadoph wrote:

By the way, I'm running a K3.5 right now. 2nd time today. Ugh.

Know what you mean--somewhere between a shadow and a tiddler. Not enough to make you sweaty and red-eyed and leaky and make you want to hide somewhere, but bad enough that it screws up your day. I hate that.

Here's hoping it's a short, uneventful cycle for you.

Best,

George