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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> question
        
(Message started by: gtjim on Jan 17^th, 2006, 5:18pm)

Title: question
Post by gtjim on Jan 17^th, 2006, 5:18pm

hi, my name is jim . i live in australia and was diagnosed with this last week. this site rocks! if i didnt stumble onto this site i wouldnt have known about the icepack trick or the coffee trick. THANKYOU.these two things have helped me immensley, plus im on verapamil(not sure if it is really helping though).

ch SUCKS BIG TIME

are there any bad short or long term side effects of using verapamil?

my ch has been on my right up until this morning. is it normal to change sides??

Title: Re: question
Post by joke ten dam on Jan 17^th, 2006, 5:49pm

how long have you had CH?

Title: Re: question
Post by marlinsfan on Jan 17^th, 2006, 5:55pm

There is nothing normal about CH. We are all different, but the majority of us don't switch sides.

Can't answer on Verap, as all I know is what I've read, and you can do that on your own. I have an opinion, but it's only that. It's not a fact.

Verap is a preventive med. You also need an abortive weapon. My weapon of choice is, in the following order:1 Oxygen, 2 imitrex.

When are your hits? If you get hit a night, try melatonin. 9 mg before you go to sleep may help, but it will take a few days to build up. You can get it at the supermarket or walgreens, in the vitamin section.

PF wishes.
Jose

BTW: what's with the GT in your name? Do you drive a mustang?

Title: Re: question
Post by Karla on Jan 17^th, 2006, 6:40pm

I took up to 960mg of verapamil(calan). It caused me to become severly constipated and I had to take medicine to. It caused shallow breathing and shortness of breath. Then at the highest dose it caused irregular heart beat. So I gave up on it and got off it quickly.

BTW it can change sides. Not common but it can.

Title: Re: question
Post by Phil the Desert Rat on Jan 17^th, 2006, 7:08pm

Jim,

Welcome to the family! Sorry for you, too. The ice and the coffee helped me big time, too. So much support here.

I just had my first round of CHs, lasted only 2 weeks, but was in hell most of that time. About halfway through, my doctor put me on Verapamil 480 mg (though I confess, I don't know if I was taking it as prescribed, as I would forget from one minute to the next, and know I took more than I should have a couple times). Took me several days to adjust to it, but the grogginess goes away after a few days. It seemed to work for me, in that the monsters dropped from 8s and 9s with 10 spikes down to 6s and 7s with 9 spikes (Kip Scale)...did nothing for the shadow, though. Coffee and ice helped with that.

Thanks for saying that yours switched sides within one cluster...mine did too. That was pretty confusing. It became just bloody agonizing, too, because after switching sides (from right to left after Day 3), the really bad ones (2-4 bads in a 24 hour period, 2 hours+ apiece) would blossom from the left side of my head to fully engulfing my whole head, with what felt like red-hot iron rods jammed up through BOTH eyeballs and eye sockets, and ramming up through the top of my skull. It was agony.

Regarding the short term memory loss and meds: many people here advised me to start writing notes to myself during the episode (cluster of CHs), especially with regard to medication. This will prevent under/over dosing. I will DEFINITELY do this next time around!

Wish you much luck. Keep us posted.

--Phil

Title: Re: question
Post by gtjim on Jan 17^th, 2006, 7:37pm

Hi Guys,

Thankyou for your replies.

It started on Dec 30 and it has come like clock work 10am and 6pm. Since Ive been on verapamil 160 it hits me about midnight and usually lasts for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. average kip 7.5 but have had a couple 9's and one 10 that took me to the ER.

Again thanks for your replies, means alot

Title: Re: question
Post by Barry_T_Coles on Jan 17^th, 2006, 7:59pm

Hi gt

Barry T from Karratha W.A. and expat Crow Eater.

Welcome to the best little nut house around.

I cant help on the meds side of things as I go the o2, read up on every thing you can here as there is a heap of info to help you through.

Have a look in the Getting to know you and the thread "Anyone else in Australia" you will see that you are not alone here in Oz, we are just one branch of a huge family tree.

Kind Regards
Barry

Title: Re: question
Post by gtjim on Jan 17^th, 2006, 10:11pm

howdie bazza,

this ch bizo really suks big time. i feel as if im living in a different world at the moment.