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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Trying Something New - About Me Part II
        
(Message started by: BoSoxFan on Jan 19^th, 2006, 11:13am)

Title: Trying Something New - About Me Part II
Post by BoSoxFan on Jan 19^th, 2006, 11:13am

See Part I First

So another week goes by, and all of a sudden, one night I wake up out of a beautiful sound sleep with a HA like no other. No booze ingested that night. I ran downstairs and CHEWED a 600mg ibuprofen. It seemed like it took forever to work. I say it finally did but I'm guessing the HA just ended.

Now I start to get scared because I think of Laura Brannigan, my kids, my 11th grade math teacher who dropped dead in class because of an aneurysm, etc.

Though of course, being a guy, I put off calling the doctor becasue I think it will go away. So I start to do a little research online and come across CH, icepicks, TN etc. I also ran across some info whjere I thought it could be sinus related. I decide to give it a little more time before taking action. At this point, I did not put two and two together with Straterra.

So a night or two goes by and I wake up with another HA. Same thing. At this point, I decide I need to do something so I made an appointment with an ENT. I go in and he can't find anything so he orders a CT scan. I have the CT scan and other than a giant retention cyst on the right side (my HA are on the left) there is nothing abnormal. The doc sets me on the right path and refers me to a neuro.

I go to the neuro, have a full workup and she tells me that no doubt in her mind I have CH. She tells me only bother with an MRI if I want ot alleviate my owen concerns about tumor, aneurysm, etc. I get the MRI and MRA and it is normal.

She prescribes a medrol does pack and gives me a million triptan samples to figure out which works best for me. She assumed and hoped I was episodic and that the dosepack would kill the cycle. Unfortunately, the dosepack 6mg taper worked for 2 weeks and the HA came right back. All the triptans worked (except for Amerge). Then I found this site. I made a followup appointment and was prescribed O2 at that time. Oh my, O2 is gold, but that has been discussed ad-nauseaum....

I brought up the Strattera connection to her at that time but she said there could not be a connection. She also did not prescribe a preventative so I decided like a lot of you that I would try to direct my own treatment since even a lot of neuros don't have CH experience.

It was easier for me to work with my PCP since he knows me well, trusts my judgement and I have a good relationship with him. So I go and see him and the first thing I mention is the Strattera since he prescribed it but even he says there is no connction. So he puts me on Indocin and Neurontin. This remarkably cut down on my HA frequency and intensity. I weaned myself off the Neurontin and this didn't seem to make a difference. So I stayed on the Indocin only. Then, after a few appointments with differnet docs I have remained on the Indocin but switch off on the anti-convulsants from time to time. I am currently on Keppra. My blood pressure is already low so Val was never really an option for me.

See Part III