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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Am I Chronic?
        
(Message started by: wing_nut on Apr 7^th, 2006, 9:50am)

Title: Am I Chronic?
Post by wing_nut on Apr 7^th, 2006, 9:50am

Need some help from the old timers. My usual cycle is every 2-3 years lasting anywhere from 6-12 weeks. Since July, I will go anywhere from 2 weeks to 5 weeks PF and then Slam......the beast returns. My next question is if I am Chronic, is this as good as it gets? I have been on 480 mg of Verap. Last month I did the Prednisone Med Pack and that seemed to help for the 2 weeks.. I oredered the seeds and they never showed up. Apparently the place I ordered them was having some type of difficulty.

Title: Re: Am I Chronic?
Post by BarbaraD on Apr 7^th, 2006, 11:50am

I've been chronic since 97 and in that time, I've seldom had a day without at least shadows appearing. To me that is pain free time.

The best advice I can give you is just enjoy the PF time and don't worry too much about whether you're chronic or not. You can't do a damn thing about it anyhow.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Am I Chronic?
Post by Mikey99 on Apr 7^th, 2006, 12:05pm

You may find this interesting. My cycle is 2 years as well and my headaches usually lasts about 10 - 12 weeks. When I started going into 3 months or more, I knew something was wrong because the headache changed a little in terms of the way it felt. I told my doctor and he said that I should start to wean off of the verapamil because my cycle had probably ended but at this point, the verapamil was causing the headaches.

He was right. Somtimes preventive meds will cause headaches when not in cycle.

The down side is that you may have to use the abortives to kill the residual headaches that occur as a result of the verapamil. The same thing happened when I used Depakote.

Just something to think about.

If I didn't find this out, I would have thought I was chronic as well.

I hope it's the meds.

Title: Re: Am I Chronic?
Post by chewy on Apr 8^th, 2006, 8:35am

Chronic is 1 year of pain with less than 30 continuous pain free days.

Title: Re: Am I Chronic?
Post by MJ on Apr 8^th, 2006, 6:32pm

Mikey has some good advice above. It may indeed be the meds prolonging your cycle.

It has happened to me as well. The fact that you can get the 2-5 weeks pain free may be an indicator.

Title: Re: Am I Chronic?
Post by chewy on Apr 9^th, 2006, 12:18pm

Quote:

Somtimes preventive meds will cause headaches when not in cycle.

What? In 30 years of CH I have never heard of a preventative triggering a CH. Especially verapamil.

Title: Re: Am I Chronic?
Post by MJ on Apr 9^th, 2006, 2:22pm

Chewy

Its not that the meds are a trigger persay. Its more like a bad marriage where each enables the other.

Though it appears that one med will be helping the CH on the other hand the CH cant exist without the med.

Allmost like they reach a point of eqaulibrium where the med is not quite enough to do the whole job but does enough to make one think its working and causes a sort of rebounding effect. Not sure how to explain that but past experience tells me it happens.

Title: Re: Am I Chronic?
Post by burnt-toast on Apr 10^th, 2006, 5:38am

By definition you're not chronic (1-year or more without a remission of 30 days or more). "Chronic" is much worse than you are experiencing.

My cycles last anywhere from 1.5 to over 3.5 years without remission. In between I've experienced a couple remissions of about 1-month. Over the last 12 years I've enjoyed one 3-month remission and am currently enjoying a remission of just over 2-months after a chronic cycle lasting over 3.5 years. I'll call myself a semi-chronic. Other folks suffer daily for many years and even decades wihthout remission.

However most here (even the chronics), can't deny that what you are experincing is having an effect on you life. You don't mention how long your cycle lasts each time CH returns - but when attacks start returning every few weeks and last for a week or more - for that sufferer the condition surely feels chronic.

Work closely with your doctor - keep records of how your condition is changing and records that will help you work through treatment options that may provide better relief. You're going to have to take some initiative and do some work if you want things to get better.

Best wishes on your journey,

Tom