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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> WORST NIGHT YET!!!
        
(Message started by: Superirish2005 on Aug 30^th, 2006, 3:14pm)

Title: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by Superirish2005 on Aug 30^th, 2006, 3:14pm

Last night I had a plan, I was going to try a Red Bull at onslaught of an attack rather then a Maxalt.

11:15am came and downed a red bull thought things were o.k. and 11:35am all hell broke lose, too late to take a Maxalt and was in pain from....

11:35am-5:35am and still had a twinge when I woke up. Just got into work at 2:00pm!!!!!

Worst night in years and needless to say I will be taking another Maxalt tonight if needed rather then red bull.

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by brewcrew on Aug 30^th, 2006, 3:16pm

Sorry to learn of your lousy night. Sux.

What preventatives are you taking?

Bill

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by Superirish2005 on Aug 30^th, 2006, 3:28pm

NONE, was thinking melatonin and almost bought some last night but guy at store stated if I was taking Maxalt twice a day to be careful with the melatonin?

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by starlight on Aug 30^th, 2006, 8:34pm

Superirish--

I have not tried the Red Bull tip. One thing I have tried is strong black coffee. I hesitated to drink this during the night but recently had a night from hell myself and had 2 cups in the wee morning hours. If you are on melatonin or benadryl or both you will probably find that you will fall back asleep from the melatonin/benadryl. Good luck. Make the coffee strong. Star

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by Charlotte on Aug 30^th, 2006, 8:49pm

Irish, has anyone told you you're stubborn?

Charlotte

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by Jobette on Aug 30^th, 2006, 11:10pm

Super Irish, If you where in hell from 11:35 - 5:35, you had time for a maxalt plus some other stuff. ::) The plan is not to have to suffer, if you don't have to. :o If one thing doesn't work try something else, quickly.
The man at the store doesn't know what you are going through, and he can't help you. [smiley=huh.gif]
Don't give up so quick, you may have to give the red bull another try, but don't wait too late, because as you know the longer you wait the harder you will have to fight.
I have a red bull in the fridge right now and I am at work, but I also have my imitrex nasal and a an injector. Yes I am one of the lucky ones, if there is such an animal. I try to take as little as possible, but if I have to break out the big guns I got it. You have to do what you have to do. :P
All we want to do is to be able to work and try and have as normal a life as possible. Having said that, you are going to have to help yourself get these bad boys under control. :-/ We have all been where you are and some of us are still there, but the longer you wait to try and stop or slow the HA down the longer you have to go through the pain and the harder it is to stop them.
Maxalt and or red bull IS NOT enough, and I know that I am not a dr. I wish like hell I were, because I sure would try to help more people like us . :'(

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by georgej on Aug 31^st, 2006, 12:14am

on 08/30/06 at 20:49:55, Charlotte wrote:

Irish, has anyone told you you're stubborn?

Charlotte

Okay. I've kinda lost track here. I know you're taking Maxalt to abort an attack, and I gather that it more or less works. I also gather that you're not taking any prescription preventives. In order to follow a complete treatment plan, you need to take a preventive, as well as an abortive. Ideally, the usual plan is a prednisone taper concurrent with verapamil or some other preventive, with imitrex or maxalt or oxygen, or some other proven abortive as part of a package.

Is there some reason you're not doing the rest of it? If you're serious about treating your CH with meds, you've got to have a plan.

Maxalt isn't going to end your cycle. It's only going to cut short an individual attack. If you're getting more than a couple a day, you're going to drive yourself nuts.

It's like you're standing in front of one of those shooting galleries at a carnival, trying to shoot each of the tin ducks as they come into view. What you should be doing is trying to SHUT DOWN THE CONVEYER BELT and shoot down the few ducks that remain.

Melatonin can help avoid the nighttime hits, but it isn't a magic bullet. It may take a couple of weeks to help at all.

You have to jump one way or the other. Treat or don't treat. Partially treating it with a more-or-less effective abortive and then doing nothing to prevent is probably worse than nothing.

If you're going to treat them, do the whole thing, whether it's prescription or alternative. If you're not going to treat, then you'll have to hunker down, suck it in, and cowboy up. I don't mean to be harsh here. That's not my intention at all. Just look at your options, and deal with it in one way or another.

We've all been there. I know you're new to this, and I know that it's terrifying, and I know that it hurts like hell. But jumping all over the map and frantically trying anything at all, once, isn't going to give you any relief.

Chill. Think it over. Decide. You've been given loads of information--much more than sufficient to develop a plan of attack.

End of lecture. (G-d, I hate when I do that.) Sorry if you perceive this as a flame--it's not meant to be. Just trying to say "whoa"--think about what you're doing--which is everything, and nothing.

Best wishes,

George

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by BlueMeanie on Aug 31^st, 2006, 3:08am

Welcome Irish,

We all know it's tough, but you'll get through this cycle just like in the past. Unfortunately some cycles do get rougher and some last longer (just ask the Chronics). But you gotta hang in there and let it ride its' course.

It sounds like the Maxalt is loosing its' grip on the Beast. You may want to see about switching to Trex. If you where to do that, you CANNOT mix tritans so only after the Maxalt is out of your system. You should definately give the 02 a try. If you do, get the right equipment. It's much safer all around then all the other meds. I personally don't do the prevents and, as George said: you gotta hunker down and suck it in ;;D

George gave some really good info and he's right, you need to make yourself a plan to survive, if not the pain, but at least keep yourself from going insane.

Sending VIBES you way. You're gonna do just fine.

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by Carl_D on Aug 31^st, 2006, 6:22am

S.I.

Have you ever tried Verapamil and Lithium? The Combo works great for alot of people. I can't take Lithium, but am on Verapamil and if I weren't, I'd probably be getting grandslams to the head one after another. I'm still getting hit, but not as frequent as usual.
You may want to ask your Dr about it. Anything is worth a shot.

And Red Bull isn't a replacement for an abortive if the CH kicks in. That's when you man-handle the CH with some Triptans and o2!!!

Peace,
Carl

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by brewcrew on Aug 31^st, 2006, 7:39am

And the beautiful thing about the preventatives mentioned here (esp. verapamil and lithium) is that they're generic. While Maxalt through my insurance company costs me almost $50 for 9 doses per month, the verapamil and lithium are always only $5 per month for however much my doc decides to prescribe.

Bill

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by Superirish2005 on Aug 31^st, 2006, 9:59am

Hey thanks to everyone who rsponded to me. I know I can be a pain here but looking for any possible help or suggestions.

Thanks again to all who replied and I will try not to be too big of a pest here.

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by sandie99 on Aug 31^st, 2006, 2:04pm

I'm so sorry that you had a terrible night. I hope that easier, PF days & nights are on their way.

Best wishes,
Sanna

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by Jobette on Aug 31^st, 2006, 9:05pm

Hey Superirish, ;;D You are not the pain, we all know what the pain is. You are just like so many of us (me) desperate to be in remission. I wish there was a set way to deal with this thing so that so many of us didn't have to suffer and self medicate etc... :-X Here's wishing and praying for pain free days for you and ME. Remember, here, you are not alone. Melissa :-* :'(

Title: Re: WORST NIGHT YET!!!
Post by georgej on Sep 1^st, 2006, 2:14am

on 08/31/06 at 09:59:13, Superirish2005 wrote:

Superirish, none of us is trying to take a poke at you. We don't think you're a pest. It's just that we see you freaking yourself out. We've all been there. We just want you to evaluate your options, make a plan, and try it to see if it works for you. Give it a fair chance. If it doesn't work, move on to another regimen. But give it a chance.

I also started with these when I was young. I was willing to try anything--anything at all that would rid me of them. I remember that desperate search. I sympathize with your own search. Over the years, I've found some answers that make sense to me and enable me to handle them to some extent. But I'm a life-long CH'r. I'll probably never be rid of them until I take the dirt nap. I accept that. I recently finished what I calculate to be my 75th CH cycle. If I'd kept up the frantic hunt for a "cure" or a magic bullet, I'd be dead or crazy by now.

I don't want to see you go through the insanity of that like I did. That's one of the reasons this place exists--for people to share their experience and their knowledge so that others who are new to this will not have to go through the same things that they did.

All good? I hope so. I certainly did not intend to cause any offense, or to make you feel as if you've been a pest. You are welcome here as far as I'm concerned.

Best wishes,

George