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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Taper down done back to square 1,
        
(Message started by: bigred on Jan 6^th, 2007, 12:47pm)

Title: Taper down done back to square 1,
Post by bigred on Jan 6^th, 2007, 12:47pm

Well Im off my annual Prednesone holiday Taper down, My nightly wakeups are back, 45 min after beddyby..
I did start taking vitimins, b12 and C every day to go with my daily 75 mlg morn- 75 night topamax and 260 mlg morn-night varapimil. Maybe there is a vitimin im missing? Any suggestions????
I tried the melitonin but it always got me up with a worse HA,
The doc has me a scrip for lorazapan, that will be a short term fix, but you all no that is not a long term sollution for us lifers.
God I hate getting caught at the REM cycle!!!! >:(

Title: Re: Taper down done back to square 1,
Post by pattik on Jan 6^th, 2007, 12:53pm

When you are no longer on the lorazapan, you might want to try taking 50 mg. of benedryl at bedtime. The generic version works fine. It won't let you sleep through the nighttime hits, but it works very well for some of us for getting back to sleep in between.

Patk

Title: Re: Taper down done back to square 1,
Post by bigred on Jan 6^th, 2007, 1:01pm

Thank Pat, Ive got Trex, bedside, as a last resort and I hate to use it , I find if I sit up when the wakeup occures the HA subbsides untill I lay back down, Not enough to go away though! Thats when the trex coms in to finish the job...
Ill try the benydril...
Bigred

Title: Re: Taper down done back to square 1,
Post by Ozark_E on Jan 8^th, 2007, 9:58am

I'd suggest bumping up to 100mg morning and night of topamax (total 200mg per day). That level worked for me, where 150 per day did not.

Title: Re: Taper down done back to square 1,
Post by swimchica623 on Jan 8^th, 2007, 10:41am

i was also going to suggest asking your dr about increasing topamax or especially verapamil..partially cuz im a big fan of those preventatives. :)
hope you get some relief soon.
lisa

Title: Re: Taper down done back to square 1,
Post by birdman on Jan 8^th, 2007, 12:26pm

The only help I got from verap was between 480-720 taken all in the morning

Title: Re: Taper down done back to square 1,
Post by BarbaraD on Jan 9^th, 2007, 6:29am

Topamax -- I took it for years with great results, BUT I took the whole dose at night and it helped the night hits and I didn't have the side effects that a lot of people do.

My neuro let me regulate the dose. On low cycle my maintenance was 100mg, but have been up to 400 at times - not often -- usually 300 was my max dose during a high cycle.

The people on here who complain of the "bad" side effects have been taking it (as most doctors prescribe) morning and night. My neuro (after I told him I was taking the whole dose at night with better results) started prescribing it to be taken at night. It also helps with the REM sleep.

How long did you stay on the melatonin? Sometimes it takes a couple of weeks to start working right (to get in your system), but it's done wonders for my sleep patterns. I sleep thru the night and can handle the day because I'm rested.

Keep us informed. PFDAN

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Taper down done back to square 1,
Post by bigred on Jan 9^th, 2007, 10:31pm

Im going to try to regulate the topamax to nighttime only, Thats all 150mlg and see if that will help.
Ill let you all no if it works!!
Thanks
BigREd 8)