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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Predisone and Verapamil. Help?
        
(Message started by: Lee_Ann on Mar 13^th, 2007, 12:15am)

Title: Predisone and Verapamil. Help?
Post by Lee_Ann on Mar 13^th, 2007, 12:15am

I know you are not drs., but what is the usual protocol? My husband has been on 40 mg of Predisone for 7 days and then 30mg for 7days and so on. He is chronic and it was working at the 40mg dose, but now he is starting to get headaches again. When should he begin taking the Verapamil? I know we should be asking the Dr., but the dr. was reading a manual the last visit.

Title: Re: Predisone and Verapamil. Help?
Post by chewy on Mar 13^th, 2007, 1:28am

The verapamil should have been started just prior to or at the beginning of the pred. taper

Title: Re: Predisone and Verapamil. Help?
Post by LeLimey on Mar 13^th, 2007, 4:54am

Just to echo what Chewy said, he should be on the verapamil already so if not, now is the time to start in order to give him a chance to increase it up to an effective dose before the effectiveness of the pred ceases.

Title: Re: Predisone and Verapamil. Help?
Post by Gator on Mar 13^th, 2007, 5:03am

Yup, what chewy said. The pred usually works well to stop the attacks at the higher doses, but unless you have a preventative building up as the pred dose drops, the attacks return as you taper off.

All docs do it just a little different, but 40mg seems like a low starting point compared to the tapers I have had. My docs usually started me out at 60 or 80mg (and I've read of others starting at 100mg or more), and dropping by 10 or 20 every 4th day or so.

Does your husband have an abortive med? A good abortive, like oxygen and imitrex injections, is an essential part of ch treatment.

If the doc's going to read something, give him this. It is by a well respected ch doctor and describes preventative, transitional, abortive and surgical treatments for CH.

http://www.brightok.net/~mnjday/chtherapy.pdf

Might as well throw in these oxygen links as well:

http://www.maplefallswebdesign.com/misc/oxygen/oxygen.htm

http://www.headaches.org/consumer/topicsheets/oxygen.html

http://www.chhelp.org/mhni.html

Oxygen is cheaper, safer and easier to get in the quantities you need than any of the abortive medicines. First line of defense for many around here.

At least your doctor was reading something (hopefully something recent). Some of the stuff people post here seems like their doc is just pulling it out of their, uh, making it up as he goes along. ;;D

Good luck with this.

Title: Re: Predisone and Verapamil. Help?
Post by Lee_Ann on Mar 13^th, 2007, 12:39pm

Thanks so much for your replies. The Dr. told him to start taking the Verapamil after he finished the pred. I didn't think much about it, but after the headaches started coming back, it didn't make much sense to me.

He has tried oxygen, but without the proper mask, and it didn't work too well. Maybe I can get him to try it again.

He has had the headaches for about 3 years now. He refuses to believe they are CH, even though a neurologist believed they were 3 years ago.

Since the pain starts in his neck, he believes they are caused by his cervical sphondylosis. He had cervical fusion a year ago and the headaches went away for about three weeks and then came back. He began going to a pain management specialist who began giving him nerve blocks. The first one worked for 12 days. He got the nerve cauterized and it lasted for 27 days.

In December, he had a bilateral Occipital nerve section. It didn't work either, so now he is starting to believe they are CH and ready to start taking some drugs instead of surgery.

Thanks for you help.

Lee Ann

Title: Re: Predisone and Verapamil. Help?
Post by TonyG1 on Mar 13^th, 2007, 7:38pm

on 03/13/07 at 12:39:11, Lee_Ann wrote:

The Dr. told him to start taking the Verapamil after he finished the pred.

Hi Lee Ann,

Is the doc a neuro ? It has been my experience to start the verap with the pred taper to build up the level of the verap. The pred generally stops the attacks while give a body a chance to get ramped up on the preventative

Title: Re: Predisone and Verapamil. Help?
Post by Superpain on Mar 16^th, 2007, 10:20pm

Due to having an unpleasant experience with the verapamil my doc said to try the pred by itself and then verapamil if the pred doesn't work on it's own.

The pred at 80mg perday (2nd day) is working for me so far. Crossing my fingers...

Title: Re: Predisone and Verapamil. Help?
Post by Shanthini on Mar 17^th, 2007, 6:17am

Hello there....I wish to share this with all of you. About a month back is when I came across your site and wrote that only after 12 years or so, my condition was diagnosed as Cluster headaches. What I wish to share is that I went to visit my physiotherapist.
She said it could be due to to my 5th and 6th lumbar in my neck that could be causing all this pain. I went to take an xray and sure enough the two mentioned are much smaller in size and a little fused. She started with giving me loads of neck exercises for me to do at home....very simple ones, but this helps get rid of the tension around the neck. Then she did some therapy with electric impulses. TOUCH WOOD (no I am not superstitious ;) ) the pain has completley GONE!!!!!!

Maybe some of you might want to try this out. :D

I have stopped all medication Verapamil and Nuerontin and feel GREAT! :) :D 8)

The therapy I went for was for about two weeks (every other day)- 6 sessions and haven't had a headache or even the inclination of one.

I dont know if I am being naive about this but what I do know is that I am glad I am off medication that is actually presecribed for high blood pressure.

Any thoughts from anyone, please write me
aumshanthini@gmail.com

Thanks
Shanthini

Title: Re: Predisone and Verapamil. Help?
Post by LeLimey on Mar 17^th, 2007, 7:23am

Shanthini without wishing to rain on your parade - I'm very glad your pain is gone! - BUT, CH is caused by a faulty hypothalamus, not any disc problems.
If your pain WAS caused by that it wasn't CH no matter how much the symptoms resembled it and if you DO have CH it could have just coincided with the end of your cycle.
The reason CH hurts so much is because the hypothalamus kicks into overdrive and causes the blood vessels on the affected side of your head to expand by up to 20X their normal size. The only way to reduce the pain is to constrict those blood vessels (once an attack starts)

I'm sorry if I sound like a wet blanket but I'm posting this, not just for your benefit but also for those who read this ste and never post. Desperate pain makes us desperate to find something that will help and I truly appreciate that, I've tried plenty myself! However, the key to finding the best treatments for each of us individually is education about this awful condition so I hope I've helped with that at least.

I'm glad you're pain free!
Helen