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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Red Bull
        
(Message started by: jimp63 on May 9^th, 2007, 3:46pm)

Title: Red Bull
Post by jimp63 on May 9^th, 2007, 3:46pm

I have been hearing a lot lately about the positive effects Red Bull may have on aborting a CH. Is this true? Have any of you experienced this? I just have to know!!

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by TxBasslady on May 9^th, 2007, 3:59pm

Yep, it's true.

I've never tried it, but many here have and reported good results.

It's the rush of the caffeine and the taurine I think that makes it successful.

Doesn't work for everyone...but certainly worth a shot.

Be cautious about the excess caffeine, especially if you should have any type of heart probs.

Check on the meds and treatment area for more info.

Good luck to you,

Jean

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Guiseppi on May 9^th, 2007, 5:00pm

While it didn't work for me, I have seen many people posting about success as an abortive. They say chug a cold one, as fast as you can, at the first twinge. It doesn't have to be Red Bull but they said the energy drinks with caffeine AND taurine work the best.

And now my usual shameless plug for oxygen. If you haven't tried it yet you may be missing out on an effective abortive, cheap, with almost nothing in the way of side effects. Wishing you relief soon.

Guiseppi

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by nani on May 9^th, 2007, 5:47pm

Yes, it's worked for me. You have to drink it at the first sign and slam it down as fast as you can. It generally worked within 5 minutes for me.

Oxygen works really well, too.

pain free wishes, nani

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Rosybabe on May 9^th, 2007, 5:56pm

it worked for me, but I used it when I was at the end of my cycle when the hits are less frequent and less intense..
it aborted the hit within few minutes but I was like a little chihuahua dog for a while ;;D.
Try it, anything it's better than the pain :D

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on May 9^th, 2007, 6:09pm

Red Bull is just the vehicle to get caffeine.

Lots of us drink cola, tea, coffee or other energy drinks that have caffeine. Some people say carbonation helps the body absorb the caffeine quicker, others say sugar helps. The point is, the caffeine. Caffeine is a vaso constrictor.

Like Guisee said, some people say the taurine in energy drinks can be more effective than just coffee. I dont know, I am just an accountant.

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Barry_T_Coles on May 9^th, 2007, 11:11pm

It certainly works for me & as people have said chugged fast & icy cold it reacts quickly.
I carry 2 cans in an insulated lunch box with a frozen gel pack when I will be away from my o2.

From what I have read when the Taurine hits the bile acids of the stomach it creates H²O² (Hydrogen peroxide); whether the extra molecule of o2 has something to do with it one can only guess but it is known that Taurine is an accelerant of other chemicals in your system, i.e. it speeds up the rate at which the chemicals breakdown & may indeed make the caffeine work faster.

I have been trialing Taurine & Magnesium as a preventative since April 14 2006 & having some very good results & am currently 219 days without a hit & no shadows above a KIP 2, now that the 12 months are up I will put together a summary of the results & post them here.
Cheers
Barry

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by BlueMeanie on May 9^th, 2007, 11:14pm

on 05/09/07 at 15:46:29, jimp63 wrote:

I just have to know!!

Simple... next CH down one or two, then you'll know. :P

Hope it works for ya !!!

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Katherinecm on May 10^th, 2007, 12:56am

If you take it at the first hint of shadow- the tingling before the pain, for lots of people it is an abortive. For me it doesn't end the coming hit but it does delay it - helpful to get home if I'm in public for example.

Where it is remarkable for me is it makes painkillers work faster. An oral med will work in 10 minutes rather than 20, for example.

Doesn't work for everyone, but definitely give it a try. If it works for you there are generics that are much cheaper.

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by LeeS on May 10^th, 2007, 3:45am

on 05/09/07 at 23:11:21, Barry_T_Coles wrote:

I have been trialing Taurine & Magnesium as a preventative since April 14 2006 & having some very good results & am currently 219 days without a hit & no shadows above a KIP 2, now that the 12 months are up I will put together a summary of the results & post them here.

Hey Barry 8)

Looking forward to the summary.

-Lee

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Kevin_M on May 10^th, 2007, 5:47am

on 05/10/07 at 00:56:10, Katherinecm wrote:

Where it is remarkable for me is it makes painkillers work faster.

Even more unusual than Red Bull for clusters.

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Katherinecm on May 10^th, 2007, 9:32pm

on 05/10/07 at 05:47:37, Kevin_M wrote:

Even more unusual than Red Bull for clusters.

Unfortunately I'm one of those chronics who responds to no typical CH meds so I resort to pain management when I need the psychological break. It doesn't knock the pain down more than a couple of notches but it does make it so I can sleep.

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by GrandPotentate on May 10^th, 2007, 9:35pm

For me, caffeine seems like it doesn't abort, it postpones. But that can be a good thing if it gets me through a day. It's easier to deal with the beast at home where I can do some walking and suck some O2.

Too much caffeine is a bad thing for me. Coming down from a buzz in the evening is almost certain doom. That could be why this cycle started of with a BANG. Be moderate in all things except moderation.

For me, O2 is great, is fast, doesn't seem to have a rebound. (oops, wrong subject)

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by BarbaraD on May 11^th, 2007, 7:32am

It works for me with a bad shadow -- keeps a hit at bay. I keep a can in the truck so if I start getting a hit I can down it and it usually prevents me from having to take the ergotomine (which I hate).

If I'm at the house, I hit the O2 right after taking the Red Bull.

It may not work for everyone, but it sure works for me.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Brewcrew on May 11^th, 2007, 11:45am

Anybody notice the new commercials for the Dodge Caliber? It has a fully functioning fridge in the glovebox. First thing I thought: Fill it with Red Bull.

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Guiseppi on May 11^th, 2007, 12:00pm

First thing I thought: Fill it with Red Bull.

Only from the mind of a CH'er!!

Guiseppi

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Brewcrew on May 11^th, 2007, 1:33pm

on 05/11/07 at 12:00:13, Guiseppi wrote:

First thing I thought: Fill it with Red Bull.

Only from the mind of a CH'er!!

Guiseppi

We do have some unique qualities, don't we? ;;D

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by shaktima on May 12^th, 2007, 12:47am

Hi fellow CH'ers:
I have been a chronic CH sufferer for 10-plus years. Just got thru my last bad cluster 2 weeks ago (it was a 6-week, every day head banger) with weather changes of course. I being very skeptical decided to give a try to Red Bull. Well, I could NOT believe it, but after buying a 4-pack, chugged 1 at the onset of a presumed-to-be KIP 10 head banger (the burning brain, waking up in a deep dream state) wondernig what the heck? I got up, got my ice pack (one of 10 I keep in my freezer), chugged a Red Bull ( all the while, inwardly laughing, yeah right, this is gonna abort this sucker from hell) but did it anyway. To my surprise, within 15 minutes (I swear on my childrens heads) it was totally GONE!))) What the ?________??????) This is a freakin'miracle! What? Is it cuz I BELIEVE this will work or is it really working??_ So I proceed to read more articles, and I arm myself with ice-cold Red bull in freezer, Taurine pills, and magnesium pills. I take 1 Taurine a day with magnesium. My cluster ends! Yeah, that quick! I slack off on taking my mag and taurine supps, and last nite, yeah, 2:00 am (it is the tiem the beast best likes to call) I awaken with a burning pain in my brain). Til fully awake, I do not know what hits me, but after I awaken, I KNOW it is the beast, with an ugly smile on his face. I promptly go to the fridge, take out a Red Bull, armed with 2 Excedrin Migraine( what??? no Maxalt, no Imitrex) and I chug it for all it is worth. Believe you me, within 15 min, all pain is GONE. sighs, happy relief, now can go back to blessed sleep. It does not rebound (as Imitrex makes it do) gosh! didnt even need Imitrex or any sort of triptan! Is this a miracle or what? Yes, it is! No venoconstrictive meds to abort the ugly beast of a cluster! It is done with Red Bell and 2 Excedrin Migraine (which i believe truly what works is the caffein and taurine. So sign me up, guys, for 1000 mg of Taurine per day plus mag supplement! Gosh, we could put the neuro docs outta business! I am lovin this! Hope it helps you as it does me!
Pain-free wishes and blessings,
Cathy

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by BarbaraD on May 12^th, 2007, 8:27am

Cathy,

One word of caution -- BE CAREFUL with the Excedrin (and the Excedrin Extra Strength has the same ingred. as the Migraine but a little cheaper) - they CAN cause rebounds if taken too often (trust me on this one - I love the damn things, but have to be very very careful how often I take them).

Glad the Red Bull is working for you.

To NEWBIES:

Red Bull is NOT a CURE..... it helps a LOT of us and it's worth a try, but a CURE has NOT been found as of this writing. I'm writing this because it's been posted in several places that Red Bull is a cure for CH and it is NOT. It's just one more thing we can do to HELP ourselves. The caffiene in it works as a vasoconstrictor which helps abort our CH in its tracks. I personally keep it in the fridge and in the truck and swear by it.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by birdman on May 12^th, 2007, 1:35pm

The more tools we have the better, right? Everyone just needs to find what works for them. I must admit that I have not tried it but will soon.

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Tom_db on May 14^th, 2007, 1:56pm

Sounds interesting... hell I'll try anything.

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by swimchica623 on May 14^th, 2007, 1:58pm

When I'm away from O2 I take a Red Bull with a Relpax. I seem to be the only one here that uses Relpax...I get migraines too and me and my mom both used Relpax for them and noticed that it seems to work in only 10 minutes! I don't know how a pill works that fast but since it did for migraines and its a triptapan I thought I'd give it a shot....made sense that it would work for CH if it lasted longer than 10 minutes, which it ususally does away from o2, and get rid of it by then..my neuro agreed so that's been waht I've been doing. Anyway I chug a Red Bull so quick it makes me burpy and sick afterwards and take it with a relpax immediately..not as good as the o2 but it shortens the hits so they rarely last much longer than 10 minutes away from home at least. Better than nothing. :)
Lisa

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Turts on May 14^th, 2007, 7:37pm

youve got nothing to lose but $2.50 and maybe a little extra pain if it doent work for you!!

give it a go, and see for yourself.

oxygen regulator monthly hire fee $17.50

imigran nasal spray 2 for $20

4 pack Red Bull from woolworths $9.50

getting painfree from an energy drink....... you guessed it

Turts

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Phil L on May 15^th, 2007, 8:58pm

Barry, I too am looking forward to your summary.
Be well, Phil

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by sandie99 on May 16^th, 2007, 8:44am

Works for me! :)

PF wishes,
Sanna

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by Shedz on May 16^th, 2007, 8:54am

It works for me but only if i catch the hit in its early stages.

Title: Re: Red Bull
Post by MR_FLOOR on May 23^rd, 2007, 9:12pm

What about Monster has anybody tried that ,does it work

Dave