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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> About to stop Verapamil 
        
(Message started by: Stoic on Jan 27^th, 2008, 4:39pm)

Title: About to stop Verapamil
Post by Stoic on Jan 27^th, 2008, 4:39pm

I've been taking Verapamil (240 mg per day) for about three weeks, and my headaches have subsided. I'd like to stop taking the drug as soon as possible, but I'm wondering if there are any precautions about how abruptly this should be done.

Does anyone have advice on this?

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by DennisM1045 on Jan 27^th, 2008, 5:02pm

CALL YOUR DR!

Never put yourself on or take yourself off medications without the direct involvement of your Dr.

That said, the dose is low enough so the taper should be a short one.

Are you really sure your cycle is over and its not just the Verapamil doing its job? How long is your typical cycle?

Good luck.

-Dennis-

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by Stoic on Jan 27^th, 2008, 5:38pm

Thanks, Dennis. I'm sure this is good advice, and I've been planning to call my neurologist tomorrow in any case. But I really don't like how the Verapamil makes me feel, and I was thinking of skipping my pill today, or at least cutting it in half.

I really don't have a "typical cycle," as this has been my first experience with headaches like these. I've had migraine before, but two months ago I started having what first seemed like sinus headaches on the left side. These became increasingly frequent, until I was having one virtually every day. They don't really fit the descriptions of cluster headaches I've read here, since they come on gradually, are only moderately painful, last indefinitely, etc. They could be rebound headaches, and perhaps their decreasing frequency is due to my avoiding all other forms of pain relief. Or, as you say, it could be the Verapamil.

I'll check with my doctor tomorrow. Thanks for your help.

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by Redd on Jan 27^th, 2008, 6:05pm

For some people like myself, who have low BP to start with, even low doses of Verapamil can cause intollerable side effects. By BP would drop dangerously low at 200 mg a day and 100 mg a day still had me feeling Gawd awful weak and lethargic.

Always always talk to a doc before going off any med.

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by DennisM1045 on Jan 27^th, 2008, 7:57pm

Just don't get impatient or you'll wind up inpatient ;;D

I know the urge to get off all this stuff is strong. I feel it myself. But Verapamil is a calcium channel blocker and affects the heart rythm. Going up or down without the oversight of a Dr just isn't a good idea. I wouldn't want to see anything happen to you. You've been through enough already. ;)

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

-Dennis-

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by brewcrew on Jan 28^th, 2008, 7:40am

So, you're looking to get off the anti-viagra, eh? I can't imagine why.

My urge to get off the stuff became very strong as well. I was on 480 mg/day. It's very effective at stopping my CH cold once it takes hold, but as you can tell, it was always at a price.

My doc had me taper off slowly - over about a 3-week period. He didn't say anything about it affecting my heart rhythm, or at least I don't remember him saying that. I do remember him talking about seeing which of the several meds I was on was most responsible for stopping my pain. So it was always one med at a time, tapering off very slowly.

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by Stoic on Jan 28^th, 2008, 10:43am

I'm so glad we can talk about this, Brewcrew. :)

Yes, it is indeed the anti-viagra, although this is but one of the side-effects which motivates me. I have normal blood pressure, but my resting heart rate is quite slow, sometimes dipping below 50. When I started taking Verapamil I found I could barely climb the stairs up to my second floor study, and was dumb as a post after I finally got up there. (Not good for an already-aging professor.)

So I took just a half yesterday (120 mg), and called my doctor this morning. By late this afternoon -- when I usually take my pill -- I should have heard back from him.

Thanks for all the good advice I'm getting here. I appreciate it.

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by brewcrew on Jan 28^th, 2008, 11:13am

on 01/28/08 at 10:43:37, Stoic wrote:

I'm so glad we can talk about this, Brewcrew. :)

Where else if not here? ;)

BTW, you can call me Brew. Everybody else does.

Verapamil, while very effective, was depriving me of feeling alive, in every sense of the word. My wife, too (now I'm waiting for all the smartasses to come along and tell me how she didn't notice much of a difference).

Untreated, I have slightly elevated blood pressure (I'll have Ace Sterling thank my mom for that, he's so good at it). The verapamil helped that, but I now take Lisinopril for it.

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by barry_sword on Jan 28^th, 2008, 12:15pm

Hi stoic, welcome. I have been taking Verapamil at 480mg daily for over one year. I tried a taper a while back but was wrong about my cycle so got right back on it.

This time I felt like the cycle had ended as the shadows have backed off so I talked to my Neuro about another taper. He had me do it slower this time, dropping one 80mg pill per week until I was finished. He also sent me for a EKG and have not heard from that so all is well there.

I mountain biked last summer while on my dose of Verapamil and although it was like Drew37 said to me, it is like dragging a piano along behind you, I was able to hold my own out there with the other riders.

I had my last Verap. pill on Dec.24 2007 and no hits since. I am sure this cycle has ended, but do not know for how long, but will enjoy each precious moment of being PF.

Hope you are out of cycle and we are here for you 24/7 if you need to talk. Take care.

Barry :)

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by DennisM1045 on Jan 28^th, 2008, 12:15pm

on 01/28/08 at 11:13:56, brewcrew wrote:

Verapamil, while very effective, was depriving me of feeling alive, in every sense of the word. My wife, too (now I'm waiting for all the smartasses to come along and tell me how she didn't notice much of a difference).

Sure Brew. Throw up a softball like that and then take all the fun out of it. ;;D

-Dennis-

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by brewcrew on Jan 28^th, 2008, 12:37pm

on 01/28/08 at 12:15:47, DennisM1045 wrote:

Sure Brew. Throw up a softball like that and then take all the fun out of it. ;;D

-Dennis-

Take a swing, Dennis. C'mon, it's a real softball - I swear.

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by Stoic on Jan 29^th, 2008, 6:08pm

Finally heard back from my neurologist, who said I could go down to 120 mg and, if I had no more headaches for 3-4 weeks, go off it entirely.

In the meantime, of course, I'd already gone down to 120 mg for a couple of days, and woke up at 2 am this morning with you know what. So I guess I'm going to have to be a bit more patient, sticking with 240 mg for a few more weeks and see what happens.

Good thing I'm not trying to teach this spring.

Thanks again for all your help.

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by brewcrew on Jan 29^th, 2008, 6:13pm

You might want to talk to doc about combining the verapamil with lithium (probably around 600-1200mg). It's a beast-killer combination for many, and I found virtually no side-effects. I haven't taken verapamil for almost 2 years, and the lithium keeps the beast at bay most of the time.

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by 2ze on Jan 30^th, 2008, 6:04pm

hi im a new one to this forum.i take 960mg of verapramil daily for 6 months now my cluster headaches come about 4 times a day i take 2 injections a day and they dont seem to work anymore.the head clinic a goto are putting tablets on top of the verapramil aswell.they talked about lithium but i dont like the sound off it.im 37 and male.i have a 9 year old son who would like his father to be normal my wife gets so worried and im going threw a bad patch with the beast (headaches).i use to do loads of fun things and play loads of sports.now i dont seem to be able to anything with my life.i dont sleep and am scared too.as i allways wake up with the beast.i dont mean to go on im sorry if you hear this all the time.but just need to tell somone.thanks

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by DennisM1045 on Jan 30^th, 2008, 7:55pm

2ze,

If you are over 900mg of Verapamil and still injecting twice a day with Imitrex/Imigran I'd say this strategy isn't working.

With that much triptan use I'm sure you're getting rebound HAs on top of CH. It can become difficult to separate the two.

What are the other "tablets" you are taking now?

Have you ever tried Oxygen? 100% Oxygen at a flow rate up to 15lpm is a beast killer for many including me.

Start a separate thread and tell us more so we can help find a way to get you sorted out.

-Dennis-

Title: Re: About to stop Verapamil
Post by brewcrew on Jan 30^th, 2008, 8:09pm

I'll tell you this: I'm much more afraid of what verapamil will do side-effect-wise than I am of lithium.

And I have to reiterate what Dennis says about 100% oxygen at a high-flow rate (15 liters per minute or more).