Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        New Message Board Archives >> Oct-Dec 2003 >> DHE
        
(Message started by: Tim_w on Oct 15^th, 2003, 4:38pm)

Title: DHE
Post by Tim_w on Oct 15^th, 2003, 4:38pm

Hay gang!
What can anyone tell me about DHE?
My noro is setting me up for a 48 hour DHE.
What can I expect,and will it work for a Chronic?
Thanks for your input!
PF Wishs around the room! :-*
Timw Happy Pappy ;D

Title: Re: DHE
Post by Carl_D on Oct 15^th, 2003, 4:49pm

Was hospitalized for a week back in August of 2000 for emergency care. I was on DHE-45 for four days straight, wasn't getting hit with any clusters or shadows. Then the day I came home from the hospital, I just started getting them again, and they gradually picked up where it left off. My overall feeling was that I was bruised and sore over most of my body with alot of malaise, and still getting clusters.
I'm also a chronic, so I guess maybe for us chronics that's just the way it goes.
I have heard it said that .11 percent of the worlds population has CH, of that percentage, 20 % are chronic and of that 20 % of chronics, 20 % don't respond to most meds. Guess what percentage I was lucky enough to fall into.

Peace,
Carl D

Title: Re: DHE
Post by thomas on Oct 15^th, 2003, 4:52pm

Only had it once with two other meds in an iv at the er. I kicked the shit out of the beast. I was able to sleep for about 9 hours.

Title: Re: DHE
Post by BarbaraD on Oct 15^th, 2003, 8:25pm

I've been on it off and on for about 12 years. When the headaches get totally out of control the neuro puts me on it. Usually about 4 days of IVs and then injections every 8 hours until the cycle breaks. It usually does for a little while.

When I was episodic it would break a cycle. When I went chronic, it would break it for a few weeks at a time. But I could get some rest in between, so I took it.

Since I got on Topamax, I've only had to take the DHE a couple of times and it worked to break a cycle then.

So I guess if you take enough of it it works. It's not that bad IV, but feels like battery acid when you get it with injections. Leaves knots in your butt.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: DHE
Post by Surf on Oct 15^th, 2003, 8:35pm

I'm gonna put that on my list of arsinals. Right up their with the Beast Blaster double odd with full choke.

Title: Re: DHE
Post by Ree on Oct 15^th, 2003, 10:15pm

October 1997 after Dave went through a 7 month cycle from Hell he went into the hospital for a week for DHE treatment...They administered it through IV... It broke his cycle gave him a break so he could sleep and become human again... 24 hours after he was home he got hit and it was as if the beast was saying Im still King... then they went away... So it broke the cycle for Dave... don't be surprised if you still get hit a few times at home afterwards... Good Luck Tim we love ya... go for it... might be what the doctor ordered......... ree

Title: Re: DHE
Post by don on Oct 16^th, 2003, 12:38pm

48 hours of DHE aborted the worst cycle of my life. That was 2 years ago and I've been cycle free since.

Title: Re: DHE
Post by OneEyeBlind on Oct 16^th, 2003, 4:38pm

Hey Tim, I like Don's answer ............ and I'm hoping for the same for you. Let me know when you are going in and where. Ya ain't that far away ........ so i'll try and stop by and see ya ! Best of luck to ya.

Title: Re: DHE
Post by Tim_w on Oct 16^th, 2003, 4:56pm

Thanks for the input!!
Still don't have a date set yet !
When I find something out I'll keep you posted
Timw Trying to be a Happy Pappy :-/
PF Wishs a round the room

Title: Re: DHE
Post by KingOfPain on Oct 16^th, 2003, 5:02pm

Tim,

July,2002...... I had a 3 day (in hospital,admitted)
DHE IV
treatment.

They will monitor your blood pressure closely.

I don't know how they will do it with you,
I had to have mine (BP) taken on a regular basis.

No, I do not have BP problems & never have.
There is a BP risk with some folks with
DHE IV treatment.

They took my BP lying down, standing up, &
sitting down (upright) on a regular basis.
They took my BP before DHE IV
administration & after.
Not sure how many times DHE was given
or how many times BP taken, was out
of it (dopey) alot.

The CH was uncontrollable at the time, so
my Neuro tried the DHE.

Fine while in hospital & getting the DHE,
3 days later CH was back.
Back, but not with the intensity,duration,
or frequency it (CH) was hitting before the DHE.

I was so out of it most the time with other
meds Neuro had me on to relax & rest.
I had not gotten much if any sleep
in a long time before this hospital trip
because CH was running rampant.

*On a personal note, that was when I
found out about the plant closure
(where i worked), while lying in the
hospital bed.
Came on the local news.
Local news reported before my
company even told me.
Swell.
What a way/time to find out you
are about to be out of a job.
Timing is everything.

Good luck, hope it helps.
Helped me, sort of.

KingOfPain

Title: Re: DHE
Post by 9erfan on Oct 16^th, 2003, 5:11pm

Back in the day when I was episodic and would wind up in the ER every few months, they would shoot me up with DHE. It would usually break up a cycle.

February, 1997 I was hospitalized for 8 days for the head. Every 4 hours they shot me up with DHE, Prednisone, Dilaudid, and Thorazine. Pain finally stopped on the 8th day.

Title: Re: DHE
Post by Kenzie60 on Oct 17^th, 2003, 11:41am

Hi, was in the hospital for DHE for 4 days in April 2003, it broke my cycle and I was PF until 3 weeks ago. They sent me home with the DHE shots to give myself. I only had to use them once a couple of weeks ago. I am still in cycle right now, getting hit about 4 times a day. I am unable to use the DHE shots as they have caused damage to my heart. I see the cardiogist on Monday. Give it a try, alot of people have had success with it. Good luck.

Roseanne

Title: Re: DHE
Post by 2late on Oct 17^th, 2003, 7:02pm

just got thru with 25 straight day's of dhe & it broke the worst cycle i ever had. my treatments where 5 day's in office & 20 day home treatments'.......i highly recommend this med! best of luck to ya! ...............Jack

Title: Re: DHE
Post by NotH20 on Oct 20^th, 2003, 2:23pm

Tim - add me to the success list for DHE. Hospitalized back in January 2000 for 6 days on a DHE IV drip. Came home and only had 2 more ch's and that's been it since then. I was also on Keppra (decreasing dosages) and Topomax (increasing dosages) and then Verap as well as O2. Unlike Barbara - the injections blew out my veins - between the DHE and the med the give you first so you don't get sick from the DHE. It really made me feel way out there in the beginning, but as the 6 days went on, my head got a little bit straighter.

Good luck to you with this - it stopped my cycle completely. Keep us posted on the date....

Mia

Title: Re: DHE
Post by Unsolved on Oct 20^th, 2003, 3:39pm

DHE ... ahh yes. I get it ALL THE TIME. I just had it again the other day. Spent a few days in the hospital getting .5 mg of DHE via IV every 8 hours (as long as my BP stayed down). The others are right, DHE has a tendancy to raise your BP, so the docs monitor you pretty closely. I would also recommend some Phenegran so ya don't puke your head off. They give it to ya in hopes that it'll break your cycle, but it never has for me (just gives me some R n R). I like to get it every 6 weeks or so. (I really need the break). If your clustering hard, you'll probably like the break. Goodluck.