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Title: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Ree on Mar 11th, 2005, 6:39pm WTHeck is Kudzu... I feel like we missed something vital... I feel stupid... enlighten me and... How do you take it... how much etc...... ??????? love ree |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by floridian on Mar 11th, 2005, 6:44pm Several long threads, but to make the story short, a good percent of the people trying kudzu have experienced improvement in the cluster activity. Kudzu is the root (or root extract) of the kudzu plant - scourge of the south. It has been used to treat migraines in traditional Chinese medicine for a while, but is not that well known in the west. The kudzu survey thread is a list of people that have tried it for a week or mor - check that one out. And this article: http://med-owl.com/clusterheadaches/tiki-index.php?page=Kudzu (and welcome back, Ree!) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Mar 12th, 2005, 1:21pm Thanks for "sticking" this thread DJ! I'm going to add links to the threads here also. :) Original thread: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=medsarchive2005;action=display;num=1107368408 Some follow-ups: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=2005Gposts;action=display;num=1110299841 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=2005Gposts;action=display;num=1109050068 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=medsarchive2005;action=display;num=1111940706 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=medsarchive2005;action=display;num=1113697468 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=medsarchive2005;action=display;num=1121124013 Added 03/06: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=meds;action=display;num=1141363394 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=medsarchive2005;action=display;num=1131409614 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=meds;action=display;num=1142950910 edited by DJ to correct URL's |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by floridian on Mar 14th, 2005, 3:29pm Here's a chart showing the first week response of the 19 people that posted their results to the survey. The bottom scale is relief - 0 on the left is no relief, 10 on the right is complete remission. Most people reporting some relief, although 2/19 saw no benefit and another 2/19 with little benefit. http://med-owl.com/files/first_week_kudzu_19_cases.JPG There were two people reporting 6.5 for relief - I put one in the 6 column and one in the 7 (not sure that is statistically valid, but I wanted to stick to whole numbers for the scale of the graph). |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by jokrs2 on Mar 17th, 2005, 1:01pm Hi Floridian. I think I originally posted an overall 6-7 on the relief chart, but since upping my doseage to the full recommended on the bottle 5 days ago the last 4 days are now a 10 for relief, just slight shadow. I hope this continues ;;D. Thanks for your hard work on this evaluation. Blessings, Joe |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by toolong on Mar 19th, 2005, 9:01am Doing the zu for a few days short of three weeks now,and I can honestly say I think it is helping.Still deal with some shadows and a kip 7 or 8 hit once in a while.But the CH have shortened in duration and frequency.Still take 02 when I feel the deamon doing his thing.But for me the ZU does seem to work. :DDavid |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by survivor13 on Mar 21st, 2005, 11:33pm how do u take it? cook it, eat it raw etc.... :-/ |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Mar 21st, 2005, 11:46pm We are taking supplements. I think you can use fresh root to make tea, but I suspect it would be hard to know dosages with that. You shouldn't use kudzu starch, which you can buy to cook with. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Apple on Apr 20th, 2005, 5:45pm For those taking supplements, how much do you take? What is a typical dosage? Is it purchased in the health food store? Thanks. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Jonny on Apr 20th, 2005, 6:06pm on 04/20/05 at 17:45:14, Apple wrote:
Keep reading...the answer to your question is everywhere here ;) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by toolong on Apr 24th, 2005, 1:55pm Just an update on the ZU.Friday night went to a birthday party with a lot of old friends.Plenty of beer and great food.Any booze has been off limits to me now for some time because it triggers my CH.But I got caught up in all the fun and decided to have a "few" beers.Well my wife let me know I had more than a few...anyway,NO CH!!!!I don't recommend this for anyone else but for the first time in years I had a pretty nice beer buzz with no CH.It HAS to be the Kudzu.I think God put everything on this earth for a reason we just haven't ever figured out how to use it all for our own good.The ZU works for me! ;;DDavid Oh,by the way My Kudzu is Solray Extract 150 mg.1 2X a day |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Zephrah on Apr 26th, 2005, 6:30pm [smiley=huh.gif]Hey i'm looking to order some Kudzu online, could anyone please send me a link to where they have found it cheapest (or at all?)? THANKS! :) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Zephrah on Apr 26th, 2005, 6:37pm :) Hey, nevermind everyone I found Lizzie2's link! THANKS! ;;D oh yeah heres one if anyone else is looking! http://www.vitacost.com/Store/Products/ProductDescription.cfm?SKUNumber=033674145500&searchby=PN&SearchText=kudzu |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by TKDFORCHRIST on May 30th, 2005, 7:43pm Got a question, maybe the wrong place I do not know. I use O2 and Axert. My Dr. wouldn't let me try Verapamil. I am still kind of mad about that one. Something to do with my being tall skinny and having a mitral valve reflux. Any way, I was originally given Axert because it had a longer ½ life than imitrex. I also couldn’t afford the shots anymore. I found that the Axert only has a ½ life about 1 hour longer than the trex did, according to the pharmacy. Now my question, I have been reading a lot about Kudzu and how much help it was. Problem is the posts were back in February. Frankly I am worn out from reading posts today. I can’t seem to find any answer to mixing triptans and Kudzu. Any thoughts on this? I want to try the Kudzu but I am afraid to give up what I know helps. Troy |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on May 30th, 2005, 8:22pm Mixing kudzu and triptans is probably not a good idea. Does oxygen work for you? If it does, it's probably the best abortive to use with kudzu. Print out this page and bring it to your dr. http://med-owl.com/clusterheadaches/tiki-index.php?page=Kudzu Kudzu has calcium channel blocking properties like verapamil and affects the 5ht receptors in the brain like the triptans. It has been used to treat certain heart conditions in Chinese medicine. The page I want you to print has that info and the dr can determine whether it's a wise choice for you. Good luck and PF wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by TKDFORCHRIST on May 30th, 2005, 9:12pm Thanks Nani, I do use oxygen. It has been a gift from God. I have been using the Axert on a 12-hour basis. Dr. told me this would kind of work as a prevent. Since they wouldn't go with the Verapamil. Not bashing the Dr. Mine is awesome, she suffers from migraine so I know she cares but sometimes I do not think she has a clue. Problem with using a triptan for a prevent is it does not really prevent. Of course you probably already knew that. I will print off the info and take it to her in the next couple of days. This site has been so helpful. God Bless You, Troy |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by pokemom on Jun 1st, 2005, 1:26am `[smiley=laugh.gif]U need to come to Alabama. That’s sh*% is everywhere. I always hoped it would someday be good for something other than taking over the world. Hmmmmm I think it also come from China. We used it as a ground cover to help with erosion and dang if we ant got it all over the place. It’s like cancer. Once you get the stuff you cant get rid of it. SO come to Alabama where the Kudzzzzzuuuuu is. ;) Lots of Love and happiness and PF days. Poke` |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by MarkHW on Jun 6th, 2005, 5:18pm So, you're saying no Imitrex injections with Kudzu? I was all ready to get excited, but.... I made a vow long ago that I would never, ever take anything again that prohibited me from taking Imitrex. Well... keep us updated. I pray this works! Mark |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by birdman on Jun 10th, 2005, 1:34pm Like the previous posting I was very excited, but I am a Verapamil and Imitrex user. Currently on 1200mg of Verapamil (no more per doc) and it works good. Have used a prednisone taper in the past. Couldn;t give up my Imitrex needle or Zomig spray no matter what. Just another suggestion that I recently found: Sinusbuster - it is a Capsaicin pepper extract in nasla spray form. Burns a bit and takes some getting used to but it has been amazing. Check it out - sinusbuster.com |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by seasonalboomer on Jun 10th, 2005, 1:41pm on 06/10/05 at 13:34:55, birdman wrote:
In what way has it been amazing? |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by vig on Jun 13th, 2005, 9:45am on 06/10/05 at 13:34:55, birdman wrote:
don't bother checking it out. my $.02 |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by ArdRigh on Jul 25th, 2005, 10:25am I started using Kudzu a few days agao and didn't realize that you were not to use it in conjuction with Imitrex... Well, I did and I'm fine. I popped a 100Mg Trex tab last night while experiencing a Kip 7 and I'm still here to tell you about it. The one thing I did notice is that the CH duration was much shorter then usual - I'm guessing this is due to the Kudzu. I have only been on the Kudzu for 3 days but with the exception of last night's (45 mins long) episode, I have not had a CH since starting! This is big to me as I am in cycle and have been getting two to three per day for the past three weeks! I'm not advocating taking Kudzu with Triptans (Trex, etc.), but if you did accedentally, odds are you'd live as I did. I will not be continuing this however as I'm guessing prolonged use of boht in concert could be very dangerous. My hope is after a while I will nolonger need the Trex with my daily does of kudzu. :). on 06/06/05 at 17:18:05, MarkHW wrote:
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Jul 25th, 2005, 10:30am I'm glad you're seeing a difference! We do think that kudzu taken to soon before a trex dose can make it ineffective, but doubt it's "harmful". The thing is, we just don't know a lot about it. We are the "clinical trials" per se... If you have oxygen, try it first. Red Bull (drinking it fast, at the start of a hit) can be an effective abortive for some of us, too. Good luck and keep us posted. Pain free wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by seasonalboomer on Jul 25th, 2005, 10:30am on 07/25/05 at 10:25:35, ArdRigh wrote:
I don't believe the advice against Triptans and Kudzu was based on a health warning -- I believe it came about from feedback that seemed to indicate that the two in combination may result in lessened effectiveness as well as some science showing some chemical issues which are outside of my understanding. This was all theoretical and based on a very few (statistically speaking) reports. Hell, if I thought chanting and gobbling Kudzu would help, it would be worth reporting -- and that's the way info comes about sometimes. Weigh it all for what it is worth and whenever's there a question read more. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Ree on Aug 7th, 2005, 8:46am ok I might get killed for asking this now....but does anyone thing that the kudzu will help MY MIGRAINES...? don't shoot me..... !!! you know you love me!!!! ree |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Aug 7th, 2005, 10:34am Anybody tries to shoot you, Ree...they'll have to go through me first! >:( Yes...kudzu can help you with your migraines. My sister has ECH and migraines and my daughter has migraines. It helps both of them. My sister will take them when she first feels the onset (I don't know a lot about them...so I'm not sure what that means). My daughter takes them almost everyday, just to keep the HA from starting. hugs, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Ree on Aug 7th, 2005, 12:19pm so I have looked at all the links.... I need the recipe... how many of these pills do you take per day.... for CH. I will try it for Migraine and letcha know..... and it CAN be used as a preventative.... for how long.....or is it forever....? ree |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Aug 7th, 2005, 12:40pm It's only forever if you're chronic. I will give you feedback based only on what i know from experience and have read from other testers. MANDATORY DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, or even a kudzu expert. The brands I've seen the most success with so far are Planetary Formulas Kudzu Recovery and Nature's Way Kudzu. I believe that both say you can take 6 tablets a day. Don't start that high. Dave should start paying attention to the times of day when there is the most CH activity and take his biggest dose at least 2 hours before that time. So, let's say he gets hit during the night, but shadows only in the afternoon. His best results would likely come from 1 tablet at noon and 2 at bedtime. He still has room to add 3 more tabs a day, and can adjust timing and doses as needed. He should pay attention to his BP if it's on the low side. (Kudzu has calcium channel blocking properties like verapamil) Dizziness is a common side effect at first and gas and more bowel movements are common throughout the treatment. Let us know how it's going OK? Don't forget to fill out the survey, too. hugs, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by lochwren on Aug 16th, 2005, 11:56am Short 'n sweet: Started kudzu in late June (SolarRay); 2 in the morning, 2 in the evening. This spring has been the longest lasting attack I've ever had. After starting the Kudzu, the attacks pretty much stopped. I've gone a day or more without taking anything, then the shadows come creeping back (albeit, mild ones) and I'll take one or two caps to kill them. If I have a glass or two of wine at dinner or whatever, I'll need to take a quarter or a half of an Imitrex to counter the nasty that comes on an hour or two later. The Kudzu seems to work as a preventative for me, with little or no side effects. For me, this stuff has proven to be a life-saver. From 1 to 2 10's a day to nothing more than occasional weak shadows- JOY! Hope others find it as effective as I have. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Lissa on Aug 18th, 2005, 7:31am I'm too scared to try it. I need my imitrex. What if it doesn't work and I'm stuck with an hour-long monster? I would give it a try if I knew that I could still continue using imitrex. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Aug 18th, 2005, 10:36am Some folks have taken Imitrex, too, Lissa. Without ill effects. It's not advised, though. The problem seems to be that when kudzu is taken within 2 hours of trex, it renders the trex ineffective. The thing about this treatment though, is that so many can completely stop their abortives, because it's a very effective prevent. At the very least, if it's working, it really brings the kip level and duration way down. pf wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Sandy_C on Aug 18th, 2005, 11:07am on 08/18/05 at 07:31:02, Lissa wrote:
Lissa I was scared too because I relied on my trex to abort. But, you are (or at least I was) limited to no more than two trex doses in a 24 hour period. If I used up my allotment, I was screwed for the next hit. I went on Kudzu, and stopped the trex. For the first 24-36 hours, I had major hits, then the Zu started to kick in. Had to work with timing and dosage for several days, but it began to help. Hits were MUCH milder (I could handle it without drugs - just ice and water, water, water), and MUCH shorter in duration (15 to 20 minutes versus 30 to an hour). I did, however, get more hits in a 24 hour period than before, but most were manageable without the trex. I'm not a doctor either, but I'm very reluctant to take a bunch of drugs if I don't have to. I'd rather do battle the natural (?) way. The Zu definitely helped me, but did not stop my CH. Next cycle, I'll do the Zu again. Sandy |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Lissa on Aug 18th, 2005, 12:50pm So if I try the kudzu and it doesn't work as well as I want it to, can I take an imitrex? It isn't going to kill me, is it? I would be using the kudzu in place of verapamil. My biggest fear is being hit bad and not having anything as an abortive. I want to have imitrex to fall back on, you know? P.S. I believe I just recently started a cycle (after almost 2 years pain free) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Aug 18th, 2005, 12:59pm All I can tell you is that a few have done so. I can't say it's "OK" because we really just don't know enough about it (and of course... we're not doctors or even kudzu experts). Everything we know about kudzu and CH is based on informed speculation, Floridian's research and tester experience. We know it's best not to take verapamil and kudzu at the same time. Also that kudzu can "replace" verap because it has the same calcium channel blocking properties. I assume you have done all your homework and read all the threads and Flo's page. If you haven't yet, please do so before you try it, OK? Let us know how things go, sweetie. pf wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by ckelly181 on Aug 27th, 2005, 8:07pm I'm allergic to verapimil, so it was heartening to read that kudzu is similar. I Just got back from a week-long conference where I had no access to O2. I had to rely completely on kudzu and trex (which I'm trying not to use during this cycle). This is the BEST stuff!!! I had one break through at about a KIP7 late at night. I sat up in bed and rocked and fell asleep sitting forward, propped up by pillows. The hit didn't last very long, though. The best thing about this drug - I can take a nap! Usually I get a rip-roaring one if I take a nap during my cycle. Occasionally, I'll wake up with some heavy shadowing, but a little time with the e-tank nips it in the bud. This is the best stuff - thanks for the info about kudzu! Chris |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by phydeaux on Sep 10th, 2005, 3:53pm I was taking verapamil, and had a WONDERFUL 5 month span with very little HA at all, and those greatly shortened. I was having some rather severe edema, but was living with it as a fair trade. Then the edema led to a staph infection that put me in the hospital for 5 days, so no more verapamil. After getting out, my wife found this thread about the 'Zu. I've been taking two 613mg tablets (Natures Way) twice a day for about a week now, and have not yet noticed a change. How long did it take you folks before you saw a change? My Doc also has me taking Lithium and Ergotamine (well, actually its Migergot, which is ergotamine and caffeine) now. My understanding is that kudzu and ergotamine are similar, is there such a thing as too much? Or is my understanding way off base? Also, this cycle I am having a lot more nausea than ever before. Has anyone had this side effect from kudzu OR ergotamine? Thanks for watching me ramble on... |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Pascal on Sep 19th, 2005, 11:07am [smiley=huh.gif]Looking for a recipé for the dosage of Kudzu root powder. I'm sure I'd read somewhere on one of the links the way to prepare the kudzu root powder, but just can't seem to find it again. If someone could give me an idea of how to prepare and dose it I'd be grateful. (I was only able to find it in the root powder form from a herborist). Thnks in advance. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by floridian on Sep 19th, 2005, 6:04pm on 09/19/05 at 11:07:06, Pascal wrote:
Traditional Asian herbal formulas use 9 - 15 grams of kudzu root. One thing to consider - sometimes the 'kuzu' form of kudzu for cooking has been washed to yield only starch - the active ingredients may be gone. But if it is whole kudzu root ground up, then it shouldn't be a problem. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by cherylc on Sep 21st, 2005, 8:41am Hi. I just wanted to say the the Kudzu worked for me!! Last CH episode was in January. I stopped all meds and triptans and just used O2 as an abortive. lt really worked well for me. Then I was surprised with CH's at the end of August and returned to this site to check out the Kudzu info. I had 48 hours of ch's and the o2 was working. I had to get to the city to find some Kudzu but finally found some. They only had Solaray, 150 mg, with 2% Daidzin, so that's what I got. I read through the Kudzu survey and decided to take two tablets a day. The first night I took: 2 Kudzu tablets, 2-3 mg Melatonin (Swiss with Vit B6, 8 hour timed release), 2 Calcium/Magnesium supplements (usually only take 1 per day). I slept through the night and no h/a's! I continued taking 2 Kudzu per day, 12 hours apart with 6 mg of Melatonin at night and 2 Cal/Mags. I felt great except for a few minor shadows. Then on the weekend I was at a wedding and forgot to take Melatonin at night, and didn't take the Kudzu at the regular times and was hit with 2 -k10's within 24 hrs. But then I got back on my routine and wasn't hit with any more ch's. I am so grateful for this site and those that shared their Kudzu experiences. I was able to enjoy the last week of summer holidays with my girls before they went back to school. I was able to handle the stress of starting a new school year, new schools and was able to celebrate my daughter's birthday. I am so grateful for the gift of the last few weeks...without Kudzu I wouldn't have been able to do so much. I would have "coped" by taking my O2 tank with me, but thanks to the Kudzu I was actually living instead of just "coping". I will pick up another bottle of Kudzu and keep it handy in case another CH cycle starts, and even if it doesn't work next time (all CH meds seem to lose their effectiveness for me) I will still be grateful for the gift of the last few weeks with my family. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Pascal on Sep 25th, 2005, 10:26pm on 09/19/05 at 18:04:35, floridian wrote:
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Pascal on Sep 25th, 2005, 10:36pm Thanks for the info on the Kudzu preparation. Have started my 'kudzu trial run' since last Friday P.M. - rusults = a wonderful P.F. weekend without any imigran help for the first time in years. It's like being on holidays!! |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by RandyB on Oct 10th, 2005, 9:45pm Hey guys I started on Kudzu trial today. I bought Soloray cause thats what I could find I took my first two pills at 6pm tonight and got hit at 8:15pm I was expecting a 9pm. Right when I sensed the demon on my shoulder I took another pill. I know its crazy but Im freaked going into a CH on a ROOT ??? come on. Well it worked a little its hard to explain. CH started coming as normal. then BAM nothing for 5 min. then Bam back to our normally scheduled program the devil stabbing an ice pick in your eye.lol. 10 min of this then down to a kip 7 then to 6 lasting 45 min. So I think this stuff might work for me I just need to figure it out and give it time anyone else taking this brand? are you taking at onset of CH or just on a schedule typical of your ch's?? thanks |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Oct 10th, 2005, 10:27pm Hi Randy. Welcome. Kudzu won't abort a CH. It works as a prevent. You need to pay attention to the times of day when you get the most CH activity and take kudzu at least an hour or two before then. Some folks have used the Solaray. You can take the maximum number of tablets a day and space them according to your hits. So, if you have a regular 9PM hit that's a bad one...take at least 2 tabs no later than 8PM. If you also get woken up, take 2 more at bedtime. Most notice an improvement within a few days. No one has reported an increase in activity with kudzu. It may take some time to get the details ironed out, but if it's going to work for you, you'll know soon. Pain free wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by RandyB on Oct 11th, 2005, 7:18am Thanks for our reply. I noticed last night it was hard to get to sleep. The Kudzu seems to have an awakening effect on me. Not in a nervous way though. I was up a 2am with kip2 shadows and in and out through out the night. Strange though I havent been having shadows at night lately. Day two started today and I typically have a hit in the am so I have taken two pills this morning Ill will post tonight and let you guys know. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by njbig on Dec 20th, 2005, 9:16pm Hi All, New to this group. I just received my order of Kudzu Root from Nutraceutical Sciences Institute. It says to take (2) 1200mg capsules 3x/day. Is that the correct doseage for treatment of CH's? Thanks, Ken |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Smartin on Dec 28th, 2005, 4:45pm Last time I visited was last spring when Kudzu became all the rage. I had been taking verap for about 18 months and missed my fall episode...well I didn't really miss it, it just didn't appear...and thought I had found a wonder drug. Then I got a rare spring episode and started taking Zu per all of the wonderful recommendations. Immediate relief...for about 7 days then they came back with a vengence. During this period, I was also taking melatonin, the verap, and zomig and O2 for aborts. The I read a post about determining the effectiveness of treatements when we're all pumping so much into ourselves. So I stopped everything except the aborts for a week. A hard week. Then I went on the Melatonin, 5 mgs a night. the HA's stopped within a couple of days. Could have been the natural course of the cycle, but I never stopped so quickly before. I've been alternating 2.5 and 5 mgs every other night since and have been pf. I chose the Mela first because it seemed to have the least side affects. (grogginess in the am especially with the 5). I've just passed my usual fall period without a shadow. Now hoping the spring does the same. One other note: My doc gave me a year script for the zomig...6 doses per month is what my insurance pays for. I have gotten it filled several times and have amassed several months supply (always afraid that I won't have enough around if the monster shows his ugly head.) But some of them are getting ready to expire. Anyone have any suggestions what to do with it? I hate it to go to waste. (This is probably an illegal question but I thought I'd ask it anyway.) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Melissa on Dec 29th, 2005, 9:18am on 12/28/05 at 16:45:57, Smartin wrote:
You should not have a problem using it. So I wouldn't worry about it, and if you are still concerned, just phone your doc and ask. I've been given expired imitrex as a sample from my neuro, so in reality some meds last well beyond their expiration date. Take care, mel |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by hoeboe on Dec 31st, 2005, 12:58pm Really pissed right now! I had gone for about 9+ months with not so much as a shadow of a CH. Then 2 weeks ago BANG... back with a vengence. Here I thought that maybe they had gone away for good. I went to the 4 health food stores in my city as well as the "Super" grocery store which has a huge "natural supplement" section and no one carries this Kudzu. As friggin usual is my life. Anything I want ALWAYS seems to be a task to achieve. Anyone in Ontario, Canada know of a place that STOCKS this stuff or am I going to have to order over the net? Things that seem SOOOO easy always end up being so hard! Dammit I am sick of these GD HA's!! |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by carriefu on Jan 22nd, 2006, 5:17pm where can i find this stuff????ill try anything |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by JJA on Jan 22nd, 2006, 6:39pm There are some links to to order online from this page. http://www.med-owl.com/clusterheadaches/tiki-index.php?page=Kudzu If you don't want to order online, check in some local health food/herbal supplement stores. Jesse |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by ray4903 on Jan 31st, 2006, 12:29pm Just tried kudzu-- Starting on my first episode in over a year - back with a vengeance-- Did my usual imitrex first 2 days but it really makes me feel terrible following day. Anyway, I tried the following - took 2 tablets of Taurine ( 500 MG) about 3 hours apart - when P.F. ( brand is 'Source Natural) and then just before going to bed took 750 MG of Kudzu recovery and went all day and all night without an attack - will try same regiment today - If this keeps working it will be a miracles - a welcome one !! Just that I would pass along the Taurine + Kuduzu combo along.. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Elecourt on Feb 2nd, 2006, 5:49am Hi Folks, I've never heard about your "Kudzu" stuff but as it seems to work for some of you I guess I could give it a try. Could you then please tell how I could get it, which dosage, if it is sold as a medicine or as a plant, how to use it ... Thanx for your help and best wishes for those of you that are pain free now. Eric |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by ray4903 on Feb 2nd, 2006, 4:54pm Re Kudzu. I bought it at place called 'Marlene's Market' Natural Foods. Don't know if they are national chain or not- I would think that most places selling health foods , vitamins, herbal remedies have it. The brand I got was called "Planetary'. I got 60 tablets ( 750 MG ea) for about $10.00 I have taken 1 tablet ea day early evening or just before bed- although yesterday I felt a CH creeping up and took another one..I have been completely pain free for 4 days now and have slept through entire night. No side effects that I can see. ( I have also been taking Tauerine twice daily as well ) - see earlier post. Hope this helps and good luck |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by jBryan on Feb 3rd, 2006, 9:25pm I started Kudzu 4 weeks ago and have had excellent success with it so far. For the first 4 days after I started the attacks came as normal. Then from day 5 to 17 I had attacks but they were much milder than normal(this is the first time I have ever had a "mild" CH) and they were off schedule as far as time of day and came with less frequency. For the past 11 days I have been PF with just some heavy shadows that have begun to taper off too! No major side effects maybe a little dizziness the first week. I am so happy and really glad I found this site or I would not have known about the kudzu. BTW I did use the Immatrex while on kudzu with no ill effects. I noticed a big difference in the mg per cap of kudzu between the different brands. Why is this? If I take 4 caps / day at 150 mg does that mean I should only take one / day of the brand w/ 600 mg? Hopes this helps someone else. Bryan |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by gardengal on Feb 5th, 2006, 6:46pm I want to try the kuduz too but am on pred and verapamil which i hate the side affects of. i read kudzu has small side effects. my dr gave me immitrex nasal it seemed to help last night is it as good as injections? my dr seems afraid for me to give myself shots. nasal was $196 for 6 lousy doses too. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Dragnlance on Feb 10th, 2006, 9:34pm I quit all drugs nearly 3 years ago now, because they were ineffective. At no time did I EVER get more than 2 pf days in a row. Really no differnt now. While chronic, this week has been worse than it has been for some time. (no changes in life style ect.) Anyway, I found this site last week. I found a lot of comments on the herb "Kudzu", so I bought some. Since I am drug free, I really am a good test subject. I took the firs pill Tuesday afternoon, about 2:30 pm. (I took off from work because they were so bad tuesday) At 3:30 pm (almost exactly) the current headache snapped. I jerked, and my wife asked what was wrong. I looked at her and told her the monster disappeared. Now, understand, this headache was only an hour and half into the torture, and they ALWAYS last 3+ hours. This is a constant. Never, and I mean NEVER are they less!! Well, the break was only 15 minutes before the monster came back, but what a shock. Since then I get my usual, 4 AM, 10AM and 3PM and 7PM killers, BUT, in the last 2 days, the pressure behind my eye, and the burning in my tell me it is going to kip 9 or 10, and I prepare, and it doesn't go beyond kip 6. Today has been a long one because I have only had 2 breaks from the monster, but I have not gone over 6 again today. The pressure behind my eye right now says I should be trying to crush my own skull, but I can actually sit here and tell you about this. While this is only the 3rd day on this, I am staring at the bottle of Kudzu in wide-eyed wonder, as this could, I hope be part of my salvation. I dont believe for a second that it will stop them all, and I also know that I need to get some O2 as a second defense. I understand there are issues with Kudzu and things like Verapamil, BUT, if you can, you might want to look at this. Wishing you ALL PAIN FREE DAYS and NIGHTS Dragnlance |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by shakay on Feb 11th, 2006, 11:49am My husband was switched to Verapamil yesterday. Can he take the Kudzu with Verapamil?? |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Dragnlance on Feb 11th, 2006, 8:15pm It is my understanding that Kudzu cancels out the effects of verapamil. That being the case, it is not recommended that you take both. Take one or the other Dragn |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by IpityU on Mar 13th, 2006, 4:46pm anyone know what the max is for Kudzu? I can only find Solaray Kudzu Extract 150mg. My hubby needs something today! Bottle states 1-2 as a dietary supplement per day. But I am reading others taking higher doses here. He is usually hit at about 8 or 9 pm for the first hit. But notices when he workd out playing basketball they come on after about 30 minutes or so. He plans to play tonight.YIKES! So would you recommend 1 an hour before ball, and another an hour or two before expected first hit? Is the Solaray Extract different than the Natures Way formula other than mg's per pill? I understand this may not work out right away. perhaps taking a couple days to kick in, but he really needs to start soemthing before his next follow-up. he is a beginner CH sufferer (4weeks so far) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Mar 13th, 2006, 7:33pm I assume you've read all the info and made sure there are no meds interactions you have to be concerned about :) ... Most testers took between 3500 and 4500 mgs of kudzu a day. The Solar Way brand has the fewest mgs per dose. Natures way is 6 - 613 mgs a day and Planetary formulas is 6 - 750 mgs a day. pain free wishes to your home, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by IpityU on Mar 13th, 2006, 8:08pm thanks nani, jim is on no meds at all. I have read up on the Kuduz and definately want to try it first.(he too). Is there a problem switching from one brand to another? He does not see a dr. for a follow up till friday, which seems like eternity to me, though he is a trooper and handling all this much better than me! I read almost ALL the stats on the Kuduz quiz. I would have preferred to get the Natures Way but the only store in town had just Solarway. I also have read all links pertaining to Kuduz. We have to give it a try. Lizah |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Mar 13th, 2006, 8:12pm Switching brands shouldn't cause any problems. He should take his biggest dose about 2 hours before his biggest hit. The key to it is in the timing. I'm sending pf wishes and vibes. :) The other brands are available online, and they're pretty inexpensive. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by jdd on Mar 18th, 2006, 1:37pm Hi everyone, I just completed filling out the kudzu survey. I am another success story for kudzu. I first heard about the benefits of this root from reading these boards last year. I was not in cycle at the time, but wanted to get all the information I could to prepare myself for the next visit. The success that many had in managing their cycle gave me the confidence to put some hope into this thing. I bought the Nature's Way brand from vitacost (inexpensive but the S&H charges were high). Fortunately I have not had to test the zu for about a year. But recently I had warnings that the cycle was about to begin. It could not have been at a worse time as I will soon begin a new job. Talk about bad first impressions ... I could just see it now, on my first day I'll get hit and have to go home because of a "headache". Anyway, I am on the zu now and it appears to be working. It's been 2 weeks since my first hit, but I've been relatively pain free since I started taking zu. I've also been fortunate in that I only take 3 capsules a day (the recommended dosage is 6 per day), and it seems to be effective. I am cautiously optimistic that I finally found something to manage this unbearable pain that we all go through. I want to thank everyone on this board, but especially floridian (who is doing a lot of research) and nani who posts here quite frequently. I have found your posts very helpful. I hope everyone finds relief with kudzu (or anything else). Good luck everyone. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by ray4903 on Mar 21st, 2006, 6:31pm In my ninth week of episode-- oh what fun.. anyway- I found out about Kudzu on this board and started taking it on the second week and it did seem to work in terms of mildly aborting daytime attacks altho not the dreaded night ones. After 2 weeks - it seemed that afetr taking Kudzu- I got a CH within 15 mins- nit just arebounder - a full fledge 8-10.. I stopped taking it and now just the ole reliable imitrex injects at 2-3 ml out of the vial ea time. Question I ahve - has anyone experienced thsi effect of Kudzu-- it is really ahrd to say it began 'causing' CH as who knows and I would not want to discourage anyone who thsis is working for as any cure is a total Godsend for anyone who can find anything / anyway to stop these things. This is the longest epidosde I avae had in 10 yearts ( ususually by week 8 they end) and it;s killing me.. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by seasonalboomer on Mar 24th, 2006, 9:34am Just a little informal analysis on the different brands that people have reported on the survey. Postive responses mean that the tester indicated that they felt they had an 8 or better result after the first week. Moderate means 6-7 result for first week. Poor means below 6. Positive % Moder. % Poor % Resp Total Solaray 7 70% 2 20% 1 10% 10 Natures Way 17 57% 6 20% 7 23% 30 Planetry Fml 4 50% 3 38% 1 13% 8 Other 4 40% 4 40% 2 20% 10 I wanted to look at it as I ended changing brands from Natures Way this cycle (due to local availability) and my results are different than past three cycles. Just info and I may be off just a little as I was making hand noted from each of the surveys. Scott |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by neetnut on Mar 26th, 2006, 11:55am Read all the post on Kudzu and I just started taking it today. Have been in cluster cycle for the last few days, hoping this works. Keeping my fingers crossed that in the next 24 hours I will be rid of these stupid things. Anita |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by adamk827 on Apr 3rd, 2006, 11:42pm Hi all: Thank god it has been 3 years since I was last here. After reading everyone’s posts I have to admit, I feel lucky that I only suffer from this hell every 3-4 years or so. This is my 4th cycle since 1995. Unfortunately as a heart patient, I am unable to take Imitrix (a drug which worked great during my 2nd cycle). I started getting shadows last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Bought the Kudzu on Friday in the midst of a Kip 6-7. Since then I have been utilizing the following Kudzu infused herbal cocktail that has been pretty successful so far: 2 (615mg) Natures Way Kudzu 3 times a day. 1 (325 mg) Feverfew with the morning Kudzu 1 or 2 (500 mg) Taurine when I start to feel shadows 2 (5 mg) melatonin at bedtime. 1 (400 mg) magnisium 2 times a day I have also ordered Sinus Buster, anyone out there have any luck with this product? Adam |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Apr 5th, 2006, 1:40pm It only took two hours ( ::) ) , but we finally found a place that carries Planetary Herbals Kudzu Recovery. Gary took one (750mg) pill at about 1:30. And.... not having been diagnosed with CH, he's on no other medications. Here's hoping! |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by TxBasslady on Apr 5th, 2006, 9:48pm I took Nature's Way. You really need to take the recommended dose (in my opinion) in order to get the real success from it. Nature's Way dosage was 2 capsules, 3 times a day. For me, once it got in my system....it was like a true miracle. I never missed a dose....and I didn't stop taking it till December. The reason I quit taking it was just to see if the CH would beat me to death.. :-/ As soon as I got my 02, I tapered the Zu....and have taken nothing at all for my CH except 02. Sometimes the first few days or couple weeks might get a bit shaky....but stick with it, and things will improve. Jean |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by TxBasslady on Apr 5th, 2006, 9:58pm Oops.....one thing I forgot.. Take the Kudzu at the same time every day. It seems to make a difference if you don't. I took it at 11am...3p.m....and 8p.m. This schedule seemed to work well for me. BTW....Laurie, You can order the Kudzu online....it's alot cheaper than going to a vitamin store. I ordered from IHERB....and paid $6.56 for it. I bought like 8 bottles at a time and got free shipping. From order to delivery was about 4 days. Jean |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Apr 6th, 2006, 11:28am Thanks Jean! If it seems to be working, we'll order it online. It's just as soon as he read through the surveys and this thread himself, he didn't want to wait for delivery. His CH episodes have basically all been what he calls Kip 9. Some of them have sure seemed like 10s to me, because I've sure wanted to call an ambulance for him. He really has an incredibly high ability to tolerate pain, so I truly believe that wherever he ranks it, compared to other normal human beings it ought to be notched up a bit. So... after day one. Note 1: He's taking more than the recommended dose of Kudzu recovery because it doesn't have any breakdown of how much of what is in it, and it has a LOT of other ingredients. Kudzu root is the main one, but there's no way to know how much of the 750mg is actually the root. Note 2: The past few days, he's been having about four episodes a day. He wakes up with shadows, has pain of 2 or 3 all day. Has an episode around 1:00 - 2:00, then another one around 4:00 - 5:00, a 3rd around 9:00 - 10:00, and then one around 1:30am - 2:30am. So.... day one. He took his first pill at 1:30pm when we bought it. Was still having pain shadows. At 3:50pm he had an episode. It was a Kip9 (he says he'll only have one Kip 10, and that'll be his last one. Ugh). It was mid-length for him - peaked after about 40 minutes. He tried 02, but he never takes enough at a high enough rate or long enough because of his fear of running out (I know, makes no sense, but whatever). He thrashed around for quite a while before agreeing to have coffee, which often works. I fed him the equivalent of 4 cups of espresso, and that seemed to abort it. 4:30pm took 2nd Kudzu recovery. 8:30pm Took TurmericForce pill with dinner. Drank lots of water after that. 9:30pm Took two Kudzu recovery pills. 10:15 Took 1 5mg Melatonin pill. He actually fell asleep around 10:30pm. Slept fitfully until 11:30pm when CH episode began. Now - this is the interesting part. It took about 20 minutes for the HA to peak, which is pretty short for him. He was clearly not in as much pain as normal. Afterwards he said it was about a 6 if the afternoon's was a 9. It took longer to scale down, and he did try (again, not enough) 02. But he used nothing else but a cold cloth on his face. He was "in relief" by 12:20am, but still had shadows. He fell asleep a little before 1:30am. He says he slept staight thru to about 5:30am. He is in a GREAT mood today! Not only did he get four hours of straight sleep (first in a LONG time), but he never got that 2nd mid-am episode. AND he woke up without shadows. So he took 1 Kudzu recovery at 8:30am. He'll take his second at 1:30pm, like yesterday. I'll have him skip the 4:30, and then take two at 9:00pm again. I don't know about this TurmericForce stuff. But I'll definitely have him take the Melatonin again. One day at a time. One day at a time. I HATE getting my expectations up, but I have to say - I'm kind of excited! |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Apr 6th, 2006, 11:31am Oops - forgot to point out even though it's pretty clear in that first post - he only had two episodes yesterday. That 4:00 was pretty much on schedule, but he didn't have an evening and then a mid-am episodes, he just had one inbetween, and milder than usual. ;;D |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by TxBasslady on Apr 7th, 2006, 12:38am You're doing a great job, Laurie. Nothing is foolproof....the CH will break thru, but Gary needs to be patient...give the Kudzu enough time to get in his system. He'll still get hit...and he'll still have the shadows...but all in all, hopefully this will give him a bit of painfree time. I took it for 10 months...never missed a dose....never left home without it. Happy to hear that he slept a bit more last night. That's great!! Good luck...keep in touch...let us know how you 2 are doing. Jean |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Apr 7th, 2006, 11:39am I almost don't want to say this because I'm afraid to jinx it... so... with a "knock wood," I'm going to say - it really looks like the Kudzu Recovery is working. Gary had shadows all day yesterday, but like K1/K2, so he was very happy. He did have a very short attack while at the medical supply store. Don't know where it would have gone, but he said it was only like 5 minutes (because they put him on liquid oxygen and the attack aborted immediately) and a K3. He did take a nap after the market closed yesterday (we're analysts who research and write reports on publicly traded companies for a living). Exactly an hour into the nap he woke up into an attack. It lasted for exactly 15 minutes and was a K4. He took the Kudzu and Melatonin on the same schedule, though we did add calcium to the mix (he took it with the melatonin. Also FYI we're adding magnesium in with the AM dose). So the GREAT news is, so far (and we're on day 3 now), the attacks are fewer, MUCH shorter, and MUCH milder. The bummer is because he woke up into one, he was completely paranoid about falling asleep again. He didn't sleep at all last night (to which I can attest because he kept me up too most of the night). He had another really mild attack for about 10 minutes at 1:00am, but again, it was only K3. He says he's still got shadows - don't seem to go away at all. They vary between K1 and K2, and today are basically K1. Right now, life IS beautiful. Thank you SO MUCH for the info, the encouragement, and the interest! |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by TxBasslady on Apr 7th, 2006, 12:30pm Laurie, Naps are pretty much tabu for me. Naps trigger my CH. You might get him some Excedrin Migraine....it helps me with the shadows. Sometimes the coffee or hot tea just don't seem to kick the shadow. I have to think that the 02 will work for him. He just needs a regulator that'll go 12-15 lpm....and of course the NON-rebreather mask. I also took the magnesium, and C0Q10. It's really kinda unbelievable that some of these things work for some of us. I haven't taken a triptan for my CH since January 12, 2005. Sometimes I think we can take too much of the triptans. For me, I chose to get off of everything and start over. The Kudzu was just what I needed to get a good start. The only thing I ever took with the Kudzu was the 02. Things got so much better with the 02, I decided to taper off the Kudzu. My encouragement and interest stems from being a sufferer....the pain is the worst I've ever felt. However, as bad as the pain is...we have to go on with our lives. If we let the CH take control....then life would not be bearable. I refuse to allow this pain to run my life and keep me from the things I love to do. You guys hang in there...tell Gary he's done good by listening to you! LOL Lots of vibes to you both....if you need anything...you know we're here. Much love, Jean |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Apr 7th, 2006, 2:16pm Jean, you're a sweetheart. Gary was in the military for 9 1/2 years. He was in Lebanon during the war. He's been blown up, had 3rd degree burns, has shrapnel in his legs, has 385 jumps and as a result has broken most of the bones in his body at some point or another, had four major back surgeries and deals with intense back pain all the time. He has no cartiledge left in his left knee but won't do the recommended knee surgery. He had a tumor in his head. He breaks one of his toes at least once a year and doesn't even bother to see a doc for it. We were on a biz trip when he broke his toe once. He put on his shoes, and we walked from meeting to meeting (around NYC) three days in a row, and he barely complained. He broke a finger one morning (I didn't know). We had a doc's appt. for something else two days later. While there, he says "Oh yeah - I think I broke my finger." He holds out his hand, and the top half of his middle finger is off at an angle and the doc says "Sure looks like it! When did this happen?" ... and nearly fainted when Gary said "2 days ago." Never bothered to go for the X-ray or get it dealt with. This is a man who already lived with constant pain (man, you should HEAR it when his knee "goes out"). Most of it would have any of us on narcotics, eagerly prescribed by some physician. Yet when it came down to it - he just threw on the back brace or knee brace or shoe, and got up and did what he had to do. But these? I've never seen this man cry from pain. He doesn't scream, he barely makes a noise. He gets up, paces, lies down, thrashes around - sometimes, gets violently sick and just lies on the bathroom floor writhing. When there are tears streaking down his face and he's writhing around, I know any other human being would call an ambulance. So while (THANK GOD) I've never experienced your pain, I do know what you mean about suffering, and not letting it ruin your life. Thank God this site is here. And Thank God the Kudzu seems to be working! (And thanks for the Tylenol tip!) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Eye Dee 10 Tee on Apr 9th, 2006, 3:26pm I am going to try the zu, but am hoping to get some local so I don't have to wait as long. Starting week 6, went from 1-2 hits a day at k5-6, to now k9-10 with 5 hits in last 24hrs. One yesterday was nearly 2 hours. I am getting really tired, and my mind is playing tricks on me, I keep talking to the beast and refusing to say the "Why me" thing, as I won't give the bastard the satisfaction. I just hope it doesn't start talking back. Thanks for the zu post, I hope I can get it soon and that it works...I can't do this much longer. I am due, shawdows are intensifying. Thanks for being here. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by I Cant Dance on Apr 10th, 2006, 1:11pm Found some Planetary Formulas Recovery local. Heading to pick it up and try. In 5 years, worst day ever yesterday. Any recommendations on dosages? I have read all posts, but some are old and I need some reassurance. I am very tired, and am dreading the rest of the day. Shadows are more intense for this time of day than previous, and I got taken for a 2hr kip 9-10 yesterday around 1:30. Thanks. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Apr 10th, 2006, 7:43pm Gary was having K9s and K10s, 4 - 8 attacks a day. He couldn't wait to get the Kudzu either. We found the same thing: Kudzu Recovery (the pills are 750mg). He now takes them in the following schedule (recommended by TxBassLady, I think): 1 at 11:30am 1 at 3:30 pm 2 at 8:30pm He also takes 2 5mg Melatonin pills at 10:15pm. To help his "body clock" get reset, we've added 1200mg of calcium that he takes with the Melatonin, and 500mg of magnesium that he takes with breakfast in the morning. Because he was having an attack early afternoon, late afternoon, and the bulk of them at night, this seems to be an ideal schedule. He did have a K9 for about 55 minutes the first day he started taking the Kudzu, but from day 2 he's down to 1 - 3 attacks/day, the ones during the day are now what he calls "twinges" (meaning a K3 - K5) and they last about 10 - 20 minutes. He doesn't even bother with the 02 for these. He still often has one at night, around 11:30pm, but the highest level of pain has been a K7, it's usually a K6, and it lasts for about 20 minutes now, not K9 for 1 1/2+ hours. AND now he generally sleeps from around 1:30am to about 5:30am, four blessed hours in a row. Hope you have at least these results, because while he's not pain free (and still has shadows more or less all day), this is SO much more bearable - for all of us. Keep us posted! Laurie |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by I Cant Dance on Apr 13th, 2006, 12:25am Took my first dose of 2 Planetary Formulas Kudzu Recovery on Monday-2 hours before my hit. Have taken 2 at about 11:30 (two hours before my big hit), two about 4:30 (two hours before my next hit) and one at bedtime since Monday. Too early to give a difinative answer, but no effect as yet. I am going to give it a few more days. Still 4 hits a day, with two of them at kip 9 and lasting just under 3 hours. My nights are worse now too. 4 hours at kip 4/5 last two nights. I am sure it is just coincidence and not the Kudzu. :-[ |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Apr 13th, 2006, 10:46am Sorry to hear it's not helping any. Gary's had two very bad days these last two - but he kept trying to use some type of nasal spray, and they all seem to be triggers. So we can't tell if the Kudzu isn't working the way it appeared to be, or if he exacerbated it all with the nasal sprays. He's also been taking Melatonin, and it may be that's been helping. The real bummer is his all day shadows are intensifying. Don't know if this is nasal spray "hangover" or what. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by I Cant Dance on Apr 14th, 2006, 12:12pm Today will be my fourth day of Kudzu. No change as yet. All in all, I spent nearly 8 hours of the last 24 at kip 8-9. I am also still taking 12mg of melatonin at night as well. If I see no change by Saturday, I will start prednisone and htp? Thanks for listening. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by seccsij on Apr 14th, 2006, 7:29pm on 04/13/06 at 10:46:46, Garys_Girl wrote:
I dont know if this will help at all but, after 21 yrs of CH, I am now getting a little [smiley=huh.gif]relief with 15mg of Melatonin, 1/2 hr before bed and beclomethasone dipropionate BP nasal spray (called Beconase in Australia). It is very gentle on the nose and works fast to clear that stuffy sensation. It's not a cure but it helps a little. i hope gary has PF days soon. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Apr 14th, 2006, 10:04pm on 04/14/06 at 12:12:05, I Cant Dance wrote:
Sorry, I don't know what htp is. I do know from reading here that a prednisone taper is a very effective short-term preventative. Just FYI, Gary isn't taking just Kudzu and melatonin. He's also using magnesium and calcium supplements. If you have a minute, take a quick read of the Taurine thread. Taurine seems to increase the effectiveness of caffeine as an abortive (e.g. Red Bull). But it Taurine also increases the effectiveness of magnesium, which is low in many clusterheads. Gary added Taurine to the supplement regimen two days ago. He's had one attack in the past 24 hours. The melatonin seems to have "gotten into his system" now, and he got close to 8 hours of sleep last night! Also, despite the problems for a couple of days due to sinus med complication, the shadows are "shadowier" now. Good luck "I Can't Dance," and wishing you pain free days and nights! Laurie |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by I Cant Dance on Apr 17th, 2006, 1:14pm Kudzu showed no noticable effect for me after seven days. :'( . Started prednisone yesterday. Now taking Kudzu, pred and 5-htp and o2. Ordered clustermasx, a different type of kudzu as well. Getting hit 3-4 times/day. Mid day hit is the worst at k9 for 2 hours+. Evening hit has gotten shorter in time but seems more intense. Nightime hit is 2-4 hours but less intense at k3-6. Morning hit has changed. Been hit or miss for a few days now. Got like six hours sleep last night. ::). |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Apr 17th, 2006, 3:51pm Sorry the kudzu hasn't proven to be your magic bullet. :( If you say the hits are changing a bit in their duration and/or intensity, it may be doing something. I know of folks who've used a pred taper and kudzu at the same time. I don't know of anyone taking 5 HTP and kudzu. Are you timing the kudzu to help prevent the big hits? Your biggest dose should be taken about 2 hours before your biggest hit. It does sometimes take a while to figure out the proper dosage and timing. Hang in there. pain free wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by lashultz on Apr 17th, 2006, 5:17pm Don't know for sure if it is the Kudzu or just some time for relief. After 3+ years of being chronic I will take whatever I can get. I am taking 613 mg. Kudzu and 240 mg. Verapamil twice a day. I have been much better for the last month or so. I still get headaches but no where as serve as the previous 4 months. For whatever it is worth, give Kudzu at least a couple of months before aborting the chance for some relief. lashultz |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by I Cant Dance on Apr 17th, 2006, 8:30pm I started the kudzu at 2 tabs (planetary formulas) 2hrs before biggest heit, 2 2 hrs before the next and 1 at bedtime, which I just increased to two. Maybe I shoud go to 3-3-2? |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Dragnlance on Apr 18th, 2006, 9:05am I take Kudzu with great relief. I have found however that there is a difference in what you can purchase. Make certain that you get Kudzu that is 100% Extract. Those that are part extract and part ground Kudzu do not seem to be as effective for ME. You could be the same. Read the lable. If it has both listed, look for one that is just extract. Locally the only one I can get that is an extract is Solaray. Hoping for pain free time for you man!! Dragn |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Rosemary on Apr 19th, 2006, 4:42pm I tried Kuduz on and off for 3 weeks, called the company to ask if anyone had reported side effects of diarrhea. They denied any reports of side effects. I am finished trying unregulated products. I visited 2 doctors, required a CT Scan and a Colonoscopy. My medical bills are arriving daily, so far they are over $6,000. The worse thing is that I still have daily headaches! They are tolerable at the moment, must be in a good cycle. In May, it will mark 3 years of cluster headaches that wake me up daily. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Apr 20th, 2006, 12:25am Sorry you had a bad experience with kudzu. :( I hope you find something that works well for you. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Geewilly on Apr 21st, 2006, 12:18am I call BS on Rosemary, a herbal substance did not cost you $6000 in medical treatment. If you were given Colonoscopy for diaarrhea then you were taken on a ride insurance wise not medical reason and perhaps your a$$ is were they should have been looking and not your head for a CH. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Geewilly on Apr 21st, 2006, 10:47am My apologies Rosemary, that was not nice of me I just have so much hope for this Kudz. Sorry and I hope you have many, many PF days. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Apr 28th, 2006, 10:55am Geewilly, thank you for apologizing to Rosemary. She didn't say she spent $6000 on herbal substances; the amount was for all the treatments, imaging tests, and doc visits. They can add up quickly. Hubby has a very sensitive digestive system, and the Kudzu definitely caused quite a bit of discomfort; cramping and diarrhea. He also started taking magnesium (with calcium), but apparently that exacerbated the situation. We upped the calcium and added Taurine (which helps you metabolise the magnesium), and things calmed down. Overall, he's decided to stick with the Kudzu and the supplements for now. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Geewilly on Apr 30th, 2006, 5:29pm It will be my luck that my intestines fall out from Kudz and still be stuck with the monster :-[ I should not of snapped at Rosemary just because I have high hopes for Kudz. I have only been using it for a week or so and it has helped tremendously. I am afraid though it will get me through this cycle and then my next one will comeback with a Vengance and the Kudz will not work as it is now. Knock on wood I have not had many Kip 8-9's since starting the Kudz. Mostly just heavy shadows and 1 to 2 Kip 3's in a 2 day period. My forehead constantly feels warm and there is pressure throughout but is definatley not much to complain about. I was going to try and make it through this cycle with nothing but cold rags/cold water splashed on face and neck but the Kip 9's were killing me. I have heard alot of good things about Kudz, so figured I would give it a try. I wish PF days to you all. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by munozali on Jun 13th, 2006, 3:46pm Hi, I am a new CH member! I have a question: I am really interested in trying the Kudzu supplements. I am taking Prednisone right now. I have enough for about another week, before I stop taking Prednisone. Is there any danger in taking the Kudzu and Prednisone at the same time? What other things should I try if my bout is not gone by the time I have finished the Prednisone? |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Jun 13th, 2006, 6:38pm Hi munozali, and welcome. Some people have taken kudzu and prednisone with no ill effects reported. Generally, a dr will prescribe a prednisone taper and introduce a preventative at the same time. This allows the prevent to build up to therapeutic levels before you're finished with the pred. If your dr hasn't started another med (like verapamil), you shouldn't have any problems with the kudzu. A week might be plenty of time for the kudzu to start working. The most important thing about using kudzu is the timing of the doses. Take your largest dose about 2 hours before your worst attacks. Don't forget to take it everyday, either. Missing a dose can result in full-on hits. Good luck, and keep us posted. pain free wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by munozali on Jun 14th, 2006, 1:44pm Quote:
Thanks for the quick reply, Nani. I am a little concerned now, because my doctor hasn't started me on any other medicines, and has not mentioned Verpamil at all. I bought Nature's Way Kudzu and took the three 2-capsule doses yesterday. I felt like I was going to get a headache, but didn't (probably because of the Prednisone, though). The person who helped me find the Kudzu told me that your body builds up resistance, so that I should not take the Kudzu everyday. Do you agree with this statement, or do you think I should just continue to take it everyday. Also, how long should I take Kudzu? In other words, do I take it until my CH bout is over? About Prednisone, how much and how long should I take it for? (The doctor said that after a while there could be side-effects.) I know these are a lot of questions. I appreciate any help you could provide. Thank you again. Roberto |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Jun 14th, 2006, 9:44pm Hi again, Roberto. Hopefully the kudzu will work as the prevent. :) I can't really advise you on the prednisone, because I've always chosen not to use it. Too much can definitely be a bad thing. I hope someone familiar with pred tapers chimes in soon. Tester experience shows that you'll need to take kudzu everyday, at the same times, in order for it to work well. It appears to work by "blocking" the pain receptors involved in CH. Episodics tend to use it until they are sure that the cycle is over. Never feel bad about asking questions, OK? That's why we're all here...to help out as much as we can with the knowledge we have ... mostly obtained here ;) pain free wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by munozali on Jun 15th, 2006, 1:12am I really appreciate your replies, Nani. To let you know my situation: I didn't have CH for one or two years in a row before this year; my CH cycle started this year earlier than usual, sometime in April (my cycles usually begin in June or July); I seem to still be at the peak of my cycle and I believe excercise and heat can trigger my headaches. The headaches are always on the left side of my head and symptoms are very similar to the ones described by other CH sufferers. The differences for me are the following: my right nostril gets a little stuffy and my right eye usually will tear a bit (not the same side as where the pain occurs); my headaches will usually not wake me up at night, so it seems that if I am able to fall asleep before the beast wakes up, both the beast and I will stay asleep. On the other hand, I never sleep a full night anyway, and can get a mild headache if I awake at night. Today was my second day on the Kudzu. We'll see what happens once I am off the Prednisone. I also read more about other remedies that people are trying, and today I bought a vitamin B complex and melatonin. I couldn't find B-2, though. I have also been trying Magnesium, but haven't noticed any difference yet. A specific question about Kudzu: Does anyone know if Kudzu can cause constipation? I haven't had bowel movements for three days now, even with all the water I have been drinking!! If it is not the Kudzu, maybe the Magnesium?? Any input will be appreciated as always. Take care, everyone. I hope you all have a pain free and uninterrupted good night sleep. Roberto |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Jun 15th, 2006, 10:28am on 06/15/06 at 01:12:27, munozali wrote:
Actually, it tends to have the opposite effect for most. You may want to try a laxative to, um, unplug... and then the kudzu should keep you regular (and gassy, too). Read all you can here, Roberto. We are our own best advocates when it comes to treatments. The more you inform yourself, the better prepared you are for battle. As far as your cycle changing... CH morphs and changes all the time... most of us have come to expect the unexpected. :-/ pf wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Jessie on Jun 15th, 2006, 1:03pm Hello Everyone.. My husband has CH. He is 30 years old and he's been dealing with it since his childhood, let say over 15 years. He saw a doctor once when he was secondary school and last one 2 years ago. Well, 15 years ago one was a disaster I will not even talk about it. Meanwhile we've been married for 5 years. The first time I saw him agonizing with the pain, first I said "ok , he is the mummy boy and can not handle(deal) the pain" but after then I understood that he is not..And I did some research over the internet and found that he has CH.But at that time I could not find any useful information for him..Anyways, the last visit we had to doctor (btw, he doesn't like to see doctors anytime) confirmed that he has CH. She prescribed him some anti depressant drugs and the pain killer which don't work for him. She basically said there is no cure for CH. So he dissapointed and accepted the reality. Two months ago his period started again. He usually have 2-3 or 4 periods especially on season change (winter,summer,spring, fall) and one night, on the 3rd day in his period, he woke me up in tears and begged me to do something to stop the pain while he is "dancing" and having kip 9. Well I searched the internet once again desperately to find anything will work with him and thanks God I found this website and read all over everything. I read about Kudzu.Since we are living in Hong Kong, I thought it would be easy for us to find it. Next morning I rushed to a pharmacy and asked them for Kudzu pills. But unfortunately I could not find it, I even checked with the distributor company of Nature's Way but they said they do not import it into Hong Kong. Anyway, pharmacist recommended me to use Kudzu granules instead of pills.I bought couple packs with different brand names (different chinese manufacturer companies). They packed in sachets. He immediately started to drink 1 sachets for 3 times a day (morning, noon and night time before he goes to bed) He had uninterrupted sleep in first night after 3 days of struggle..And starting from the first day of use Kudzu granules, we noticed sudden relief on his pain attacks. He mostly had shadows, only 2 times Kip 4 or 5 which he can handle for whole 1 month period..That's all..We still hardly believe on Kudzu power..But it worked well for him..Thank you very much to all..Thank you for showing us Kudzu..And if anybody want to try out these granules, we are ready to help you.. Regards, BTW, sorry for this long message.. :) Jessie |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by munozali on Jun 17th, 2006, 2:25am Hi again everybody. More comments and questions... I have been trying Kudzu for about three or four days now. On the good side: I THINK the Kudzu is working, because I have been off the Prednisone for two days now and my headaches, though not gone, are at low levels (Kips 1 through 4). I am also trying Melatonin at night, but I haven't noticed much of a difference, if at all, from it. Besides the Kudzu (Nature's Way, six capsules a day) and Melatonin (3 or 6 mg each night), I have also been taking some Magnesium (250mg a day) and a Vitamin B complex (once a day) supplements. I am not sure how much these are supposed to help, but I am trying them anyway, following other CH sufferers' examples. Now, here is the bad stuff: for a few days now I have been feeling a bit weird, and I am not sure what I owe this to. I often feel nervous or restless, I can feel my heart beating a little hard, I may also feel very tired, and even dizzy at times. I don't know what the heck is causing this (I hope it is not the Kudzu!!!) but I sure don't like it. It's almost not worth it. I thought it was the Prednisone at first, so I stopped it two days ago. I still had these symptoms today all day. Any ideas anyone??? I hope everyone is doing great! Take care. Roberto |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Jun 17th, 2006, 8:52am Jessie, I'm very happy to hear that kudzu is helping your husband. :) The granules are probably kudzu root, which is what the supplements are made from. Roberto, the dizziness may be attributed to kudzu, some testers reported that at first, it made them dizzy. It seems to get better as time goes on. The other symptoms? I really don't know. Were you supposed to just stop the prednisone, or taper off? It may have something to do with that... but I really don't know. Try starting a new thread about it (here on the meds board), pred users may see it before they see this thread. The kudzu made life easier for me, but it didn't stop the cycle, or all of the attacks. It just "muted" the breakthrough attacks, which helped a great deal. pain free wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by munozali on Jun 18th, 2006, 1:28pm Hi: The Kudzu seems to be helping me too. Like you say, it doesn't completely stop the attacks. In my case, it makes the headaches much easier to handle (only Kips 1-4), and in many cases shortens them significantly. I had one bad headache yesterday (Kip 5-6) after playing tennis, probably 'because I didn't take the Kudzu on time. But then I took it and the headache went away in about an hour or so. Yey!!! Take care, Roberto |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by munozali on Jun 19th, 2006, 12:40am Nani: I think you were right about the Kudzu and the dizziness, etc. I don't think those side effects were from stopping the Prednisone because they began one day before I stopped taking it (though, they could have been side effects from actually taking the Pred). The last day I took Prednisone was the first day I took Kudzu. My restlessness, tiredness, and dizziness lasted for about three days. Now everything seems to be fine. I am off the Prednisone and have been taking the Kudzu everyday for five days. Today I had no headache attacks, just shadows here and there. The only other thing I have been consistently taking is the Magnesium, but I also started that before I stopped the Prednisone and started the Kudzu... Have a great night, Roberto |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by birdman on Jun 21st, 2006, 12:35pm Nani, Great to see you still so involved. I have selfishly been away about one year, shame on me. Came back to get some info on kudzu and of course you are still here for everyone. God bless. Think I am gonna try kudzu and melatonin this cycle. Shouldn't mix with verap right? Can you recommend dosage on kudzu and melatonin? |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Jun 21st, 2006, 12:51pm on 06/21/06 at 12:35:15, birdman wrote:
Well, stick around now, birdman. We can always use another helpful voice. It's good to hear from you again, BTW. :) Sorry your in a position to need advice again. :( Here's what I know (I'm not a doctor, but a collector of info). You should probably start slowly on both. Your kudzu will have a recommended dosage on the bottle, don't exceed that. Remember to time the kudzu doses to precede the bigger attacks. Start with half the recommended dose and add as needed. The same with melatonin, I think. Maybe start with 3 mg at bedtime, and add if needed. I've never gone over 12 mgs, so I'm not sure that's possible. (Look around for melatonin threads, there should be better advice) I hope it helps again. :) Roberto, I'm glad to see you're feeling better. How is your head now? pf wishes to both of you, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by birdman on Jun 21st, 2006, 12:58pm Thanks for the quick reply and advice. Gonna try Natures Way capsules. Will try anything once! |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by munozali on Jun 26th, 2006, 12:54am Hi Nani: My head is doing better. I still sometimes feel like I am going to get a headache and then it goes away. The Kudzu seems to work very well, and I THINK it has helped me even when I already have a headache. I say this based on a fewoccassions when I either played tennis or worked out, which may trigger my headaches. I took Kudzu, and the headache went away within an hour. I don't know if anyone else has had similar results... It's weird too, about the cluster headaches, because sometimes I even feel like I am going to get one on the right side of my head, instead of the left side, but then it doesn't actually happen. About the Kudzu, I use Nature's way and have never exceeded the dose or taken any less than is recommended per day either. I have been on it for almost two weeks now (and no more Prednisone!). It is always hard for me to take it at the same times everyday though, but that doesn't seem to affect me, as long as I take it three times a day, as the instructions say. I am still trying the Melatonin at night, but I am about to give up on it. It doesn't seem to do anything for me. Last week I used Ambien a couple of times to help me sleep. Sleeping well seems to help make my headaches less frequent and also less painful. Have a great night everyone, Roberto |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Jun 26th, 2006, 9:48am Glad to hear it, Roberto. :) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Charlotte on Jun 26th, 2006, 1:56pm I'm using kudzu liquid extract and Maxalt mlt. The new doc agrees that I should stick with kudzu and drop the paxil. I consider it a success. I'm chronic and am getting hit every 2 hours, most of the time. The kudzu takes some of the pain off the top level. Part of the success is that I work and live around mostly people who love me and give me a break. I had to go to a family function Friday and an extended family member made a scene because he thought I was staring at him (while I actually didn't see anything because pain makes me introverted). I excused myself and left because I didn't have the energy to explain anything right then. It was like the guy making a scene was in a different universe. My famiily was there for me, and made it easy for me to be there and easy for me to leave when I needed to. Moral support is as important as any other element. Thank you, everyone here, for that. Charlotte PS My friend Jacki (here at work) said to say hi to all my friends, so, "Hi, everyone." |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by munozali on Jun 28th, 2006, 8:57pm Hi everyone: Just a little update on my experience with the Kudzu. Last night I didn't take the Kudzu on time; I usually take it between 7pm and 9pm, but didn't take it until about 12:30am (I wasn't home). That was a big mistake. I also went to work out early during the day (I usually work out in the evening). I had a bad headache last night for a while (about an hour and a half or two hours). I took my Kudzu and then three Magnesium pills (750mg). My pain started getting better about 30 to 45 minutes afterwards... I didn't sleep much last night, so today has been a rough day. I had a headache earlier, but not nearly as bad as it was last night. After taking a nap I felt better... So my recommendations again are: try to get as much sleep as possible, take your Kudzu everyday (don't miss any doses), and carry your supplements and meds with you everywhere. I hope you are all doing good, Roberto |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Jun 29th, 2006, 1:45pm Roberto - First of all, I'm so glad to hear the Kudzu is working so well for you! I did have a couple of other thoughts: When working out or playing tennis, please make sure you drink LOTS of water! Dehydration is often (or always) a trigger. Also, when taking magnesium you really ought to take Calcium as well. The two work together. Hubby takes 500mg of magnesium and 1200mg of calcium/day. The two work in tandem and do play a role in helping to manage your body clock, which is why they sometimes benefit people with CH. As to the Melatonin. If you've tried 3mg, and then 6mg, and it's done nothing for you, try bumping it up to 9mg. Hubby was an insomniac before CH, and now in cycle sleep is almost impossible for him. He's up to 18mg of Melatonin, and it works. He started at 6mg and when it helped him fall asleep, it was a godsend. That quickly faded though, so like with everything else we simply upped the doses as necessary. 18mg seems to be the "magic" number for him. HOWEVER - 5-HTP worked better for him than melatonin. Check out this link: http://www.med-owl.com/clusterheadaches/tiki-index.php?page=5-HTP DO NOT TAKE 5-HTP if you are using any triptans (Imitrex), any anti-depressants, or any opiods (Vicodin, Tramadol, etc.). The 5-HTP is usually taken in 250mg supplements. I've seen in several health food stores now a combination supplement of 5-HTP and Melatonin. If hubby weren't taking Tramadol, he'd be taking the combo. Birdman - hope that helps with your question on melatonin dosage too. Wishing all pain free days and nights!!!!!!!!!! Laurie |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by munozali on Jul 5th, 2006, 2:59pm Hi Laurie: Thank you for the reply... I have tried Melatonin up to 9mg. Maybe I should try more, but again I took it last night and am not sure it is doing anything... Does it have to be taken every night for it to work? The Kudzu still seems to be doing its job, although last week I had a few more headache attacks than usual. I am not sure why... I have a question. What do your doctors think about taking supplements, especially the Kudzu, to treat the cluster headaches? Do they all believe in the power of Kudzu? I ask this because my doctor has never suggested anything besides the Prednisone and migrane medicines. Take care, Roberto |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Jul 5th, 2006, 8:10pm You shouldn't have to take the Melatonin every night for it to work. Maybe it doesn't work for you - maybe a higher dose would. Whether or not you decide to keep going is up to you. A friend that is a Doctor uses melatonin to help sleep. She doesn't have a problem with Gary taking 18mg. We don't have insurance until Aug 1, and our family doc knows nothing about CH. So we've just been telling him what Gary wants, and he prescribes it. Gary didn't want to persue the prednisone/verap direction. But this family doc thumbs his nose at anything that isn't pharmaceutical. Laurie |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Weatherman on Jul 7th, 2006, 2:16am Thought I'd share my experiences with kudzu. I am episodic with 8 week cycles. I'm in my 3rd week. I wasn't prepared when it started so I really suffered the first week. Then I discovered this site and all the valuable info. I had great success my last cycle with prednisone/varapamil but it made me very edgy and anxious plus I gained a lot of weight. I wanted to try something different. This time I tried kudzu/taurine/melatonin. After a few days I wasn't seeing relief so I started a prednisone taper but no varapamil this time. My doc didn't want me on varap with my beta blocker I take for blood pressure. I still take 2 natures way kudzu 3 times a day, 1000 mg of taurine a day and 9mg of melatonin before bed. Since day 2 of pred I havn't had one CH. I was getting hit with kip 6 to 9 up to 6 times a day....mostly at night. The pred still makes me a bit edgy but it doesn't seem as bad this time around. I know the pred works but I can't help but believe that the kudzu/taurine/melatonin have had a lot to do with my recent success. It's a week now since I've had a hit. I've got 2 more weeks of the pred taper. I guess I'll know a whole lot more after that but for now, I am extremely encouraged!! I do take all of these pills at the same time every day and always with food. My only side effect from the kudzu is some digestive issues...no big deal and a very fair trade! Here's hoping you all have the luck I've had so far!! Doug |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by munozali on Jul 7th, 2006, 2:27am Yeah, I don't think my general doctor knows too much either about cluster headaches. He is more familiar with migraines, which makes sense though. I am trying to get an appointment with a neurologist. Hopefully his secretary will call me back tomorrow. I have got the impression that some doctors don't really believe in the dietary supplements, like Kudzu. On the other hand, my doctor prescribed Pred but only for a week, and then wanted me to stop taking it. I asked what else I could take to deal with the pain, and he gave some samples of migraine meds. By the way, the Kudzu still works, for the most part, but this week I have had a couple of bad headaches. On both occassions they seem to have been triggered by exercise (even after drinking quite a bit of water). Right now I am taking Kudzu and Magnesium everyday to prevent headaches, but I also take more Magnesium if a headache attack occurs. Most of the time the Magnesium seems to do the trick. About the Melatonin, I will try increasing the dose a little more to see if it makes a difference... Pain free wishes to all! Roberto |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Charlotte on Jul 7th, 2006, 1:44pm I emailed my doc Floridian's kudzu article (med.owl). His only concern was the mentioned tripan/kudzu possible reaction. I only get 18 maxalt mlts a month, and use a portion of one for some of the worst hits, so the amount of triptans I use is relatively small. I was taking 5 mg paxil for pain management. I told my doc the kudzu worked better so he agreed that I should stop the paxil & keep the kudzu. It's one small step forward in getting kudzu acknowledged in the medical charts. I still wish Fiorinal was in vogue. I could use a drug induced vacation. (Don't yell at me, Linda. I can't get it anyway.) Charlotte |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by mullanjud on Jul 10th, 2006, 12:33pm Just thought I would write and say THANKS! My husband suffers from clusters. Had been free of them for two years ( has had them for 30 yrs), but just got them again 2 months ago. Worse then usual this time, frequency and intensity. Kudzu seems to be helping. Reduced number and intensity since strating to take Fri. He is actually getting some sleep, had been having intense headaches about every hour. I know different things work for different people, but here is what I am giving him in case it might help someone else. 7:00 am 2- 625 mg Natures Way Kudzu 2 - 250 mg Magnesium 2:00 p.m. 2 - 625 mg Kudzu 7:00 p.m. 2- 625 mg Kudzu 1 - 250 mg Magnesium 2- 250 mg aspirin 2 - 500 mg acetiminophen + sleep aid ( Dollar General headache PM Thought I would pass this along as the info about others success has gotten us this far. THANKS AGAIN! |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by walkertexasranger on Jul 11th, 2006, 7:15pm Lookes like I will give the Kudzu a try, thanks to everyone here for the info. I just started a cycle last Sat, been two years since the last one. Mark |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Garys_Girl on Jul 14th, 2006, 8:52pm Just a quick mention on the magnesium supplement. Magnesium functions as a diarrhetic if not taken with calcium. A guideline is to take 2x as much calcium as magnesium. We take 250mg of magnesium and 600mg of calcium each morning and each evening. We take both with 1000mg of Taurine. And of course there's the Kudzu, and the melatonin..... :) Laurie |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Geewilly on Jul 22nd, 2006, 4:30am Has anyone experienced a really blood shot eye (right eye) since taking Kudz that killed a cycle? My right eye is constantly bloodshot. The Kudz ended my cycle in 2 weeks taking it but I am kind of worried about my eye. There are like a billion red vessels in my right eye now. The last headache of my cycle was very strange the way it ended. This has been about 2 months now pain free but my eye has never recouped. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by TxBasslady on Jul 22nd, 2006, 4:25pm I took Kudzu for 10 months. I didn't have the bloodshot eye you describe. Possible it's something else...and maybe not Zu related. Have you seen the doc? Jean |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Jul 23rd, 2006, 10:16am Geewilly, no, I haven't heard of this before. Please see a doctor about it. I'm happy to see that all of you are seeing a difference with the kudzu. :) Dr Sewell, at Harvard, is interested in our stories. If you'd like to participate in his case studies, please contact him at: asewell@mclean.harvard.edu |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by SophiaK on Jul 30th, 2006, 10:39am Dr. Sewell is on vacation until August 10. I'm on a kudzu and appear to have had some benefits. Something's happening. Too soon to report. PF everybody. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by TxBasslady on Jul 30th, 2006, 1:29pm on 07/30/06 at 10:39:27, SophiaK wrote:
I took Kudzu for 10 months. I give much credit to it's usage. It appears to have triptan-like traits....without the ingestion of one. Kudzu doesn't work for everyone, but it was an absolute miracle for me. The first couple weeks on it, were rough...but then things calmed down. I tapered off the Kudzu in Dec., when I got my rx for 02. The Kudzu definitely changed the intensity and frequency of my CH. I wish you lots of luck on the ZU....just remember to always take it....and best to take it at the same time each day. Jean |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by serendipity on Aug 6th, 2006, 9:27am I wonder how much of this is in my head (pun intended) or maybe coincidence, but I started taking kudzu supplements yesterday and had the first pain-free night in ten days. I had been averaging three CHs per night, and after popping 2000 mg. of kudzu about an hour before bedtime, I finally got a peaceful night of sleep. I haven't taken verapamil or any other calcium channel blockers for years, and I'm wondering if my body has just lost all resistance to those drugs and maybe I'm now super-sensitive to anything that acts in that way. In a week or so, once I'm on the downhill slide of this cluster, I may break the dosage up and take one capsule in the morning and one a couple of hours before bedtime, but right now I'm getting my worst and most frequent hits throughout the night, so that's what I'm going to concentrate on fixing. Thanks to everyone who guinea pigged this and took the time to share with all of us! |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by serendipity on Aug 8th, 2006, 11:11am UPDATE: I have now taken the kudzu for three days (2,000 mg. just before bedtime), and am happy to report that I have had only one breakthrough headache, which I would rate at about a kip 3. I was having some pretty severe shadows yesterday, but today those are completely gone, too. I'm starting to think that it really is the kudzu, and not wishful thinking, that is causing this drastic improvement. Oh, and FYI - I am on day 14 of a cycle. I should be having more frequent and severe headaches, but I'm not! |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by neetnut on Sep 2nd, 2006, 1:40am I too am happy to report that when I feel my clusters starting up the Kudzu seems to help. I mentioned this to my doctor and he is doing some research on it, to decide if he should recommend it to his patience. ::) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by labantayo on Sep 16th, 2006, 4:24pm hello everyone again!!!! its been about 1.5 years since my last cycle and life was good. the longest remission in 16 years. well, guess what, theyre back. i usually just take Amerge to abort, but wanted to try Kudzu. my last cycle was completely aborted with melatonin, but it isnt working this time. i just bought the planetary kudzu recovery formula. just took 2 pills. will take another 2 this evening. my strongest ha so far this cycle was a k9. most have been k5-k7. i had shadows when i took the kudzu today, and they were gone in about 20 minutes. i hope the kudzu caused it. i will stick with a regimen until the bottle is gone and give some reports in the meantime. thanks to everyone on this board for all the helpful advice. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by labantayo on Sep 18th, 2006, 5:41pm Day 3: I have been taking 2 pills 3X/day. My shadows are half the intensity and my daytime HA are pretty much gone. My night time HA's have been there, but max out at a K5. I still take 1/2 of an Amerge just so I can get back to bed. So far so good.... |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Sep 18th, 2006, 8:02pm I just love to hear kudzu success stories. :D Thanks for keeping us posted. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by labantayo on Sep 21st, 2006, 7:32pm Day 6: I've had 2 PF days (Tues and Wed) with no headache at all. I did however, add 1 Kudzu (3 total) and 9mg of Melatonin before bed. It was really nice to sleep all the way through the night. But...... I just got done having a K8. It started at 4:30 and ended at 5:30. I had to take 1/2 of an Amerge to kill it. I still believe the Kudzu is helping. I will stay on it until the bottle is gone. One thing that I notice with most of my cycles is that when I think they're finally going away, I get hit with a really big one and POW!!! the cycle is done. I hope the one today was the POW!! headache and I'll be OK from here on out. (until the next cycle) Thanks again for all the info and advice you guys/gals have given me (through lurking) in the past few years. :) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by tracyboo on Sep 22nd, 2006, 2:00pm Hi all. Congrats to those of you having PF days and nites. My husband suffers from CH. They are mainly at nite but has had some during the day and had to come home from work. He was on Verapamil 240mg and Topamax 25mg, both taken at nite. He had good results from that combo for at least 9 months. Then the insurance ran out and he was off them for about 2 weeks. Back came the headaches. He got back on the meds but they haven't gotten any better, worse actually. He's been back on them for about 1 month and like I said, no relief. I took it upon myself to increase the Topamax to am and pm. That's only been a few days. I've recently found this site and am encouraged by the responses to Kudzu. Question, should we stop all other meds, esp. Verapamil to try the Kudzu regime? I'm afraid of the fact they have the same effect. Thanks for everything! You guys are a great resource. Tracy |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by labantayo on Sep 26th, 2006, 11:10pm Day 10 I had a bad night time HA last Thursday and Friday. Friday's was the worse. It took 30 minutes for the Amerge to kick in. Then 2 hours later I was up again with another K8. By the time I got to the pharmacy to refill my Amerge at 4:30am, I was at the peak. By the time I got home it magically went away without taking more Amerge. Good news is, I havent had one since. I've been PF since then. Tonight is the last of my Kudzu. I will try to live without it after tonight. I'll keep you updated. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by TxBasslady on Sep 27th, 2006, 12:36am on 09/22/06 at 14:00:26, tracyboo wrote:
Hi Tracy, I wouldn't take the Kudzu and the Verapamil. If he wants to try the Kudzu route, he should probably detox off the other meds first. I took Kudzu for 9 months. It was like a miracle drug for me. It's important with the Kudzu to take it at the same time each day...and also, start with the dosage listed on the label. I took Nature's Way brand. I took 2, 3 times a day. It takes it a few days to get in your system...like most other meds. The most noticeable result of the Kudzu for me, was that I noticed the intensity of my CH was lower...and the CH didn't last as long. I tapered off the Kudzu in Dec., and only use 02 now. Even today, I still reap the benefits of the Kudzu. Keep in mind, not everything works for all. There's no cure-all. Kudzu worked for me...but there are many who had no luck with it. I will tell you that the first few days on nothing but Kudzu, the CH broke thru at a pounding rate. I was determined to wait it out and give it a chance. It was well worth the wait. I'm real sorry your hubby suffers with CH. I know it's tough for you to witness the pain. There's lots of support here...and there's no question that someone can't answer. Feel free to vent or ask whatever questions you may think of. Remember to take time for yourself, Tracy. Let us know how things are going...someone usually here 24/7. Jean |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by TxBasslady on Sep 27th, 2006, 12:41am on 09/26/06 at 23:10:27, labantayo wrote:
Lots of vibes and best wishes that your cycle is coming to an end! ;;D Let us know... ;) Jean |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Melissa on Oct 13th, 2006, 6:53pm BUMP because I don't want this to get lost! :) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Charlotte on Oct 20th, 2006, 7:20am Bump. This is an important resource. thx, c |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by andrewjb on Oct 20th, 2006, 3:52pm ;). yet again, free open discussion proves to be so very helpful. thankyou. andrew |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Nov 13th, 2006, 9:08am bump |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by johnd7 on Nov 19th, 2006, 2:25pm So is this stuff sold in stores? GNC? Whole Foods? Wal-Mart? Anywhere? |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Charlotte on Nov 19th, 2006, 2:42pm I get mine by mail, ordering fro iherb on the ienternet. Charlotte |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by johnd7 on Nov 20th, 2006, 12:40am on 11/19/06 at 14:42:17, Charlotte wrote:
Yeah, I was just hoping to get today and could not find at GNC. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by johnd7 on Nov 21st, 2006, 1:16pm One more time...Anyone ever find this stuff in a store? I will not get mine before Thanksgiving and will be out of town a while. Thanks |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by seasonalboomer on Nov 21st, 2006, 1:36pm on 11/21/06 at 13:16:52, johnd7 wrote:
I've not been able to find it at your more mainstream places like GNC, etc... But, if you have a health food/herbal/vitamin store... I typify them as being a little more "hippie"-like, you'll find they carry it. I also found a different brand than what I usually used at "Home Economist Market", which is a chain like "Whole Foods". The best bet is to pull out the yellow pages under health foods and start calling before you drive around to them. scott |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by johnd7 on Nov 21st, 2006, 7:46pm I just got back from one of the hippie health food stores here, Henry's, sort of a smaller Whole Foods. Anyhow, they carry Planetary Formula brand but no Kudzu of any kind. Oh well, I am just going to order online tonight. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Feb 10th, 2007, 12:09pm http://bestsmileys.com/bumping/3.gif I can't let anyone forget, LOL. Here's a handy FAQ, too: http://www.kudzubusters.com/KudzuFAQs.doc ;;D |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Feb 25th, 2007, 6:07am ;;D |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Apr 19th, 2007, 10:33pm *Bumping* ...cuz I can. 8) Here's a handy kink, too: http://www.kudzubusters.com/KudzuFAQs.doc |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Gator on Apr 20th, 2007, 2:29pm on 04/19/07 at 22:33:52, nani wrote:
Hey! There's no kink at that link. >:( ;) There is some really good information, though. ;;D LOL Thanks to everyone who made themselves guinea pigs to test this treatment. [smiley=thumbsup.gif] |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Apr 20th, 2007, 8:50pm LOL ;;D |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on May 16th, 2007, 11:04pm http://bestsmileys.com/bumping/3.gif |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by maxbrooker on May 21st, 2007, 8:01am Hi, After reading all these posts about Kudzu, I thought I'd give it a go. I am 2 weeks into a new cycle and I am desperate for anything to help break the cycle. I do use Oxygen to help abort attacks. I am off to france next week and can't take the O2 on the plane and can't arrange for O2 in france because of the cost. So I have bought some Kudzu from my local health shop and it comes in 500mg tablets. It is a mix of extract and root with 1% dia... something? Instructions say take 2 tablets daily and not to exceed dose. My question is, what is the best dosage? I see most of you the US can get 750mg tablets and are talking about taking 3-4 tablets a day. Can I safely ignore the max dose... and take 4-6 tablets a day? I had 3 yesterday - my first day and seemed OK. Thanks |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on May 23rd, 2007, 1:24pm Hi Max. Welcome. Sorry it took so long, but I've been off the board or a few days. You can probably increase the number of tablets you are taking without ill effects, but go cautiously, just in case. Here's a link to a kudzu FAQ: http://www.kudzubusters.com/KudzuFAQs.doc Keep us posted, OK? pain free wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by maxbrooker on May 24th, 2007, 4:30am Hi Nani, Thanks for that info. I was getting 5-6 attacks during the eve/night before I started on the Kudzu on Sunday this week, the first night was no different, then Monday night only had 1 attack before waking up, then Tuesday completely PF and last night had two mild ones, aborted with O2. I am taking 4 tablets a day, later in the day and before bed. So there's a chance it could be working for me??? I'll complete the survey next week. Max |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on May 24th, 2007, 1:00pm on 05/24/07 at 04:30:52, maxbrooker wrote:
:D That's good to hear, Max. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by midwestbeth on Jun 9th, 2007, 10:18am After reading this tread, I'm going to give Kudzu a try. Yesterday was my first day off verapamil and I got a k7 around 10:30 last night. Verapamil worked great for my CH, but due to edema I had to decrease and stop all together. Today I started taking Taurine and a Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc Supplement. Will adding Kudzu to the mix cause any interactions? I've read that some have tried this, I just want to make sure there are no negative interactions taking all at the same time. Beth |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by liquidsuspension on Jun 13th, 2007, 7:27pm i'm back, so that means i'm in another cycle. it was about 6 months PF. do you think the kudzu can lose its effectiveness after taking it regularly? after my last cycle, which kudzu helped me out of thank you very much, i started taking 2 planetary full spectrums every morning as a preventative. so i've hit another cycle, and i started eating kudzus like crazy (maybe 8-16 a day). i haven't had any super serious headaches, but they're there everyday. the past 2 days they have gotten a bit worse. is it possible i'm building up a resisitance? |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by midwestbeth on Jun 18th, 2007, 10:04pm Been taking Kudzu for a week now and I don't think it is working. I am getting slammed hard. :'( How long before it takes effect? Beth |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by liquidsuspension on Jun 28th, 2007, 12:11pm midwestbeth, when i first started taking it, it took 1-2 weeks (can't remember exactly) before it really had a strong effect. but i did notice it taking the edge off within a few days. on another note.... has anyone experienced a rash breakout due to taking kudzu? this is my second cycle using kudzu, and i'm getting quite the lil rash. the first cycle i used it on, i had a similar reaction, but wasn't sure if it was the kudzu or not. still not sure, but it seems like a strange coincidence. am i possibly allergic? taking too much? right now i'm taking about eight 750mg pills a day (although i was taking about sixteen a day there for awhile). |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by MvT on Aug 25th, 2007, 7:11pm its saturday so all the health stores were closed but I will look for this on monday http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudzu |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Jonny on Aug 25th, 2007, 7:20pm on 08/25/07 at 19:11:54, MvT wrote:
Where do you live, Russia? |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by MvT on Aug 25th, 2007, 7:22pm on 08/25/07 at 19:20:18, Jonny wrote:
Ontario canada 1 hour south of toronto near nigara falls new york..... 20-25 mins from the us |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Callico on Aug 26th, 2007, 10:12am I started taking Nature Way kudzu two capsules three times a day the first week in June. After two days I started getting some relief. On Wednesday of the second week of June I was PF and have been basically PF since. I have had a couple of breakthroughs and some shadows, but nothing higher than a K3, and then only when I forgot the meds for a couple of days. I haven't had anything for the last three weeks. The first week in August I cut my dosages down to two capsules twice a day and had no more attacks. For me Kudzu has worked better than Verap and Lithium combined, and without ANY side effects. After being chronic for over three yrs and episodic for almost 25 I say Kudzu is a Godsend. Nani, I owe you a BIG one, and can't wait to meet you personally to thank you in person for what you have done with this. Jerry |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Aug 26th, 2007, 11:15am I'm so happy it's working so well for you, Jerry. :D We all owe our thanks to Floridian for this, not me. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by MvT on Aug 26th, 2007, 1:23pm after looking for several hours I found natures way kudzu at well well well on ontario street it was $21.50 I just took three now so I hope this helps http://www.vitadiscount.com/vitasprings/kudzu-root-extract-nature-s-way.jpg |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by MvT on Aug 26th, 2007, 2:58pm it seems to be helping still a twinge of pain here and there but not bad a few shadows..... went from really bad pain to not to bad..... |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Callico on Aug 27th, 2007, 12:02am Sorry to dash your hopes, but it was not the kudzu that killed the beast this time. It is a preventative, not an abortive. Fromthe timing of your posts I would gather that it just ended. It took about two days before I started seeing improvement, but them the improvement was rapid in the reduction of hits and the reduction of severity. You will need to get on aregimen of dosing, and stay with it pretty regularly at least to start. I took 2 in the am, 2 midday, and 2 in the evening. It helps too if you take it on an empty stomach. It seems to be absorbed more quickly and fully. The price seems a bit high to me, even with the exchange rate difference. I only pay $10.00 US for it. If you will look back on this tread I believe you will find where you can order it online at a substantial savings. I hope your success with it is as complete and striking as mine has been. Jerry |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by MvT on Aug 27th, 2007, 1:42am its 1:40am I woke up about 5 mins ago with some more pain I should have taken it the second time today but for the first time in 4 weeks I had a good couple hour sleep :) I was looking around online and most places even within canada said $6-10 but I was in a hurry to get some.....if I payed shipping from the states it would probably be another $10 and if I went to toronto thats $28 but I am going to toronto on oct 4th for the big Intel/Microsoft Channel Conference tommorow I will call around and see if I can get it any cheaper but well well well was the only place I could find that was not to far and open sunday and thanks jerry and lisa |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by ClusterChris on Aug 27th, 2007, 2:39pm MvT, I'm 10 minutes below ya in Welland. you'll have to get ur ass down here one day and buy me some beers! Chris |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by MvT on Aug 27th, 2007, 6:10pm on 08/27/07 at 14:39:01, ClusterChris wrote:
your ontop of the escarpment so your above me I'll have some bawls instead tho than again welland is backwards....people use french keyboards..... a friend of mine owns a resturant in the falls Taco N Tequila 5355 Ferry Street great quesadillas |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by nani on Sep 24th, 2007, 10:40am bump :) |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by MvT on Nov 29th, 2007, 1:28am bump |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by cat1955 on Nov 29th, 2007, 4:55am I have searched online everywhere for kudzu and have found so many different strengths. I almost ordered the 1200mg strength but figured I better check with you guys here because I am not sure of the dosage that would be best. Imitrex injections are my lifesaver when I am in cycle so there is no way I would want to mess with that. but if there is a chance that I may never need them again I am willing to try the kudzu. I usually wake up at 4am with a k7-8 which usually gets up there to a 9-10 within an hr or less when i am in cycle which usually lasts a couple of weeks with sometimes a few days or rarely weeks inbetween. Usually I wake up at 4am with shadows even when not in cycle and fear going back to sleep because I know whats coming. I take melatonin but that does not help me stay asleep past 4am. Probably psychological. How many mgs. daily of kudzu is everyone taking? |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Melissa on Nov 29th, 2007, 7:36am on 11/29/07 at 04:55:22, cat1955 wrote:
Please read through this whole thread. There is lots of info. here. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by Gator on Feb 14th, 2008, 12:59pm Lots of questions about Kudzu lately. Just thought I'd bump this back up to the top. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by kevmd on Feb 14th, 2008, 1:37pm thanks gator. it does appear that I should prob come off the verap first before trying this. |
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Title: Re: Whats all the Kudzuuuuuuuu about??? Post by cat1955 on Feb 14th, 2008, 2:48pm Thanks Gator :) I had been out of cycle for almost 3 months and finally was sleeping so well with the help of melatonin and the hopes that it was over, maybe for good, (one can always dream, I guess). Then I got hit hard out of nowhere. Getting a neuro appt was a nightmare because I don't have insurance and when they say money talks, I beg to differ. Even though I have had a recent CT and I can't have an MRI because during one of my 3 c-sections one of my incompetant drs left something that resembles part of a suture needle behind that can't be located, I still could not be seen by a few Drs here in vegas. All because they say that additional tests could be expensive. In my opinion, they couldn't make any additional money. Dr Hyson saw me within 2 days thanks to OUCH being my referral source. I had an EEG done in the office and I am awaiting results. I am taking prednisone and was started on 25mg of Topamax. I have taken it before but at higher doses and stopped because of the cost and because it made me stupid. I am a RN so I can't have that happening. I haven't been working due to these CH but i want to go back to work so badly. I had a subarachnoid hemorhage in 2002 and then less than 2yrs later had another leaking aneurysm clipped. I went back to work immediately after both surgeries. I had to work really hard to get my short term memory back to normal until a collateral blood supply rebuilt around my temporal artery.I really had some doubts as to whether these events could have been caused by years of undiagnosed CH without proper treatment but Dr. Hyson told me that that was not the case. If anyone else has had similar problems, please let me know. It just seems to me that if you continuously inflate and deflate something like a balloon or an artery, eventually it will weaken and leak or pop. My CH are right side and so are both my brain surgeries. I have had CH for 30 yrs. Imitrex injections work for me but the first 10 min or so aren't pleasant so I am still interested in learning any new info on kudzu. I take verapamil 120mg, melatonin 6mg, slam energy drinks for kip 5 or under and spike shooter for Kip 6+ I will not take anything that can cause bleeding so even NSAIDs are out of the question for me. I also have clonidine that I take before imitrex because there is no way I am going to let my BP increase and pop another artery. It's a miracle that I am alive and able to function 100% when out of cycle and I intend to keep it this way. I deal with depression but don't medicate for it because I need my imitrex and all the SSRI's I have taken in the past have made my CH worse. I have adult ADHD. I have had this all my life but much worse since the surgeries,but I am intelligent, but disorganized and easily distracted and I am hoping to be able to be treated for this but with my history I havent' found a doc who will deal with that either. Hopefully Dr. Hyson can help with that also. or refer me to someone who is willing to. I don't have high BP but take the meds for it in the hope that I can keep it super low so that I never have to take that life flight copter ride again. O2 will be an option after I return to work and have insurance. I get my imitrex from glaxo for free now. And yes, when i am in cycle or for anything between a k6 and a K8, I use lortab and phenergan as tylenol is useless and although ibuprofen can get me by, it can cause some bleeding. I just try not to use it unless I absolutely have to. Its not the amt of pain that I can't handle, its the days that it persists that drive me to the narcs just for a few hours of relief. Just to be able to feel somewhat normal, almost like a vacation for a few hours. Hope I didn't bore anyone here, just want to share and let everyone know that without OUCH I could not have gotten an appointment with Dr. Hyson because he looked at this board as a referral from a dr. Thanks again Carol |
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