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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> travelling: medication tips?
        
(Message started by: sandie99 on Apr 7^th, 2006, 3:04am)

Title: travelling: medication tips?
Post by sandie99 on Apr 7^th, 2006, 3:04am

As some of you recall, I'm going to Prague for few days soon (we leave on 13th). Now, the only med I've been using this time around is ice cold Red Bull. But I can't pack those with me...

So, what should I take with me? I do have some imitrex injections, but since I haven't tried them yet, I don't know if it's a good idea to pack any with me - I don't know what side effects I'll get.

Luckily we're staying at a hotel, so I can stock up RB once we're there. ;)

Best wishes & PFdays,
Sanna

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by AussieBrian on Apr 7^th, 2006, 3:43am

Take the Red Bull with you as carry-on luggage. Chug-a-lug one while using another as an ice pack and ask cabin crew to keep the rest chilled.

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by Bob_Johnson on Apr 7^th, 2006, 4:09am

This is short notice for this trip--but, for the future, get a sample from your doc. IF this works for you, it's the answer. Pill, works in 20-minutes.

1: Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):813-6

Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.

Rozen TD.

Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. The initial olanzapine dose was 5 mg, and the dose was increased to 10 mg if there was no pain relief. The dosage was decreased to 2.5 mg if the 5-mg dose was effective but caused adverse effects. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and two patients became headache-free after taking the drug. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. It alleviates pain quickly and has a consistent response across multiple treated attacks. It appears to work in both episodic and chronic cluster headache.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by marlinsfan on Apr 7^th, 2006, 7:46am

Ditto to what Brian said.

Have a great time in Prague! I have a good friend who lives there and he says it's beautiful!

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by E-Double on Apr 7^th, 2006, 9:19am

Never a good time or a bad time to try a potentially helpful abortive!!!
Pack the trex!
AS Bob suggested, zyprexa is quite affective. I have used this with great success.
Buy disposable icepacks. The kinds that you squeeze and they instantly freeze.

Bring good spirits and have fun!!!

E

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by BikerBob on Apr 7^th, 2006, 3:48pm

I'm going to Florida again late next week. Last time I flew there a new CH episode started 3 days after I got there. This time I'm doing a shroom maintenance dose the day before I leave and I'm packing a couple hundred ololiuqui for the trip just in case. I'm not the least bit worried.

BB ;)

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by Linda_Howell on Apr 7^th, 2006, 5:23pm

Also, and I don't know if you have this where you live, but VIVARIN is an OTC that works just as good as RB. It has the equivalent of 2 cups of strong coffee or in other words...lots of caffeine.

Linda

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by sandie99 on Apr 8^th, 2006, 5:49am

Thanks for the advices! :)

I'm going to check if my local pharmacy has disposable icebacks.

I'm going to pack some RB, pack of maxalt and pack of imitrex. Can't be too careful... ;)

Linda, I checked: I can't get Vivarin back here. We do have caffeine tablets, which have 100mg caffeine/tablet.

Best wishes,
Sanna

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by Linda_Howell on Apr 8^th, 2006, 10:58am

Quote:

Linda, I checked: I can't get Vivarin back here. We do have caffeine tablets, which have 100mg caffeine/tablet.

Same thing Sanna, and a lot easier to carry with you in a carry-on than RB. ;)

Linda

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by Sandy_C on Apr 8^th, 2006, 3:24pm

Sanna - have a great trip. Thanks for the tip about the caffeine tablets. I'm going to hightail it out to my local vitamine shop and get some. I'm traveling to Mexico on 5/4, and packing the RB might prove to be a little cumbersome. ;;D I'm also dosing about every two weeks now with rc seeds in hopes of avoiding the cycle that seems to want to begin any day now, and I'm packing my seeds (please don't tell customs that), in a box of trail mix (suggested to me by a CH who is apparently well traveled). If I get nabbed, will someone bail me out of the Mexican prison I'll find myself in :-/.

Just go, have a great trip, and bring back pics!

Sandy

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by sandie99 on Apr 9^th, 2006, 2:54am

Thanks, Linda. :) I'm going to get some soon. I've seen a packet of those and it's a lot smaller than RBs are.
I just hope that 100mg of caffeine won't keep me up all night... [smiley=laugh.gif]

Sanna

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by NotH20 on Apr 10^th, 2006, 12:19pm

Sanna,

Why don't you try an injection to abort a ch prior to your trip??? That way you'll know what reaction you will have and it won't be so scarey ;)

Good luck,
Mia

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by sandie99 on Apr 10^th, 2006, 12:43pm

on 04/10/06 at 12:19:49, NotH20 wrote:

Sanna,

Why don't you try an injection to abort a ch prior to your trip??? That way you'll know what reaction you will have and it won't be so scarey ;)

Good luck,
Mia

Mia,
if I'll get a bad hit prior the trip, I will follow your advice... I must admit that I hate needles more than nearly anything, so has been fabulous that RB works for my ch (and has no horrible side effects). A friend of mine is a trained nurse and she promised to inject imitrex for me when she's around me when I get hit.

The hits have been mild during the last few days, so I hope that the beast would take a vacation, too! Well, girl can always dream! ;)

Best wishes & PFdays,
Sanna

Title: Re: travelling: medication tips?
Post by sandie99 on Apr 19^th, 2006, 3:05am

The trip to Prague went very well, ch-wise. I needed Red Bull only once. :) I bought a packet of caffeine tablets and Vicks red energy- tablets, which contain caffeine, taurine and guarana. When I felt mild symptoms coming, I took few Vicks and it went away. I didn't need maxalt or imitrex, which was great. I did buy two cans of local energy drinks, which we very cheap. I hope that they work well too... :)

Sanna