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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Prednisone
        
(Message started by: findjoshua on Jan 30^th, 2007, 6:17pm)

Title: Prednisone
Post by findjoshua on Jan 30^th, 2007, 6:17pm

I *finally* went to the neurologist. I was not happy to hear that since he started seeing patients in 1992 he had only had between 5 and 10 CH cases. But apparently it's not frequently presented given the number of the population that suffers from it.

Anyway, I felt like I knew a lot more than him because of hanging on ch.com. ANYWAY, he did say that the one thing he has used in the past and always seems to work is prednisone. I have taken a lot of prednisone in my younger life for asthma. A LOT! I shy away from taking it now b/c of the side effects on the adrenal gland as well as the puffy face, etc. I'm not sure what doses or how long you have to be on it to cause those effects.

He have me a taper, 60mg for three days and then 10mg down each day thereafter. My question is as follows: Does prednisone KILL a cycle or just ameliorate it while you're taking the drug. Also, he told me it works immediately, but I find that hard to believe.

Any help is appreciated.

Tks,
Joshua

Title: Re: Prednisone
Post by burnt-toast on Jan 30^th, 2007, 7:10pm

My standing meds. include 1200mg Lithium Carbonate/720mg Verapamil/9mg Melatonin daily.

I've been supplimenting these with Prednisone for about three years now and share your concerns about side effects, particularly long-term use. Long term use is usually reserved for more debilitating/life threatening dosorders. Short term tapered dosages are more common for treating CH.

My tapers are limited to once, sometimes twice each year and consist of a total of 520mg tapered out over two or three week periods. Tapering the 520mg over three weeks instead of two seems to improve the results but I can't confirm this yet.

Results have been mixed - beneficial roughly half the time and of no value the other half. In my experinece Prednisone has not worked immediately but when it does work, I usually see improvement in two to four weeks.

The trick for me seems to be starting the taper early - as symptoms are only beginnig to ramp up. If CH activity/severity has already increased the effectiveness of the drug is the poorest.

I have a standing prescription from my Neuro. so that I can get it filled immediately without having to wait for an appointment or needing to reach him in his office.

As far as killing cycles, my condition is chronic so you'll need to hear information on this from someone else. Results that I obtain are a noticable reduction in severity and frequecy of attacks.

I hope this helps in some way.

Best wishes,

Tom

Title: Re: Prednisone
Post by Richr8 on Jan 30^th, 2007, 7:49pm

on 01/30/07 at 18:17:07, findjoshua wrote:

Does prednisone KILL a cycle or just ameliorate it while you're taking the drug. Also, he told me it works immediately, but I find that hard to believe.
Joshua

In my case prednisone will stop a cycle, however, a recurrence is not uncommon requiring several tapers and the side effects I experience are just unacceptable. Examples are: sleeplessness, and all of it's associated side effects, personality changes. depression, and joint pain, which takes mionths to recover from and becomes more difficult as I get older.
The alternaitve approach I have attempted this year has so far kept me from the Kip levels that would drive me to taking prednisone yet again.

Title: Re: Prednisone
Post by TxBasslady on Jan 30^th, 2007, 8:19pm

on 01/30/07 at 18:17:07, findjoshua wrote:

He have me a taper, 60mg for three days and then 10mg down each day thereafter. My question is as follows: Does prednisone KILL a cycle or just ameliorate it while you're taking the drug. Also, he told me it works immediately, but I find that hard to believe.

I was in a horrible neverending cycle in Sept., '03.

My doc gave me Pred on a 12 day taper. Dosage was similar to yours.

From the 1st dose...I was totally pain free for 197 days. The CH returned on day 198. A couple years later I did another taper....and only got 42 pain free days.

Haven't taken it again...I went the Kudzu route and had great success.

Good luck, and lots of vibes for you.

Jean

Title: Re: Prednisone
Post by AndieKay on Jan 30^th, 2007, 10:51pm

I just started a medrol dose pack that I suggested to my doctor the other day and it is the only thing that I have taken that has ever stopped the headaches in their tracks. I am on my fist headache free day of my cycle and I know it has go to be too good to be true because i constantly have this feeling in my head like the pain could start at any moment. I have four more days left in my pack and as soon as the dosage begins to taper off I am almost positive these things are gong to come back. Like you, I want to know if this will actually stop the cycle or just postpone it. I have heard prednisone is mainly used as a transitional medication while your preventative builds up. In my case I have been on topamax for 12 days now and my headaches have only worsened so I guess I am relying on prednisone now to stop my cycle completely unless a miracle happens and the topamax decides to work. If anyone else can help else out with some more useful info about prenisone please share!

Title: Re: Prednisone
Post by Skyhawk5 on Jan 31^st, 2007, 12:39am

It has helped me get through many cycles, but never ended one. Usually within 24hrs it will end the major hits for the time period I'm taking it. Got me through more than one Funeral I couldn't have made it to.

Side effects can be a bit bothersome but acceptable to me. Like a sensitive tongue, feel a little strange at first, touchy stomach, nothing big. GOOD LUCK to you!

Title: Re: Prednisone
Post by chewy on Jan 31^st, 2007, 7:25am

Pred will probably stop your cycle but that wont last unless you are taking a theraputic dose of preventatives.

Title: Re: Prednisone
Post by Bob P on Jan 31^st, 2007, 10:20am

A Medrol Dosepack will stop my attacks dead in their tracks.
Regular pred taper takes 2 or 3 days to kick in for me.

With either, the attacks resume as I taper off the pred.

Title: Re: Prednisone
Post by Guiseppi on Jan 31^st, 2007, 10:21am

At doses as low as 30mg a day, prednisone will block 100% of CH. I'll occasionally go on a 2 week cycle at that level if I have a big vacation, plans with the wife etc. where I really need a break.

That being said as soon as I go off the Prednisone the CH comes back, pissed off with a vengeance and tries to kill me. Typically I start my lithium the same time as the pred so by the time I'm dipping below 20 mg a day of pred the lithium block is in my system and effective.

I've never had prednisone end a cycle, but it has been an effective block for when I absolutely had to have a break.

Guiseppi

Title: Re: Prednisone
Post by JohnM on Feb 1^st, 2007, 4:39am

There have been numerous postings about Prednisone on this board in the past and a recurring theme is the "Prednisone Holiday"

I am episodic and in my experience this "holiday from CH" lasts for about a week when you are on the taper regime, and then it does not matter how much pred you take the CH blasts thru again. A few weeks later you can start another course of pred and will again maybe get relief for a week, but I personally find that the shadows still break thru. I have done this up to 4 times during a cycle in the past.

It has never ended a cycle for me and in my opinion it just extends the time until the cycle ends naturally.

As stated by some of the above - it can be used effectively if you get the timing right to avoid CH during a short "special period" that you need to be PF, but I doubt that it will end the cycle right off.

I have vowed never to use Pred again as its usage may have been reponsible for the longest cycle of my life.

I would rather stock up and use Trex injs to knock out individual CH attacks, although I also personally reckon trex may extend a cycle.

I am a firm believer in using a very strict fruit/veg/water detox diet for a few weeks to break or prevent a cycle. It has worked well for me since 2001.

John