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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Has anyone had a nerve block?
        
(Message started by: Samiam on Mar 9^th, 2007, 7:36am)

Title: Has anyone had a nerve block?
Post by Samiam on Mar 9^th, 2007, 7:36am

On Wednesday I went to a new Neuro and with my pass history there was little that really worked. I have in the pass had botox and nerve blocks but never really knew for sure weather it worked or not.

This time this neuro did it a bit different and it hurt like hell and my head is sore but so far the hits that I'm getting are around kip 1. He stuck the needles into the back of my head near the bottom on the left side. My cluster side. That's a far cry from what I was getting. Thursday I managed to go the whole day without any major hits so I guess we will see what happens today. My best friend right now is an Ice pack.

I'm still waiting on the O2 will call again today to see where this is going.

Sami

Title: Re: Has anyone had a nerve block?
Post by Gator on Mar 9^th, 2007, 8:10am

For some people this will break a cycle, others will get a couple weeks or so break, others get little or nothing.

I had an Occipital Nerve Block done about two years ago. My neuro used a mixture of dexamethasone and lidocaine. For me it wasn't so much painful. It was more of a burning discomfort at the injection site for several hours after the lidocaine in the injection wore off. He said I should start seeing some relief within about 48 hours and that it would probably give me a about a 14 day or so break. No such luck for me.

I hope this works for you.

Title: Re: Has anyone had a nerve block?
Post by Samiam on Mar 9^th, 2007, 8:22am

Hi Gator,

I'm sorry it didn't work for you. How do you cycle? Do you get them everyday or a different pattern? Right now my head feels like I have a bruse. Your right it just burned but now it's tender. My neuro mixed 3 different drugs. Not sure what they were. I'm also on low doses of Cortef for adrenal so I'm not sure if that is playing a roll into this.

Sami

Title: Re: Has anyone had a nerve block?
Post by Gator on Mar 9^th, 2007, 9:31am

I'm a primary chronic which means I have been chronic from day one. So far my "cycle" has lasted 3 years and 4 months. I get about 3 - 5 attacks daily, most of which I abort with oxygen. For the ones that oxygen won't stop, I use imitrex injections. I use the vials and .5cc 31 gauge short needle insulin syringes to administer the shots and can usually abort with 3mg rather than the full 6mg. So far I have not found a preventative treatment that works for me, but I am still working with my neuro to find one.

Good luck to you.

Title: Re: Has anyone had a nerve block?
Post by UN solved on Mar 9^th, 2007, 11:40am

7 bi-lateral Occipital nerve blocks
2 Sphenopalatine blocks
1 Facet block

The very first Occipital block stopped the attacks for 17 days. Everything else failed.
Hope you have better luck than I did !

UNsolved

Title: Re: Has anyone had a nerve block?
Post by LeLimey on Mar 9^th, 2007, 11:52am

The key to the nerve blocks success isn't just in the cocktail they inject but the skill of the person injecting it. You need to make sure that the person doing it has done them for ch'ers before so that they know exactly where to go, its a pretty exact thing! I hope the discomfort ends soon Sami and hang in there with the ice packs - have you tried strong coffee or red bull (or cheaper equivalents) at the first twinge of a hit? I've found them really helpful in aborting IF (and that's the key) you get on them early enough!

Hang in there
Helen

Title: Re: Has anyone had a nerve block?
Post by Samiam on Mar 9^th, 2007, 1:57pm

Well screw the nerve block it didn't work. I had a kip 10 this morning and did a lot of pacing and crying. This lasted almost 2 hrs with no meds or o2 due to neuro's office forgetting to call it in.

I did have Imitrex but was afraid to take it due to being here alone and not using this in 6 yrs. Once I use it and know how I will react to it you can bet your sweet but I will use it at the first sign.

I haven't used caffene in over a year due to having a problem with a very high HR. I do believe all this is due to thyroid meds being out of wack but I had a cardio tell me that I had angina yet no test has backed this up. I did have abnormal EKG's but CPK's and Tropinins were all neg.

Sami

Title: Re: Has anyone had a nerve block?
Post by TonyG1 on Mar 9^th, 2007, 3:44pm

on 03/09/07 at 13:57:27, Samiam wrote:

This lasted almost 2 hrs with no meds or o2 due to neuro's office forgetting to call it in.

That is inexcusableon the neuro's part !!!!! http://www.websmileys.com/sm/mad/280.gif

So sorry you had to deal with a KIP 10 without anything !!!! http://bestsmileys.com/comfort/4.gif

Title: Re: Has anyone had a nerve block?
Post by Pfunk on Mar 10^th, 2007, 12:12am

For the past 5-6 years, I've had 1-2 nerve blocks per year. I think I've don it the past 2 yrs because it worked well the first 2 times(meaning it broke the cycle both times). But the last 2-3 times, only gave me only a few dyas to a week relief before the cycle started right back up. I think that as with most meds and treatments for CH, it is probably case specific. What works for one of us may very well not work for the rest. Best of luck to you. I really hope you find some relief.

Pfunk ;)