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

        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
        
(Message started by: ClusterChris on Apr 26th, 2007, 8:00am)
Title: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by ClusterChris on Apr 26th, 2007, 8:00am
I may give kudzu another try and I also want to start using melatonin. However, I don't want to NOT be able to use my imitrex if need be.

Does anyone know if it is safe to mix all three of these?

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Chris
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by chewy on Apr 26th, 2007, 8:19am
I always use the imitrex/melatonin combo.
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by ClusterChris on Apr 26th, 2007, 8:48am
where do you get the melatonin? Prescribed? Health store?  
Thanks
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by George_J on Apr 26th, 2007, 9:01am

on 04/26/07 at 08:48:52, ClusterChris wrote:
where do you get the melatonin? Prescribed? Health store?  
Thanks


I don't know how it is in Canada, but in the US, it's possible to purchase melatonin in 3 mg. doses at the supermarket as an over-the-counter, non-prescription supplement.  If I'm not mistaken, it's not quite so easily acquired in Canada.  I'm sure other board members from Canada can enlighten you on this.

I use melatonin regularly while in cycle, and normally take 9 mg. one hour before going to sleep.  I believe that it reduces the number of nighttime hits that occur.  Since I get hit almost exclusively at night, that is a tremendous help.  It's not a magic bullet, though.  

A number of people here take it in combination with Benedryl, which seems to increase its effectiveness.  Your mileage may vary.

Best wishes,

George
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by ClusterChris on Apr 26th, 2007, 9:07am
Thanks George!
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by ClusterChris on Apr 26th, 2007, 9:37am
Kudzu Recovery features the roots and flowers of kudzu (Pueraria lobata), which have long been used in Chinese herbal medicine to help lessen the desire for alcohol. Researchers have identified two constituents in kudzu responsible for this activity, puerarin, daidzein and daidzin, which in animal research have been found to cause a similar effect.

While I was doin a little reasearch, this is what i found and it made me laugh.  

I wonder what animals they used for this study and what alcohol they give them. That must really be a "ZOO"
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by Margi on Apr 26th, 2007, 9:44am
that's right, Chris, kudzu is the natural form of antabuse, the drug (that used to be?) given to recovering alcoholics to keep them from relapsing becuase it would make them very ill if they took a drink.  I remember my father being prescribed that AND getting VERY sick as a result.

You can get melatonin at Shoppers or London Drugs now.  It became legal here a couple years ago.  
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by nani on Apr 26th, 2007, 10:39am
I believe that Harvard is studying using kudzu to treat alcoholism on people, LOL.
You should be able to use all three in conjunction, Chris. One tester found that using imitrex within 2 hours of taking kudzu made the trex ineffective. That tester was a migraine sufferer, and was using Imitrex tablets, though.
Everything we know about kudzu comes from informed speculation and tester experience, Chris. That's all we have to go by.
Good luck and pf wishes, nani
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by ClusterChris on Apr 26th, 2007, 10:42am
cool I'll hit shoppers today!

I was refering to mainly the part about  "this has proven to have simmilar effects on animals"  [smiley=laugh.gif]
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by chewy on Apr 26th, 2007, 11:37am
Nuttin worse than a drunken ostrich on your front lawn.
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by Linda_Howell on Apr 26th, 2007, 2:24pm

  LMAOROTMFF

OMG....I just got my endorphins for the day.
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by Margi on Apr 26th, 2007, 3:12pm
Whatcha laffin' about Luinda?  Chewy's probably talking from first-hand experience here...

I always thought he was more into the farm animals though - not the exotics.
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by ClusterChris on Apr 26th, 2007, 11:38pm
[smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif]
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by pieface_49 on Apr 26th, 2007, 11:52pm
Wait, if I understand this, y'all grew up on farms?

Chris, Melotonin is not proven within the medical community.  There are no long term studies done concerning the effects.  If it helps you, who gives a shit?  This is known, 1/3gm is what the body normally stores.  Melotonin comes in 1gm/3gm.  Many Clusterheads do 6-9gm's.  If you look up melotonin on Google, there are warnings.

http://www.alkenmrs.com/sleep-disorders/melatonin-supplement.html
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by Linda_Howell on Apr 27th, 2007, 12:06am

 Doug Wright,  would disagree with you Pieface.
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by LeLimey on Apr 27th, 2007, 3:52am
Professor Goadsby prescribed melatonin for my 5 yr old son who has CH.

Given that he is one of the worlds leading authorities on CH I do not believe that he would agree with your "no scientific basis" theory.

Everything you put in your body has the potential to be dangerous to someone from nuts to shellfish to Imitrex. Melatonin is considerably less of a risk to the vast majority than any of the above I've mentioned.

Helen
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by ClusterChris on Apr 27th, 2007, 9:51am
Well one thing that makes me feel a little better is that when i was payin for the melatonin the pharmacist told me his doctor recommend he take them for sleeping. If a pharmasist is taking them, they must be fairly safe!

Appreciate the heads up though, you can never be too sure with all this stuff!

Chris
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by cluster on Apr 30th, 2007, 7:10am

Quote:
Melatonin

Serum melatonin levels are reduced in patients with
cluster headache, particularly during a cluster period.
This loss of melatonin may be the inciting event
necessary to at least produce nocturnal cluster attacks.
Providing back melatonin via an oral
supplementation route theoretically could act as a
cluster preventive. The efficacy of 10mg of oral
melatonin was evaluated in a double-blind, placebocontrolled
trial.20 Cluster headache remission within
three to five days occurred in five of 10 patients who
received melatonin compared with zero of 10 patients
who received placebo. Melatonin only appeared to
work in episodic cluster patients. Recently,melatonin
has also been shown to be an effective preventive in
chronic cluster headache.21 A negative study was
published utilizing melatonin for cluster prevention
but the dosing was lower than the other studies and a
sustained preparation was given.22 The author believes
that melatonin should be initiated in all cluster
patients as a first-line preventive sometimes even
before verapamil. It has minimal side effects and in a
number of patients it can turn off nocturnal clusters
within 24 hours. Melatonin also appears to prevent
daytime attacks. In addition, even when melatonin
does not completely resolve all of the attacks it
appears to lower the dose necessary of the other addon
preventives. The typical dose of melatonin used is
9mg at bedtime (three 3mg tablets) but higher
dosages may be necessary. If one brand of commercial
melatonin does not work another should be tried
because the true amount of melatonin in various
OTC brands varies widely.
Source (PDF) (http://www.touchbriefings.com/pdf/1239/ACF293.pdf)


More:
The Efficacy and Safety of Exogenous Melatonin (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=16423108)

If the link gives you a blank page try to use "refresh" in your browser.

floridian's CH-Book:
http://www.med-owl.com/clusterheadaches/tiki-index.php?page=Melatonin

pf wishes,
Friedrich
Title: Re: Kudzu, Melatonin, imitrex HELP!
Post by Rosybabe on Apr 30th, 2007, 1:28pm

on 04/26/07 at 11:37:13, chewy wrote:
Nuttin worse than a drunken ostrich on your front lawn.


[smiley=spit.gif]

can you imagine the ostrich trowing up in the same hole she digs her head in?

[smiley=laugh.gif]


Clusterheadaches.com Message Board » Powered by YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.3.1!
YaBB © 2000-2003. All Rights Reserved.