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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> First time trex didn't help
        
(Message started by: birdman on May 7^th, 2007, 12:48pm)

Title: First time trex didn't help
Post by birdman on May 7^th, 2007, 12:48pm

For the first time in my 20+ years of suffering, trex did not help. I think I am at the end of my cycle when I usually get hit the hardest. In previous post about o2 concentrators, I mentioned that I started a medrol pack/pred taper. For the first time ever, two attacks have gotten past the pred. The first needed a trex inj and was gone in minutes. Today I had a 45-60 minute attack that nothing helped. Trex, o2, ice. Damn near went to the hospital. Though in hindsight that would have been a complete waste of time. Verapamil is at 960 a day and looking like it might go higher. Running out of gas here!
Tim

Title: Re: First time trex didn't help
Post by UN solved on May 7^th, 2007, 2:05pm

sorry to hear the trex didn't help. I've never had that happen ( knockin' on wood ).

Hopefully it is the end of your cycle and you won't be needing trex anymore for a loooong time ! ;)

Goodluck

UNsolved

Title: Re: First time trex didn't help
Post by birdman on May 8^th, 2007, 8:00am

Is it possible I screwed up the injection. I have done it tons of times and nothing seemed different. Waited long enough? Frustrated!

Title: Re: First time trex didn't help
Post by birdman on May 8^th, 2007, 12:53pm

Had another sneak past the pred taper but the trex worked this time, thank God! Can't beleive how many hits have gotten past the taper. Never before. I am startign to think that the medrol taper is either too short or to weak. They are 4mg prednisolone pills and in the past I took 10mg prednisone tabs. I am not sure if that equals out to the same thing. My prednisone taper was 6 10 mg tabs a day for one week then take one away each day. This medrol taper is 6 4mg tabs for one day and taper right away. It also doesn't help that my NY Rangers got knocked out of the playoffs. Stress kills!
Tim

Title: Re: First time trex didn't help
Post by birdman on May 9^th, 2007, 12:01pm

Still having one a day sneak past the taper. Down to two pills today and one tomorrow. God only knows what is coming in the next few days. Been using trex once a day. When is trex considered too much? Is there such a thing? Age old question, helping or prolonging?
Blah.......

Title: Re: First time trex didn't help
Post by birdman on May 10^th, 2007, 10:10am

Been discussing on another thread that maybe I should not be injecting in the arm. Less muscle in the thigh? Any possibilty that it will take longer to kick in if injected into muscle rather then fat?

Title: Re: First time trex didn't help
Post by chrisw on May 10^th, 2007, 12:50pm

You pooor thing. I hope you feel better soon. My last cycle was letting hits past the steriods and that has never happened before. I can sympathise. One trex a day shouldnt be to much. Thats alot of verap though. Hang in there, maybe the nightmare will be over soon.

good luck,
chrisw

Title: Re: First time trex didn't help
Post by Margi on May 10^th, 2007, 12:55pm

on 05/09/07 at 12:01:18, birdman wrote:

Age old question, helping or prolonging?
Blah.......

sorry to hear you're getting beat up, Birdman. In answer to your question - I am of the firm belief that 'trex prolongs. Mike never used to have cycles that lasted longer than 2 months. That was when he was doing everything med free. Now that he's found imitrex, his last two cycles were 5 months and 9 months long. Same with verapamil. That cycle that went 5 months was the first time he tried verap - he was up to the same dose you're at.

Pred - he'll never use it again. Once he tapered down, he got nailed like never before. And, in his own words it turned him into "Superjerk" while he was on it - he even scared himself on that ~~crap~~ med.

Sorry, not words you probably want to hear and I do sympathize with you. But why no O2, birdman?

Title: Re: First time trex didn't help
Post by birdman on May 10^th, 2007, 2:18pm

Been hitting the o2 hard but when I am at my peak, it is ineffective. My first choice is the o2 but then 15-20 minutes later I am full blown and trying to catch up with trex. Sometimes don't even want to waste the time trying the 02 when I know I am peaking.
Pred turns me into a real jerk too, my wife hates when I go on it. Have avoided it the last year or two but this is a bad cycle. Tried a lower medrol taper but had the same jerky side effects. Now that the pred is over, I think I am screwed! Thinking about trying to dose!

Title: Re: First time trex didn't help
Post by Margi on May 10^th, 2007, 2:52pm

:( I hear ya Birdman - we've been there too. Take heart in knowing that the hardest hits usually are just before the cycle leaves you....

hugs to you.

oh and if by 'thinking of trying to dose' please make sure you are fully detoxed from the pred AND trex before you do, ok? Check with the gurus on the verap but I think you may have to lower your dosage on that at least?

Title: Re: First time trex didn't help
Post by birdman on May 10^th, 2007, 3:29pm

Just got called back by my neuro. She feels that the medrol taper was not strong enough and wants me to do a full blown pred taper. 60mg a day for a week or two and then taper. I swear that I could end up going postal on these steriods. If I could just detox long enough I would dose but what is long enough? Plus the verap is not something I can just stop quickly.
So either I deal with unmedicated full blown attacks for a while and then dose, or continue on with meds and try it next cycle. AAAAAHHHHH!

Title: Re: First time trex didn't help
Post by MR_FLOOR on May 20^th, 2007, 12:46pm

Birdman,

2 other times in my long bout with CH nothing worked thats when my doc (Urban) suggested I do Histamine desensitization The first time it lasted 8 years the 2nd time 2 years.I agree with Chrisw though thats allot of varapmil.
Good Luck
Stay pain free and prosper

Dave