Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


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

        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Steroid taper treatment qustion??
        
(Message started by: DWAL on Aug 24^th, 2007, 9:03am)

Title: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by DWAL on Aug 24^th, 2007, 9:03am

i have been on the Steroid taper treatment for 8 days now , only 4 days left. only 2 hard hits since i have been on them. i still have zingers, pings and twinges all along, and i think i have a side affect that is making me in a [b]real foul mood[/b]. how likly is it they will come back 2,3,4 hard hits a day when i am done with the taper?

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by Wayne on Aug 24^th, 2007, 9:07am

Hi

Depends if you're ramping up on something else like Verapamil or Topomax at the same time. If you are and you're fortunate you could get this under control quite soon. If you're not then the chances of them coming back with guns blazing are pretty good.

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by DWAL on Aug 24^th, 2007, 9:14am

thanks,
the doc did not mention anything to me about Verapamil or Topomax, but gave me a sample of lyrcia. i forgot how he told me to take it. he was handing me a lot of shit all one time and it was overwhelming. is the lyrcia 75 mg like Verapamil or Topomax and how should i take it? i can't handle the headaches coming back.
i hate calling or going to doctors, even thou two appts coming up. i have to be real misrible to do so.

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by Rosybabe on Aug 24^th, 2007, 9:26am

DWAL please go back to your Doctor or call him. we are not doctors, we can't tell you how much meds you can take. You can't self medicate either.
Your Doctor needs to tell what to do. If you wish, ask him to write down all his instructions, I do, because when you are at the Doctor office you get anxious and the memory is kind of fuzzy.
You pay big money for his opinion and services, make it worth it for you. ask him as many questions as you like and don't leave his office until you get those anwered.

about Lyrica here is some information:
http://www.drugs.com/lyrica.html

Good luck DWAL!

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by Wayne on Aug 24^th, 2007, 9:27am

I kust confess that I've never heard Lyrcia, maybe someone else can help you with that one.

Have you tried Redbull or Oxygen to abort a hit? if not I would really suggest that you grab a fourpack and try chugging one down as soon as you feel a hit coming. It really works for a lot of us.

How long have you been in cycle mate? And how informed is your doc about these things?

Cheers,

Wayne

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by DWAL on Aug 24^th, 2007, 9:42am

wayne,
this is my first cycle ever and has been going on 9 months. the last 8 days is the most releif i have had in say about 5 months. before i got to the nuro doc 9 days ago i had been chugging red bull and it helped some but always got hit hard anyways within a couple of hours.. have not had one rb for for a week now. my zingers and pings are quick and are gone before i even have time to pop a top.
i tried o2 once and it helped but got a bad hit two hours later. that was 8 days ago.
my doc seems to know what he is talking about, he said his father was a sufferer.

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by Wayne on Aug 24^th, 2007, 10:32am

Ok, what may help the "rebounds" is if you take a Migril or whatever your equivalent is, with the RB, that works for me anyway. I'm surprised that you aren't on some form of preventative by now. there are a few to choose from and if you can find one that works for you it is a life changer. Youcould maybe print some info from this site and take it with you next time just to refresh your docs memory.

I wish you good luck, I have done some reading here and apparently the pred taper can sometimes keep the beast at bay for a while so here's hoping for your sake.

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by MJ on Aug 24^th, 2007, 12:07pm

on 08/24/07 at 09:03:54, DWAL wrote:

The steroids likely will give you that nice break your getting. More often than not the CH returns a few days after the taper is complete. (for some it stops a cycle)
"Real FOUL MOOD" is a nasty side effect for many of us.

Lyrica and neurontin are similar. Lyrica is supposed to have less side effects. A nerve drug that may help some but not neccessarily widely helping with CH sufferers. I know another who developed major depression and suicidal thoughts on both meds. (neurontin and Lyrica)

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by DWAL on Aug 24^th, 2007, 12:59pm

I know another who developed major depression and suicidal thoughts on both meds. FROM MJ

what are you talking about, i was getting that just from the headaches alone, i do however feel a little better now they are almost gone. don't know what i'll do if they come back like before.

is melitonin a prevent like your talking about, i take 9 mg a night also?

i also have injections and pills for an attack. have not done an injection yet. got them 10 days ago. when i got hit 8 days ago i had the thing ready to go and could not bring myself to inject it, took a pill and was releived in a half an hour.

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by minipaws96 on Aug 24^th, 2007, 10:01pm

I have used the medrol dose pack several times over the years. Sometimes it would stop the cluster (probably were ready to stop anyways) and sometimes it would make them stop, about 3rd day, and then they would return as the dosage got lower. Its a try and you have a few days pain free probably. Everyone is different.......Sherry (Ohio)

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by TomM on Aug 25^th, 2007, 11:39am

on 08/24/07 at 09:03:54, DWAL wrote:

real foul mood.

That is one reason I stopped using Prednisone. Get a Rx for Valium. I did and it works. Another reason to NOT use Prednisone is it lowers your bone density.
My humble opinion(s).
TomM

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by cash5542 on Aug 25^th, 2007, 1:42pm

My daughter uses prednisone for asthma and when she is coming off she is really cranky. This is a common side effect. We call them prednisone moments and try the best we can to ignore. They will go away. Take calcium pills, eat lot sof fresh fruits and veggies, watch your sodium and this should minimize some of this. Good luck! And talk to your doc about other preventatives!!

Charlotte

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by chewy on Aug 26^th, 2007, 8:37am

on 08/24/07 at 09:03:54, DWAL wrote:

how likly is it they will come back 2,3,4 hard hits a day when i am done with the taper?

Very likely if you haven't been taking a preventative.

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by DWAL on Aug 26^th, 2007, 11:37am

ANY OVER THE COUNTERS THAT I COULD BE TAKING?

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by Rosybabe on Aug 26^th, 2007, 1:05pm

melatonin for night hits and a multivitamin to be sure you are cover all over :)

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by DWAL on Aug 27^th, 2007, 10:35am

I CALLED THE DOC FRIDAY TO SEE WHAT I SHOULD DO ABOUT A PREVENT, THE DOC JUST CALLED BACK AND SAID I SHOULD BE TAKING 1 LYRCIA AT NIGHT AS MY PREVENT. ANYONE HAVE ANY LUCK WITH LYCRIA?

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by Wayne on Aug 27^th, 2007, 12:00pm

Hi

You can follow this link for more info, http://www.lyrica.com/

I don't think this is a wonder drug for CH, maybe it will help you but I haven't read any huge success stories here.

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by DWAL on Aug 27^th, 2007, 8:26pm

Hi all,
Took my last steroid of the taper tonight. How long do you think it will be before I start getting hit again? Place your bets. Light zingers have already started (which I can handle all day long, its the big ones that make me want to put a bullet in my brain) and I caught an f-ing cold. The steroids weaken your imminence system I was told. I believe it now. Well so far 8 pains free days. Why does this shit happen? I know their coming and I can't run or hide. I can feel it.

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by chewy on Aug 27^th, 2007, 8:57pm

on 08/27/07 at 20:26:01, DWAL wrote:

I know their coming and I can't run or hide. I can feel it.

I know what you CAN do. Talk to your Doc about prescribing a proven CH preventative like verapamil.

Good luck with the Lyrica. You never know.

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by Wayne on Aug 28^th, 2007, 1:25am

I can only echo what Chewy said. Print out some info from this site and take it with you to the Doc, don't take no for an answer.

The Pred taper is only a temporary solution designed to give immediate relief while the preventative builds up enough to take effect. There are a number of preventatives which have varying degrees of success with folk here. Themost popular is Verapamil followed by topomax, lithium and Depakote.

You also need a reliable abortive like O2, Immetrex or Redbull to deal with breakthrough hits.

Get those two issues sorted out and your life will change, if not you're in for a rocky ride my friend.

Title: Re: Steroid taper treatment qustion??
Post by Wayne on Aug 28^th, 2007, 1:32am

Here's a link that Bob Johnson posted on the Newbie board, print this and take it with you.

http://www.plainboard.com/ch/chtherapy.pdf

Good luck. But remember sometimes we make our own luck