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 >> Prednisone Quagmire
        
(Message started by: findjoshua on Sep 7^th, 2007, 10:07am)

Title: Prednisone Quagmire
Post by findjoshua on Sep 7^th, 2007, 10:07am

All,

I went on a 60mg taper a few weeks ago. however, as soon as I start to taper down to about 40mg the clusters come back. My doc said to go back up to 50 and maintain for a few days before tapering back down again, which I did with pf days on the 50, but as soon as i hit 40 i get hit again. I will go back to him, but does anyone have any experience with long stretches on one dose of pred until the cylce is over? Does this mean it's not working?

thanking everyone here as always,
Joshua

Title: Re: Prednisone Quagmire
Post by DennisM1045 on Sep 7^th, 2007, 12:16pm

Hi Joshua,

Did your Dr perscribe any preventive meds? Verapamil? The tapper alone can't be maintained forever without sever side effects. The tapper is supposed to get you through to when the preventive med takes over.

-Dennis-

Title: Re: Prednisone Quagmire
Post by findjoshua on Sep 7^th, 2007, 12:46pm

He did not prescribe any, I think he was of the mind that the cycle would be broken by the pred. hmm. i was on verapamil, perhas I should start that up again, and perhaps find a new neuro?

Thanks,
Joshua

Title: Re: Prednisone Quagmire
Post by ski2k on Sep 8^th, 2007, 8:46pm

I'd be careful with the pred. It can have some nasty and permanant side effects if taken too long. My sisters doc kept her on it way too long, and now has heart problems, and needs meds daily for that! If used properly, it can help out a lot. If misused, it can be far more harmful than good.
I've had only one taper work for me, but I didn't start seeing the beast again until I hit the lowest dose. Sounds like a good prevent would be a good idea for you to try. Talk to your doctor about it. Couldn't hurt! I saw a neuro, briefly, who told me the ONLY way to break a cycle is with prednisone. I found another doctor right away. If yours is of the same mindset, I think you might want to find a new one.

Best of luck to you! PF wishes,
Adam

Title: Re: Prednisone Quagmire
Post by Bob_Johnson on Sep 9^th, 2007, 11:06am

Our collective experience is that pred alone will quickly break a cycle but that the CH returns very rapidly--as you are describing.

Really important to start a preventive at the same time you use the pred. Is our doc a headache specialist????

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

Here is a link to read and print and take to your doctor. It describes preventive, transitional, abortive and surgical treatments for CH. Written by one of the better headache docs in the U.S. (2002)

Title: Re: Prednisone Quagmire
Post by findjoshua on Sep 10^th, 2007, 7:39am

Thank you to all. My doc is a neuro (but he was a referral, not my normal doc) and he was admittedly inexperienced with CH therapy. He said in his 20 yrs of practice he'd seen maybe two cases. Going to make another appt with more info and if still not happy make the effort to find another.

Title: Re: Prednisone Quagmire
Post by UN solved on Sep 10^th, 2007, 4:27pm

Be thankful for your Prednisone 'break' ... but you can't stay at 50 mg a day for very long. The side effects will become severe. :-X Use it sparingly.

Goodluck

UNsolved

Title: Re: Prednisone Quagmire
Post by findjoshua on Sep 11^th, 2007, 11:08am

Tapering down now. Got 240mg/day Verap. scrip filled yesterday and began it.

Joshua