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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Neurontin
        
(Message started by: findjoshua on Dec 19^th, 2007, 8:58am)

Title: Neurontin
Post by findjoshua on Dec 19^th, 2007, 8:58am

Hi All. I've been on a pred taper with verapamil ramp up (240mg) for TOO long now and as the taper decreases the CH's have returned. I am not going back up on the pred b/c I don't like what it's doing to the rest of me. My doc says we will up the Verap to 360mg and if that doesn't work he suggests Neurontin.

Does anybody have any feedback on Neurontin and it's likely side effects downsides etc?

Thanks,
Joshua

Title: Re: Neurontin
Post by Guiseppi on Dec 19^th, 2007, 10:44am

I have never taken it. It's not unusual for verapamil to not work at the levels you are at. People sometimes get up to the 980 a day range to get relief.

I hear you on the prednisone, it really tweaks your body a bit. You might want to consider lithium. It's worked forever for me. I'm episodic, 47, male and weigh 190. I take 1200 mg a day when on cycle and it blocks 80-90% of my hits. Don't tell your friends you're taking lithium or they look at you funny and talk real soft! ;;D

Guiseppi

Title: Re: Neurontin
Post by findjoshua on Dec 19^th, 2007, 10:51am

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. 980mg of Verap?? Wow. I think my heartrate would slow to a crawl on that! :) I have to get an EKG before he ups the dose, as a precaution, and hopefully the next step up will work. I've read a lot about Lithium, i'll talk to my doc about that too.

Title: Re: Neurontin
Post by Bob_Johnson on Dec 19^th, 2007, 11:24am

In second link, read Dr. Rozen's comments on large drug doses for CH.

Explore Robbins site for masses of good information.
---------------

http://www.headachedrugs.com/pdf/ha2006.pdf Dr. Robbins site. Then explore the entire site by deleting everything following. com/ and then hit enter.
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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)

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

Title: Re: Neurontin
Post by DennisM1045 on Dec 20^th, 2007, 11:31am

Hi Joshua,

I tried Neurontin last spring. I was tailing off on a cycle at the time so I'm not sure how effective it was. However I had to come off it after one month because of the side effects. I just couldn't think straight and wasn't safe behind the wheel.

I'm going to try Verapamil again next cycle. I'm still on 120mg now to help with my bp. When I was out of cycle we tried 240mg but my heart rated bottomed out at 48bpm and I had trouble with dizziness. I hope using it in cycle will yield different results. We'll see.

Good luck...

-Dennis-