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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> stopping meds cold turkey
        
(Message started by: fentimom on Jan 10^th, 2008, 8:19pm)

Title: stopping meds cold turkey
Post by fentimom on Jan 10^th, 2008, 8:19pm

I think I may be out of a cycle...I am without an MD right now so no one to ask.

Can I stop my meds cold turkey and see what happens? I am on 240 mg Verapamil and 900 mg Lithium per day...

You folks on this site seem to know more than most of the docs out there anyway so I trust your opinion.

Thanks, Tom

Title: Re: stopping meds cold turkey
Post by Melissa on Jan 10^th, 2008, 10:00pm

No. You need to taper off the medications.

Always, always talk to a doctor when going off of meds. I know many here know what they're talking about, but I can guarentee you they'd say the same thing.

GL to you and I hope your cycle is done!

Title: Re: stopping meds cold turkey
Post by fentimom on Jan 11^th, 2008, 7:24am

Melissa thanks for the reply...
I noticed your meds are listed as Taurine, Kudzo and O2...

Tom tried Kudzo originally when we first realized that he had CH (READ ABOUT IT ON THIS SITE!) and didn't see any relief. He wasn't on any abortive meds at that time. Do you think he should try that again now that he has the meds in my system so as I taper off that may help the next cycle onset?

Thanks again for the info you all give on here. It's great.

Regards,

Tom's girlfriend, Jo

Title: Re: stopping meds cold turkey
Post by Melissa on Jan 11^th, 2008, 11:30am

Kudzu may be tried again, but some meds, like Verap, can contradict the effect. Please read up on Kudzu treatment using these links:

http://med-owl.com/clusterheadaches/tiki-index.php?page=Kudzu

http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=meds;action=display;num=1110584362

Kudzu does take time to work in your system. Not only that, it is very important (at least for me) to take it at the same time each day.

Kudzu is NOT an abortive, it is used as a preventative. I abort mine with O2, some use energy drinks. Your mileage may vary.

Please read as much as possible here and on the OUCH site at: http://www.ouch-us.org/chinfo1.htm

Title: Re: stopping meds cold turkey
Post by DennisM1045 on Jan 11^th, 2008, 11:55am

Get yourself a Dr. No one should self medicate or self unmedicate. Sometimes the cure can kill you ;;D Please be careful and find a Dr.

-Dennis-

Title: Re: stopping meds cold turkey
Post by genss on Jan 13^th, 2008, 12:24pm

Shoot. I don't remember my doc telling me to taper off the verapamil. I stopped cold turkey 3 days ago and since then my heart is constantly pounding. It's impossible to sleep. For some reason, maybe because my heart has been beating too rapidly, I haven't had any pain. Maybe the pain will come back when my heart rate decreases. Anyways, I decided for the first time ever to try to get through this cycle unmedicated. The verapamil only took away 50% of the pain this time so I figured quit taking it. Never ever gone without treating the pain, but I wanted to try it. But since I've been off the verapamil 3 days if it was going to be harmful to stop cold turkey, it would have already right?

Title: Re: stopping meds cold turkey
Post by E-Double on Jan 13^th, 2008, 1:35pm

NO!!!!

edit to add

My doc (Sheftell one of the tops in world) had me doing a 15 week taper off meds...verap and lithium VERY slowly