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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Abdominal cramps 
        
(Message started by: Penobscott on Jan 12^th, 2008, 9:02pm)

Title: Abdominal cramps
Post by Penobscott on Jan 12^th, 2008, 9:02pm

Does anyone else out there experience abdominal cramps from their meds? I'll take them over the headaches any day, but I'm wondering if they are caused by the Imitrex or the Verapamil? Having a pain free day today, except for the cramps. It feels like I have to use the bathroom bad, but when I go, there's nothing. My guess is it's the Ver., because I haven't had any Imi. since yesterday and just upped the Ver. dose from 200mg to 300 yesterday.

Title: Re: Abdominal cramps
Post by brewcrew on Jan 12^th, 2008, 9:30pm

Go to the store right now. Buy a quart of prune juice and two boxes of Raisin Bran. Drink half of the juice and eat a bowl of the bran. Then every day thereafter drink a glass of prune juice and eat a bowl of the bran. Do not run out.

One of the nasty side effects of verapamil is constipation. It has a tendency to moderate over time, but it can suck in the meantime.

Title: Re: Abdominal cramps
Post by LeLimey on Jan 13^th, 2008, 6:45am

Whatever you do DO NOT DRINK GRAPEFRUIT JUICE OR EAT GRAPEFRUIT!!!!

OJ is fine and any other citrus or other fruit juices but grapefruit intensifies the effect of verap which could be nasty.

As Brew says - try the good old prune juice or stuff of that ilk. ;;D

Title: Re: Abdominal cramps
Post by brewcrew on Jan 13^th, 2008, 10:04am

Did you get lost on your way to the store? Maybe you're spending some wonderful, relief-filled hours in the john. ;;D

Title: Re: Abdominal cramps
Post by Penobscott on Jan 13^th, 2008, 12:45pm

Thanks everyone.

Title: Re: Abdominal cramps
Post by thomas on Jan 14^th, 2008, 4:32pm

A magnesium supplement will also help loosen things up a bit. ;;D

Title: Re: Abdominal cramps
Post by brewcrew on Jan 14^th, 2008, 4:53pm

I just thought of another decent solution. The generic form of Senekot that you can get at just about any chain drug store. It's a natural vegetable laxative (not the chemical form), and the generic is much cheaper.

Title: Re: Abdominal cramps
Post by monty on Jan 14^th, 2008, 5:08pm

on 01/14/08 at 16:53:54, brewcrew wrote:

Senekot might not be the best thing for people taking verapamil:

Quote:

Senna or other anthraquinone-containing herbs should not be used by people diverticular disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, severe hemorrhoids, blood vessel disease, congestive heart failure, heart disease, severe anemia, abdominal hernia, gastrointestinal cancer, recent colon surgery, or liver and kidney disease.

Senna may interact with drugs called calcium channel blockers, such as procardia, and the drug indocin.

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/completeazindex/a/senna.htm

Title: Re: Abdominal cramps
Post by monty on Jan 14^th, 2008, 5:18pm

Ach, talk about over-cautioning ... on further searching, there is an interaction, but calcium channel inhibitors seem to work against or block the slip-and-slide effects of senna. And it doesn't seem to be an issue for verapamil:

##################################
The involvement of Ca2+ in the mechanism of the purgative action of rhein anthrone was studied. Among individual or combination pretreatments with calcium channel blockers, calmodulin antagonists and prostaglandin biosynthesis inhibitors, the combination of indomethacin and nifedipine completely blocked the diarrhoea induced by rhein anthrone and also inhibited its effects on colonic fluid and electrolyte transport, and large intestinal motility. Calmodulin antagonists were less active regarding suppression of the effects of rhein anthrone. We concluded that, in addition to prostaglandins, diarrhoea induced by rhein anthrone must also involve the calcium channel which can be blocked by nifedipine, but not verapamil.

Title: Re: Abdominal cramps
Post by brewcrew on Jan 14^th, 2008, 5:19pm

on 01/14/08 at 17:08:48, monty wrote:

Senekot might not be the best thing for people taking verapamil:

Maybe you'd like to call my neuro and tell him that. He's the one that suggested it. Think I should sue him?