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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2002 >> Dosage of regular Verapamil (not SR)?
        
(Message started by: JackieN on Mar 10^th, 2002, 10:17pm)

Title: Dosage of regular Verapamil (not SR)?
Post by JackieN on Mar 10^th, 2002, 10:17pm

I started on regular Verapamil a few weeks ago. I'm up to 200 mg, which I take all at once, with dinner. All my clusters occur during sleep.

Could you guys tell me your Verapamil dosage, and if you take it all at once? I've still been getting the attacks, and am hoping to go higher with the Verap.

Thanks.

Jackie

Title: Re: Dosage of regular Verapamil (not SR)?
Post by tsol75 on Mar 10^th, 2002, 10:21pm

Jackie,

I take 240 mg 3x daily plus another 240mg split in morning and night...just started with the latest 240 increase but have been taking the other dosage for five years...it seems to work good but then again I am now in my longest cycle in over two years! Also my verapimil says SA...whatever that means...hope that helps..

Jon

Title: Re: Dosage of regular Verapamil (not SR)?
Post by Ueli on Mar 11^th, 2002, 6:50am

Jackie,

First of all, congrats to you and your doc for choosing the regular Verapamil, that's the type recommended by Dr Goadsby. However, 200 mg a day is really very low for CH.

Here a quote from Goadsby:
Verapamil is the preventative drug of choice in both episodic and chronic CH. Clinical experience has demonstrated that higher doses than those used in cardiological indications are needed, so outpatient assessment and follow-up is appropriate. The dose is increased until the cluster attacks are suppressed, side-effects intervene or the maximum dose of 960mg daily is achieved.

I am taking 560 mg / day, and with good success. Also, I think it would be better to take the Verapamil in 2 or 3 doses spread out evenly throughout the day. In this way the concentration in the blood is more constant and you can reduce possible side effects, such as dizziness.

You might want to read a post about Verapamil that I wrote some tome back on the good old message board: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/wwwboard/messages2/116309.html
(However, the Medscape article quoted there has a new url: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/416383_7)

Good luck with the Verapamil,
Ueli