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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2002 >> Pain relief
        
(Message started by: Lawann on Mar 24^th, 2002, 9:18pm)

Title: Pain relief
Post by Lawann on Mar 24^th, 2002, 9:18pm

What is the best drug that I can buy out of a store without a perscription for cluster headaches?

Title: Re: Pain relief
Post by Karla on Mar 25^th, 2002, 10:13pm

Personally I find my pain so great that I can't find anything over the counter. With a perscription percacet, vicadin, stadol only barely bring down the pain level mabe a couple of notches (10 to 8's). Pain management is difficult with ch. For many morphine will not even touch the pain. You will probably have to do trial and error for yourself and try some perscription things as well.

Title: Re: Pain relief
Post by chjohn on Mar 26^th, 2002, 8:44pm

I have found a hot shower, at the normal hot temperature I usualy take a shower, running the shower head back and forth across the affected side of my head, the best I can do.
Got to be at the start of the pain though. Over the counter meds, and prescription Hydrocodone, didn't help AT ALL.
I haven't tried Oxygen, and I may not be a candidate for Imitrex, but by reading the medication survey results available on the side bar of this site, they appear to be the most effective pain relievers (abortives) available to Cluster attack sufferers.
Merely,
John

Title: Re: Pain relief
Post by williamsmh on Mar 27^th, 2002, 2:02pm

I've found no over-the-counter drug that has worked and I think I've tried them all.

Excedrin migraine will abort my migraines sometimes, but won't touch the clusters.

I've tried narcotics and they don't do anything... I just feel drugged, but still in pain.

Imitrex is the only drug that has ever worked for me.
Or... going to the hospital and getting a morphine drip.
Mark

Title: Re: Pain relief
Post by NotH20 on Mar 27^th, 2002, 2:29pm

Sometimes at the beginning of the my cycle I can take a BC Powder and it helps a little with the pain, but never makes it go away totally....as the cycle progresses NOTHING over the counter works.

There are some tricks of the trade that we all use that are individual...my ch's come on my rt side - I use my rt inner elbow and place that over my eye and I am able to squeeze my head between my shoulder and my forearm....sounds complex, but sometimes it's just the right pressure for that "release" for a few seconds.... I know everyone knows how good that feels - for those few seconds......

Good luck to you Lawann.....

NotH20

Title: Re: Pain relief
Post by williamsmh on Mar 28^th, 2002, 7:57am

Yeah, making a fist and pushing it into my eye socket helps me. I do that and walk in a circle around my living room/dining room/kitchen.

Other than oxygen and Imitrex that is my only tip. Nothing else has helped me. The hot shower/cold shower thing just makes me feel worse.

Mark

Title: Re: Pain relief
Post by nancyc on Mar 28^th, 2002, 8:16am

The only thing I can think of is an ice bag...you really need to find a good neuro or GP that UNDERSTANDS...that is half your battle there. Feeling alone and in pain with no medical professional to understand me, seemed to only aggrevate my chs...Do you have a good Doctor? Unfortunately, the beast is too powerful and the OTC drugs don't stand a chance with him... :)

Title: Re: Pain relief
Post by BobG on Mar 28^th, 2002, 10:47am

Without a script? A big bag of ice.

Title: Re: Pain relief
Post by Dania on Mar 28^th, 2002, 7:20pm

:-*Hi bro!

I know: MELATONIN!

I knew about it right here in ch.com's board a year ago . I 've taken it for eleven months and... it works! I am free pain since april 27^th.
Really it works... for me.
I am not in remision because during all these months I've had some shadows at the beginning of the cycles but not pain.

Thanks ch.com and melatonin

Love Dania

(I am not very expert with this new board but I try)

http://www.civilizacionweb.com/cluster

(spanish cluster site) :-*

Title: Re: Pain relief
Post by williamsmh on Mar 28^th, 2002, 9:53pm

Melatonin didn't do a thing for me... just made me really tired....

But... it is certainly worth a try... all of us are different and I know that some people don't even get relief from Imitrex (which is my salvation).

So... give it a try and see what happens.
Other things that I've heard are magnesium and riboflavin.... They didn't work for me, but worth trying because they are relatively cheap and easy.

Something that I had limited success with was Ginkgo Biloba, but it only worked a little for a short period of time.

Mark

Title: Strenuous Exercise
Post by Bob_P on Mar 29^th, 2002, 8:37am

For some, a few minutes of strenuous exercise, jumping jacks, squats, bicycle, running, anything that will get you huffing and puffing real quick, followed by hyperventillating will abort the headache.

3 years ago I aborted over 60 attacks in a row by doing squats at the onset of an attack.

Last cluster it didn't work quite as well.