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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2002 >> SHROOM UPDATE
        
(Message started by: Henk on May 4^th, 2002, 2:03am)

Title: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by Henk on May 4^th, 2002, 2:03am

Hi everybody,

Time for an update on the shroom therapy, wich, by now, I should call the non-shroom therapy. ;)

I have been chronic for over 6 years, started shrooming in july 2001, weekly at first, then bi-weekly.
And from november on, I tried to use the feeling in my head to judge wether it was time for a redose.

On jan 12th I had my last dose!! And I'm still up and running. I still get "attacks" but not much pain, short in duration and very doable compared to how it was before! So despite almost 4 months without shrooms, there still seems to be a strong effect.

I know this is not scientific, something else might have caused the change, but since I still get those "eroded attacks" that started when I started the therapy, it's my believe that it's the shrooms.

My last dose was a heavy one. I took 2 grams of my home grown stuff, but it was potent enough to get vivid halucinations at first, ending up with the feeling that my heart stopped beating. Had to pull myself together a couple of times: "If I can worry about my heart beating or not, it *must* be beating". This trip was not fun, guess it was my first bad trip. But I survived, and it seems to have a long lasting effect on CH.

Anyway, I'm doing fine, wanted to let you know, as like many others, I tend to leave the CH sites now I'm doing fine.

PFDAN's to all of you,

and special thanks to flash and pinky!

Henk

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by ave on May 4^th, 2002, 4:48am

Great, Henk.

I never dosed that heavily but my first (last year) was a doozy too.

I felt the effects for several months as well, from february till the end of may. Then everything went away, so I knew the episode was over.

This year I dosed too late (and possibly too little) and I am stuck with rests of attacks. But not too much to live with.

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by tommyD on May 4^th, 2002, 8:02am

Thanks for the update Henk. I too have been shrooming since July, and I MIGHT be chronic (more on that later).

Need to ask Flash and Pink about this, but there seems to be some evidence that higher doses cause the remission to last longer.

I first tried the shrooms in early July 2001 after using the water X 3 treatment to break up the cycle. I had been having one or two kip 7's every day, but had it puished back to a kip 5 or 6 every other day, then every third day. My first dose of shrooms was half a gram or so of some relatively old, weak stuff (trip level one) repeateed five days later, and it knocked out the beast for two months.

The beast returned, and I knocked him back again with the same low-dose taken-twice treatment in early September. Same thing again in early November, for another two month remission.

Then I got a new batch of shrooms and repeated the treatment in early January when the beast retuned with three kip 6's in one night (another first for me). But this new batch was fresh (by which I mean dried, but not very old) and strong, and I got real high, - not unpleasently, but much higher than I'd planned. I've been in remission ever since.

I generally have a tapering-off period-- shrooms kill the heavy attack, but leave a few mild ones and some heavy shadows, which gradually fade over a week or two, and I start getting shadows, followed by mild attacks, for a week or two before the beast decides to kick my butt again.

The beast has hinted at a return a couple of times since January, and I twice planned a weekend dosing, but the warning signs faded by the time the weekend arrived. Now it's five (whoops, make that four) months since the last dose, and no real sign of the beast. Only a mild to moderate shadow or a scalp tingle when I get real tired or pushed off my usual sleep schedule.

Now about being chronic or episodic -- what kind of idiot wouldn't know which he was. My kind of idiot, of course. The problem is a lack of history. I first met the Beast in early April, 2001, and have been shrooming since July. Based on the info collected by Pink & Flash, shroom treatments do not postpone cycles for epidoics, they suppress them, and episodics do not see a return of the beast until the next regularly-scheduled visit.

By February of this year, I was thinking that either: (A.) I am an episodic with very long cycles, or (B.) I'm a chronic. Since chronics seem to be more likely to have the "tapering off and tapering on" effect, than episodics, I decided I must be chronic.

But now the beast has been away five months. Is it because of the haevy dose in January, or have I finally ended a very long episode? Don't know, and the uncertainty is irritating to a degree. But not too much. After all, how can I complain about being pain free?

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by pinksharkmark on May 4^th, 2002, 10:15am

Henk, that is excellent news!

I understand your desire to put the world of CH as far behind you as you can, but please drop by every few months if you can just to let us know how you are doing.

Also, make sure to keep some mushrooms close at hand. I know the last several months have been good, but I can pretty much guarantee that sooner or later you will need to dose again.

Thanks for your update. I have always found them to be informative.

Congratulations on your victory!

pinky

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by pinksharkmark on May 4^th, 2002, 10:26am

Quote:

Based on the info collected by Pink & Flash, shroom treatments do not postpone cycles for epidoics, they suppress them, and episodics do not see a return of the beast until the next regularly-scheduled visit.

Actually, I am uncertain whether this is really what is going on. It is possible that the psilocybin does more than just repress an ongoing attack. It may actually normalize or "reset" the serotonin-regulating mechanism of the brain for a period of time. This mechanism will eventually drift out of whack again and another cycle will start. The start of the next cycle may be postponed by the psilocybin.

For example, envision an episodic clusterhead who normally has a cycle of 3 months, followed by a 9 month remission. In a case like this, the cycle starts at the same time of year, for year after year.

He takes a preventative dose of mushrooms every 4 months for a year and half or so, then forgets about it, and takes nothing at all for many months. My guess is that his next cycle would start 9 months after the last dose of mushrooms, regardless of what time of year it was.

Not enough data to KNOW this for sure, but it is plausible.

pinky

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by Jodi on May 4^th, 2002, 8:41pm

I don't know, but I think the shroom therapy worked so far for me, I was already in cycle but dosed, the dose was week so one and half weeks later I took the rest of what I had. Which was also week. But I have been pain free for 2 weeks. And for this time of year that is unusual. I am now taking lithium everyday and my source will start growing again next week. I will dose again this time more than the last two times. It sucked staying off meds for 2 weeks but if this is what helped me then thank you pinky. Beginning of spring all the way through summer is the worst time in my life-So I am hopping this year will be better CAUSE IF I HAVE TO GO ANOTHER PICNIC DRINKING WATER INSTEAD OF A BEER I WILL GO INSANE.
THANKS JODI

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by Mastifflvr28 on May 4^th, 2002, 8:48pm

My turn,
Been 2 weeks since I dosed at the first sign of my cycle (which is due) and have been PF for that time.

Got hit today, so I'll dose tomorrow or the next day, should be the END of it :)
btw...home grown fresh shrooms.
Mast

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by jrt on May 4^th, 2002, 10:13pm

Ok I'm ready to explore shrooms but know nothing about types, growing or procuring them. Would you recommend info sources? I didn't find the headache support group shroom site very helpfull ( or I didn't understand it...always a possibility!)

Thanks, JRT

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by Mastifflvr28 on May 4^th, 2002, 10:57pm

Ok JRT, FIRST thing ya wanna do is read through this whole thread: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=meds;action=display;num=1013709016
and then the rest of the threads on shrooms.

THEN you wanna read the growing guide here: http://www.mycotopia.net/teks/scgg.html

THEN, depending if you want to do your own jars at home...they have a "mycobag" out that you innoculate and grow all in one bag here: http://www.sporeworks.com/mycobag.html

THEN, if you have questions, come back here :)
Mast

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by pinksharkmark on May 5^th, 2002, 1:43am

jrt;

Unfortunately some of the links in the "growing" section of that page are obsolete. I have put together an information package for those interested in growing their own, with links to reliable spore suppliers and to several different growing guides that explain the growing process thoroughly. Mastifflvr has posted one of those links already.

If you (or anyone else) are interested in doing further reading in this area, e-mail me and I will send you this information. It has been of considerable help to many clusterheads who have gone on to grow their own.

pinky

Title: Mostly Off-topic for Jodi
Post by tommyD on May 5^th, 2002, 6:00am

Jodi -

Congratulations on successful (apparently, so far) shrooming.

Also congratulation are due because you are a winner of the "find a better name for CH" contest several weeks ago. Your "Satan's Funny Fucking Joke" was one of two winners, but I couldn't get in touch with you. The prize is your choice of an OUCH membership or a legal copy of Aki's video.

The other winner was maria, with her S.H.I.T.S. acronym entry, and she chose to use her prize to sponsor an OUCH membership.
Being scattered, forgetful and generally disorganized, I finally remembered the other day I hadn't delivered on the prizes as promised, so I just yesterday sent the $ for two sponsorships to President Bob. (That's right, Bob, the check's in the mail!)
Anyway, if you aren't an OUCH member, we can fix it so you are one now, or I can still get you a copy of the video -- sending an order in Monday, (if I don't forget) since I want one for me, too.
Please let me let me know your preference here or by e-mail (tomd@penn.com) or however.

Who ever thought those evil little illegal mushrooms would kick Satans Funny Fucking Ass!

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by jrt on May 5^th, 2002, 6:55am

I will spend the rest of the day reading...thanks so much for the links and info. Pinky - I'll research this info first...then I may not have to take advantage of your kind offer.

Much thanks, JRT

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by M0J0 on May 10^th, 2002, 10:42pm

Quick question...do shrooms ever go bad? I've had a batch for over 3 months and I'm wondering if they're still good.

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by rick on May 11^th, 2002, 11:12am

MOJO-

I've kept them for that long in college before, and they were still pretty potent. They were wrapped in a plastic bag and stuffed in a drawer. Exposure to light can degrade them, and I would think heat might cause them to break down a bit faster.

Our "coaches" here have recommended that you store them in honey, which I'll be trying out eventually. I believe you do this be dumping as much honey as you can from a honey jar, then stuffing the jar full of shrooms. Then you replace what honey you can into the jar, and wipe some around the lid before replacing it so as to seal the jar.

I'm thinking the best benefit to this beyond preservation is that it has to make them taste better :P :P :P. I've been eating mine stuffed into dried apricots.

Hey pinky-I was wondering how well freezing them might work?

Peace and PFDAN-Rick

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by Mastifflvr28 on May 11^th, 2002, 11:59pm

Freezing werks jist fine :)
Freeze in a sealed container, preferably glass. The smaller the jar, the better. Less air, more shrooms. Put some "dessicant" in there too. Either some "dry-z-air" or "damp rid" (don't let it touch the shrooms) or get those little "do not eat" thingys that are in vitamin jars.
Hope this helps,
Mast

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by rick on May 12^th, 2002, 7:34pm

Gracias ;D!

Title: Old shrooms?
Post by Not4Hire on May 12^th, 2002, 9:20pm

Hey MOJO......send 'em to me and I'll let you know if they're OK....I'm out and hurtin'..........

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by pinksharkmark on May 12^th, 2002, 11:29pm

on 05/11/02 at 23:59:15, Mastifflvr28 wrote:

Freezing werks jist fine :)

Umm... actually, Mast, when you are storing completely dehydrated mushrooms in the freezer they are not really "frozen", since there is no water left in them to freeze. All you are doing is storing them at a sub-freezing temperature.

Freezing fresh mushrooms is a disaster. The cell walls of fungus will rupture readily as the water crystallizes, so when they are thawed they are a soggy mess that will start to decompose shortly.

Rick, honey is only used for storing freshly picked mushrooms, and even then only for a short time... a few months at most. If the mushrooms have been dried to the proper state (cracker dry) there is no benefit whatsoever to storing them in honey. And honey has a significant drawback as well when it comes time to weighing out a dose. How much of that weight is honey, and how much is mushroom? And, take it from one who has tried it, honey makes the taste WORSE than just eating them straight.

The best thing I have found for killing the taste is to dice them as finely as you can, and mix them into a blob of dark chocolate syrup, the kind you mix into milk to make chocolate milk. Hershey's or Nestle's or something similar. Or, toss them into a blender with some orange juice or cranberry juice.

pinky

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by Mastifflvr28 on May 12^th, 2002, 11:58pm

DOH!!!
I left out the most important part of freezing them...they need to be dried.
Didn't think about the "honey jar" post being fresh, then I posted on freezing them. And I just meant for storage, freezing works fine.

Man...I thought I was doing so good too, almost quoting the Guru. Bummer.
Sorry if I confused anyone.
:)
Mast

Title: Re: SHROOM UPDATE
Post by M0J0 on May 14^th, 2002, 11:05pm

Thanks for all the info, guys