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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2002 >> Verapamil Question
        
(Message started by: KarynG on Nov 19^th, 2002, 7:14pm)

Title: Verapamil Question
Post by KarynG on Nov 19^th, 2002, 7:14pm

Hi Everyone,

I didn't know if I should keep posting on "Anyone tried Botox?" below where all my info is or start a new thread since this is a different question...

I started a cycle last Monday 11-11 getting a CH every night around 1 to 2 am until Friday when they increased to about every eight hours. I started taking Verapamil on Thursday (240 mg twice a day) and since then I have had a racing heart beat and "skipping" beats (that's how it feels, don't know if it is true) every time I use the imitrex. I even tried getting out the q-tip and using 1/3 but it didn't help. The effects are lasting about four hours. In the last six years, I have never had that reaction from imitrex. I had to go to a GP today instead of the neuro clinic since it was a heart complaint. After the bozo asked me if I tried antidepressents for my headaches (I stayed calm remembering the support I have at the headache clinic and I wasn't seeing him for CH), he said I should stop the Verapamil since it was probably causing the reaction and to go to the ER for an EKG if it happens again. It seems to make sense that it would be the Verapamil as it is the only new thing in the equation here. I have not had a cluster since yesterday morning. (It is 8 pm) My questions are 1) can Verapamil stop a cycle that quickly? 2) Has anyone had problems mixing Verapamil and Imitrex? Thanks for any help/input.
Take Care. Karyn

Title: Re: Verapamil Question
Post by Heidi_B on Nov 19^th, 2002, 7:20pm

I haven't tried Verapamil with Imitrex, but I have had a similar reaction to Imitrex (100 mg pill)...my heartbeat seemed funny, not necessarily racing though...also my throat and neck got tight...It was scary enough for me to not try it again. I was told by my doc I might have had an allergic reaction. The same thing happend with Zomig as well. So i'm trying other things...

Title: Re: Verapamil Question
Post by Ueli on Nov 19^th, 2002, 7:57pm

Karyn, I would kill anybody who tried to take away my Verapamil. :o

Could be your Verapamil dose of 480 mg/day is a bit on the high side. (I am taking 560 mg/day, and I'm a 180 lbs guy.) You could try to go down to 360 mg/day (by breaking a tablet) and hope this still shows good results.

But probably the best solution would be to make oxygen your abortive of 1st choice.

PFNADs
Ueli

Title: Re: Verapamil Question
Post by Karla on Nov 19^th, 2002, 10:20pm

I was on a high dose of verapamil 720mg and experienced a racy heart that would skip beats and got real irregular on me. My neighbor was a nurse and she checked my pulse and could feel the iregularities. I called my dr and he said to discountinue at once.

Title: Re: Verapamil Question
Post by ChristineL on Nov 20^th, 2002, 12:09pm

I am on verapamil and for me it takes care of 2 problems - one my CH's and two my high blood pressure. I also use Imitrex and have never had a reaction to using both. The imitrex, in the beginning gave me a bit of a rush but after using a few times it stopped.

Verapamil usually takes a week or so to kick in.

ChrisL

Title: Re: Verapamil Question
Post by KarynG on Nov 20^th, 2002, 12:12pm

Thanks for your replies so far. I decided not to stop the Verapamil yet as I haven't had a CH for forty-eight hours now. I still can't be sure that is what is doing it as I haven't been taking it very long. I did cut the dosage down as you suggested Ueli, but I guess I won't know if that helps with the heart thing unless I have to take more imitrex-here's hoping... not. Oxygen takes too long for me and then I just get another rebounder an hour later anyway. Now I just have to figure out how long to take the Verapamil for since my cycle has been so messed up this year and I don't know what is going on. Anyway, thanks again.

Title: Re: Verapamil Question
Post by ChristineL on Nov 20^th, 2002, 12:21pm

Karyn,

I have a tendency to forget to take my Verapamil every once in a while. Mostly I forget the evening dose ( chock it up to senior moments). Anyway, I have found that if I forget 2 days in a row then I start to have shadows. I think if you start cutting back at some point and the headaches start again, you'll know its not time to quit!

ChrisL

Title: Re: Verapamil Question
Post by garrys on Nov 22^nd, 2002, 7:55pm

Hi Fellow Sufferers,

Newby on board here. Watched and read the site for a couple of weeks and have rec'd educational info.that has been of immediate help. I've been dealing with chronic clusters for years and attributed them to bad habits. Gave up drinking alcohol in 93, but continue with max daily doses of caffeine and nicotine. For years, I've just been dealing with it(ice packs, aspirin, walks in the cold dark night and plenty of huge crocodile tears. Had my share of exams and doctors and nothing had seemed to work. Recently connected with a Dr. who prescribed oxygen, verapamil(240mg) and Zomig(5mg) for when I get the biggie. He put me on 240mg verapamil and Indocin 25mg three times daily. I had all the above daily plus my headaches and tears. I read on this site where many were taking larger quanities of verapamil so I increased my dosage to 480mg. I've been cutting the Zomig in half and taking it as a preventative before bedtime. Something is working as I've had 5 days and nights headache free. I can't remember in what year that might have happened before. :)

Title: Re: Verapamil Question
Post by domm on Nov 22^nd, 2002, 9:23pm

Garry and Karyn - I started my third cycle in six years in midJuly. After reading thru the board, I learned from these fine folks about Verap and Oxygen (I wasn't using O2 correctly- read up on it, it doesn't work unless you do it right). Went to my cooperative doc and got a script for Verap. After about seven days, I was still getting breakthrough (and whacking them out within a few minutes with the O2) I upped the dosage (with permission from the doc) and within another day - had relief. A few minor shadows over the course of the next few weeks, then they too disappeared. Experimentally, I started to lower my dose and nothing came back. I've been PF for around 3 months now. With consultation with my doc, I am staying on a maintenance dose (120 mg / day).
Like Ueli - I'd have to kill ya if you tried to take away my Vera.

Stay the course, PFDANs are right up the road.
good luck and know we are here for ya
domm

Title: Re: Verapamil Question
Post by sonyjack on Nov 22^nd, 2002, 10:16pm

the Funny Stuff, Varapamil.. It is a Calcium Chanell blocker & used extensively for heart arrythmia's.. changes the way electrical impuses go through the muscles. But also lowers blood pressure. Whick for us Immitrex abusers can be a very good thing. Immitrex acts as a vaso-constrictor, which is contra-indicated with people with a history of Coronary Heart Disease (CAD) The Immitrex labels all warn us not to take to much, or we might feel tightening around the chest, throat, etc. These are all indications of angina. In the Cardiac Intensive Care unit, we called it "the elepahnt walking" (on our chest). When taking BIG doses of Verapamil (960 per day) I found The Verap kept my blood pressure down, so I could take more Immitrex than allowed for ( 4 shots a day, day after day) before the side effects started piling up, and the effectiveness started to diminish. But every good drug has always finally failed me. At least this time, I had a relativley good (but expensive) couple of weeks.. I wish you all Pain Free Lives. forever.

Sonny