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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> New poster
        
(Message started by: rbmb on Mar 1^st, 2003, 1:15am)

Title: New poster
Post by rbmb on Mar 1^st, 2003, 1:15am

I'm a 54 year old guy who's been having episodic ch for several years. Usually have attacks that come in spring and/or fall that last from 3 weeks to a month and a half (although I'm in one that started in early Jan, lasted to mid Feb, stopped for 2 weeks and than started up again). They nearly always come on in the middle of the night about the same time, usually one a night but sometimes 2 or even 3 a night. A sharp, burning pain behind my left eye that increases in intensity until it is almost unbearable and lasting 30 minutes to an hour.
When I first started getting them, I didn't know what they were - I just knew that they weren't like any h.a. I'd ever had. I'd take aspirin by the handful and they did nothing for the pain. I started doing web searchs for "headaches" and when I read about the symptoms of ch, I knew that was exactly what I was experiencing.
My regular dr. had me try oxygen, Imitrex (pills), Zomig(pills), naproxen, prednesone - none of these worked. He referred me to a neurologist who has me on a regime of lithium (1200mg) and prednesone (when a cluster period starts.) He gave me a sample of DHE and showed my how to inject myself and that was the first time I ever got relief from these h.a.s.
I'm not convinced that the lith./pred. regime helps that much(although the h.a.s might be much more intense and frequent if I didn't take them), but the DHE definitely stops the ch once it starts.
I've told friends about injecting myself and they say"I could never do that to myself" and I tell them "You could if you got one of these headaches."
I smoke and have for years and I know that ch sufferers are often smokers. The first thing my neurologist asks me is if I'm still smoking and he works hard on me to commit to quiting. I'm going to have to do it and it will be hard. I stop drinking any kind of alcohol when I go into a ch period and I'm not sure I can give up two of my vices at the same time.
Thanks for listening to my long, boring story.

Title: Re: New poster
Post by Hound_Dogg on Mar 1^st, 2003, 9:37am

Definitely sounds like you got em'. Have you tried Verapamil? That and Imitrex injection works for me...Good luck and Welcome Aboard.

Jim

Title: Re: New poster
Post by cbolony on Mar 1^st, 2003, 10:21am

Quote:

When I first started getting them, I didn't know what they were - I just knew that they weren't like any h.a. I'd ever had. I'd take aspirin by the handful and they did nothing for the pain

Don't waste your time with otc drugs.Get imitrex injection and verapamil .The injection take about 10 mins
to kick in.Use the imitrex tip on the left side of the board
because the insurance companys are not going to give you a lot and you are going to cut the injections in 1/2 or
1/3 to last you the month.It's easy to do a lot of people
on the board use the imitrex tip.It saves me all the time.
You can also use the imitrex nasal spray the pills for get about