Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Stadol NS
        
(Message started by: harlem on Mar 3^rd, 2003, 1:39pm)

Title: Stadol NS
Post by harlem on Mar 3^rd, 2003, 1:39pm

This is the first message I have written. I am in a cluster recently and I am reticent to take any of the serious mood stabilizers, steroids or other drug therapies.

My neurologist here in NYC suggested I try Stadol NS. Unfortunately my health insurance company (how dare they call themselves that) considers this a "preferred medication" henceforth costing me a $50 copay. Does anyone have any strong feelings for or against this medication? Does it work faster or better than Imitrex nasal or injection?

Thank you.

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by BOBBIO on Mar 3^rd, 2003, 1:56pm

Stadol, powerfully addicting. Try Imitrex 6mg injections, easy to do yourself. Non-narcotic, no dependency!! Look arounf the site to prove this out. Good Luck

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by Bob P on Mar 3^rd, 2003, 3:41pm

The world renowned cluster headache doctors Goadsby and Matharu do:

"Opiates, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and combination analgesics have no role in the acute management of CH."

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by Hound_Dogg on Mar 3^rd, 2003, 4:25pm

Harlem,

Stadol NS is an mixed agonist/antagonist opioid. It is an opioid narcotic and not a very good one at that. Since it's a mixed agonist/antagonist narcotic, it has a ceiling effect. Which means it stops helping pain at a certain dose and causes severe side effects if the appropriate dose is over-used. Also it causes Dysphoria.

Imitrex works on Cluster Headache much faster and more efficiently...However there are patients to whom Imitrex is not recommended. If you have unexplained Chest, arm pain, smoker over 40, have felt out of breath for no apparent reason, or have recently had or been diagnosed with heart disease. Your Doctor will need to do certain tests to see if you can use Imitrex.

You may want to see about oxygen therapy, which has had good, if not great results from the general Cluster population.

Narcotics should only be used as a last resort. When all other treatments have failed. IMHO...and then only on a fixed schedule during your Cluster episodes.

Definitely research this site and go to your Doctor and/or Neurologist armed with info.

Jim

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by Frank on Mar 3^rd, 2003, 9:04pm

I tried Stadol NS twice as a CH abortive. For me, the side effects were much worse than a Kip-10 headache. It made me feel nauseous, higher than a kite, and instead of making me forget the pain... seemed to multiply it. Probably the first Kip-12's I have ever had.

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by H2odiver on Mar 9^th, 2003, 3:40am

I had the same senario as Frank, It didnt work for me and made me so sick that I think I reached a kip 12. On the part of being addictive, when a guy at work found out that I had it and it didnt work he wanted to buy it, said he used it for his migraines.The next year he was arrested after forging scripts for the stuff.I would stay away from it......Try the O2 or the Imitrex. Imitrex injections make me dizzy for awhile but they kill the CH in 2 minutes or less

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by Karla on Mar 9^th, 2003, 5:18pm

I have tried stadol. I found it to kick in rather quickly. It just puts you in a different place so you don't care about the pain. It is highly addictive and you build up a tollerance rather quickly and in a matter of a couple months it won't do anything for you. For an occassional ha it might be ok but for someone who is dealing with multiple ha everyday it just isn't the smartest option.

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by hdbngr on Mar 10^th, 2003, 2:12pm

Strong stuff. Something you would use maybe once a year, if that. It was $100 a bottle when I tried it.

First squirt works great, pushed the pain right down, but you notice you are feeling high and the pain is still down there somewhere, waiting for you. Bottle says use every four hours, but the pain is back in an hour and a half. With each use, it works less well and makes you feel more nauseated. Makes you want to sleep, but then wont let you, because you "jerk" awake.

Consensus seems to be its "yucky", both how it makes you feel and due to it's addictive nature. Stadol is NOT good for "repeat" visits from the beast. Try the triptans and the O2 first.

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by echo on Jun 6^th, 2003, 7:36am

Stumbled accross this while looking for something else. I am one of the few sufferers that use Stadol on an as needed basis. Is addictive and must be careful not to become dependant (again). I only use it when I absolutely have to. End of my rope, going crazy, getting nailed prior to an important meeting or function. Those can be dangerous due to the stadol stone.

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by JDH on Jun 6^th, 2003, 11:07am

harlem,
I have tried Stadol NS once for CH's. Worst trip I ever went on so I never went back. That's some scary stuff.
Like Frank said, the side effects were worse than the CH.

Jim

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by Stately on Jun 18^th, 2003, 3:42pm

Newbie here,
Tried Stadol...its like putting broken glass up your nose...made the attack "much" worse.....it was the first time a doctor let me try a narc....after twenty of them being denied me, I thought finally I'm going to get some relief...instead it hurt like hell and like most everyone else said it made my headach worse....the olny narc that has worked for me has been Morphine...after being in a cluster for over a month (four or more attacks a day lasting a couple hours each) the doc sent me to the ER...a shot of Morphine...nothing...a shot of Valuim...nothing...another shot of Morphine...nothing...another shot of Valuim....in a stupor I still told the docs it hurt like hell but then passed out for six great hours of sleep and ten hours of attack free bliss...then went right back to the cluster again...
I did this again three more times...LOL...and found out that ...even the heavy duty pain killers did little....
Imitrx is the only thing that aborts them...and in my opinion the only thing that gives me any relief..

Wish you the best of luck
Stately

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by Pistol Pete on Jun 25^th, 2003, 4:09pm

Personally, Stadol is the only thing that has worked for me. Imitrex inhalers and injections did not put a dent in the headaches and I have yet to find a preventative I can live with.

I agree that it can be adictive, but each individual has to judge that for themselves. I have taken it 5 days out of 7 for 6 weeks at a time and when the headaches were gone the bottle sat on the shelf.

Stadol does not get rid of the headache, it just makes it so you do not care. When in a cycle I take the Stadol as soon as I feel an attack, I am stoned for a couple of hours and then I can get back to work.

Stadol does come in a generic, butorphanol tartate, which should cut your co-pay.

Good Luck

Title: lRe: Stadol NS
Post by Smurf on Aug 14^th, 2003, 4:57pm

Replying late, but I've used Stadol NS quite a bit in the past. I called the doc recently, and told him, give me Imitrex pills, this being high stuff sucks. (which I cut in half to make last longer. If one half doesn't work in the first 15 mins., (which it nomally does), then I take the other half. I checked with the pharmacist, and she said that if that works, great. It makes my measly 6 pills a week allottment last a lot longer!

Anyway, back to the Stadol. Gets you high! Don't plan on any sleep while you're buzzed on this stuff, because your brain is going a mile a minute, but your body is a slug. They say it is habit forming, but I never understood why if you really don't like that funky feeling.

I tried the Imitrex injections when they first came out, and it got rid of the headache like in 5 minutes, BUT, my lungs were on fire! I smoke a pack a day and now I'm 41, so I prefer the pills, which I would recommend.

Best o' luck. Smurf

Title: Re: Stadol NS
Post by forgetfulnot on Aug 15^th, 2003, 6:46pm

This is what I call a last resort drug, when all else fails, some peep's get relief. All I have noticed is that the more you use it the more you need, hence addictive.
Most cluster drugs have a low % of success, this one is on the low end of the scale likely due to the side effects. You gota do what you gata do, don't look back.

Lee