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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> first timer
        
(Message started by: cuzzykins on Mar 31^st, 2003, 10:39am)

Title: first timer
Post by cuzzykins on Mar 31^st, 2003, 10:39am

HI All,
This is my first posting as well as being a newly diagnosed CH sufferer! It all started around the end of Jan. Out of the blue i got these horrible pains around my eyes and jaw, sometimes during the day but mostly during the nite. After a week or so i went to my doc.. thinking i might need new glasses i went to optom.. new glasses which i really did need anyway.. then a trip to the dentist .. root canal.. needed anyway? still nothing helped so back to doc.. by then the pain was in the 8 range... about a month had passed and a def pattern had appeared.. doc recognized the pattern and diagnosed the CH... we went with the prednisone treatment.. started at 60 mg a day.. woke up middle of nite first nite with it.. and severe back pain i think from the water retention.. this happened 2 nites in a row so i cut myself back to 50mg.. and viola PF and no side effects.. 2 weeks on the 50 mg then time to cut back.. over the next 2 weeks on 3 day cycles i went from 50 to 10 mgs a day.. so a month on prednisone.. it was a miracle being PF and feeling normal! Last week was my no drug week and about 2 or 3 days into it i started gettin shadows.. but not until the 6th day did i get another CH! *cries* .. wasnt as bad but then again arent they all really? ... so i filled the perscrip for verapamil and started taking 160 mg.. went 2 more days PF and then bam last nite i had 2 HA .. one before bed and another about 5AM ... still not as intense as they were in the beginning.. calling the doc today and will hopefully get the ok to up the dose to 320 and see how that goes.. hoping my cycle is nearly over but then again did the prednisone just interupt it and i still have a month or more left?
Thanks for listening..
Hoping to be PF again soon!!

Deb

Title: Re: first timer
Post by notseinfeld on Mar 31^st, 2003, 10:45am

Gheesh Deb---

I'd recommend reading (best under the search feature) about Verapamil as it's usually the most effective first defense. Be sure to avoid Alcohol and Hot tubs as they may trigger an attack that would otherwise leave you alone.

Lots of us here are chronic---every day of every month of every year. You're a lucky one if you've only got another month or so :)

nots

Title: Re: first timer
Post by cuzzykins on Mar 31^st, 2003, 11:39am

HI Nots,
Thanks for the reply and the info... guess im trying to stay optimistic at this point and hope im not chronic... guess time will tell huh? The reason i didnt go on the ver right away was because of the cost first of all and we were hoping i was near the end of my cycle by then and all would be fine after.. gotta stay hopeful eh?

Thanks again,
Deb