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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> 12-hour Sudafed
        
(Message started by: PhotoLenny on Jun 14^th, 2003, 4:25pm)

Title: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by PhotoLenny on Jun 14^th, 2003, 4:25pm

I was seemingly into the beginning of a new episode - a few scattered headaches, 5-6 kip, then i got got into a four straight nites at about 1 am, with 7-8 kip waking me from my sleep. Talked to the doc, got a script for some Amerge (first time with this) to take before going to sleep (along with some valium). From reading other posts, I thought that this might be a decent thing to try to get some sleep.

Then I got a cold.

Started taking round the clock cold medicine - the usual cocktails -dextromethorphan, sudafed, Robitussin, Allegra, ibuprofen.

The headaches quit.

While I had my cold - 3 weeks of crud - I didn't have another headache. I think that the Sudafed may have something to do with it (vasoconstrictor?)

I'm still taking 12-sudafed capsules, and have only had 2 breakthru headaches in 2 weeks - once when I forgot to take the medicine.

Could the Sudafed really be helping? - it seems so silly.
Can you also take this stuff long term?

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by kimmyv1966 on Jun 14^th, 2003, 4:58pm

hi there.

I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents about sudafed.

Before i knew i was a clusterhead, and was going to numerous doctors, because everything else had to be ruled out first(tmj, sinus', ears, eyes), the only over the counter med that worked somewhat for me was sudafed.
I did build up quite a tolerance to them, popping 8 or 10 at a time to try and rid the pain. unfortunately at the time, i did not realize that the pain probably subsided by itself. Although for quite some time I do believe it helped.

Finally my ENT recognized my symptoms as clusters and prescribed Amerge, which killed my individual attacks. Since then I have changed insurance companies, and guess what...they would not cover Amerge, but gave me zomig instead. Zomig also works great for my individual attacks, but as I understand it from my doc...Amerge is longer acting than Zomig.

Let us know how u do...

Still searching for the cure,
Kim

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by PhotoLenny on Jun 14^th, 2003, 10:10pm

Thanks for replying - I don't think that I ever took sudafed to abort a headache - but it seems that the long-acting sudafed is preventing me from getting one in the first place, sort-of like a preventative

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by suzy617 on Jun 16^th, 2003, 4:36am

This is very interesting. I wonder if sudafed has the same ingredients as draminine which prevents you from going into rem sleep. Some here have used that to help for the night attacks.

suzy

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by PhotoLenny on Jun 16^th, 2003, 1:17pm

Sudafed is a nasal decongestant, which is a mild vasoconstrictor. I don't think that there's the same ingredients as dramamine -

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by Margi on Jun 16^th, 2003, 1:49pm

Interesting conversation. Dramamine contains Dimenhydrinate, while Sudafed contains Ephedrine. They ARE different but both can cause sleep as a side effect. I believe that's where the similarity of the two drugs ends, though. Benadryl is closer to Sudafed in chemical makeup though (benadryl is an antihistamine, Sudafed is a decongestant) Dramamine is a motion sickness drug.

What's INTERESTING here, though is that Edphedrine is a form of adrenaline and there has been some discussion here as to the effect of adrenaline in treating clusters.

Think about it for a minute. How many of you get hit when you're mentally or physically stressed? When your adrenaline is surging, in other words. Not very many, huh? It's when you relax that you get hit, right? When your adrenaline is ebbing. I give that one a great big HMMMMMM...
I know athletes can fail drug tests if they have sudafed in their systems, because it falls into the steroid-type enhancing drug category, but HECK - if Sudafed is working for you - GREAT!!! I still think it's the adrenaline connection though.

p.s. in answer to your long term use question, ANY drug used too long can't be good for you...these are the precautions for decongestants: Decongestants may cause wakefulness, irritability, increase in blood pressure and a faster heart rate. It could really be that your cycle ended naturally, and maybe the flushing out of your system to treat your cold helped to do that.

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by jdownes on Jun 16^th, 2003, 1:51pm

I know this may sound strange, but if I get a cold, it will knock me out of a cycle. Maybe because a severe head cold and clusters would be too much for anyone to handle?

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by kimmyv1966 on Jun 16^th, 2003, 5:38pm

hmmmm,

have been ch free for almost 6 days, also have had a head/chest cold....

have not taken any cold meds though....

hmmmmm.....

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by ijunG4 on Jun 20^th, 2003, 7:56am

If Sudafed seems to be working for some people, I think it's fine.

However, I should point out that it might not be such a great idea for people taking Verapamil. The Verapamil instructions specifically cautions against using pseudopherine HCl (and other similar drugs), because the vasoconstricting effect acts against the intended effect of the Verapamil (which is to lower blood pressure).

I have recent personal experience that seems to validate that point. I have been doing fairly well OK this cycle using Verapamil. The only time I had any attack this week was the morning after I took Sudafed.

I figured this could not have been a coincidence, so I read the Verapamil documentation and the above precaution is what I found.

Maybe there are offsetting effects of Sudafed. Unblocking sinus and allowing more oxygen helps, but the vasoconstricting does not. Of course, the relative effects depends on the individual, so for some people it helps, and for some, it is actually detrimental.

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by Tucker31 on Jun 21^st, 2003, 1:58pm

New here to all of this still waiting for 7/2 to roll around to see the Neuro for the first time and get RIGHT treatment. My reg. doc doesn't have a clue as to how bad this is or what's up! Anyway have been a regualr med. cabinet for the last week and half, taking anything that will help the pain go away. tried Frova no luck next day tried relpax , utlracet and aleve, some luck. Best luck so far anyway. Better yesterday picked up more sample of relpax from doc. (he gave me four doses!!) having no clue that I could plow through this in two days. Anyway I have a fear when the headaches aren't bad of causing a rebound by all the stuff I have taken. Yesterday in digging for something different i took aleve headache and sinus and relpax but not at same time. I must say i had a pretty good day and night. However I have had so much aleve and too much sudafed that I figured my liver is doing flips. I wondered if relief yesterday was from sudafed? Today is manageable, but not as good as yesterday. Have had two excedrian, nothing, one relpax coping but not great. Do I take more aleve sinus and headache which has sudafed in it and see what happens? How do you know when your body has had enough medicine and is in over load? My face hurts, and is tight trying saline in nose. Is the tight a side effect from the sudafed? I have noticed also when I don't get the full blown attack I get the shakes even before all the medicine in my body. Plus tight jaw and face pain. I have been to the reg. doc and nothing, no sinus infection, normal blood work checked everything they could think of. Also had complete eye exam.

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by teri on Jun 21^st, 2003, 3:58pm

I'm on my way to get some. I've tried about everything but not this> Thanks for the info

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by Dave_W on Jun 24^th, 2003, 4:04pm

Hi Team,

In the olden days (1980's) before I knew what I had, I used to pop a couple ibuprofen and sudafed, thinking it was a sinus-related thing. I remember thinking it worked, but it may have been just the drowsy effect it had on me.... It didn't kill the pain, but maybe it helped me get thru it until it would have ended normally (say 90 minutes or so).

Interesting!

Pain Free Days to ya!

Old Dave

Title: Re: 12-hour Sudafed
Post by PhotoLenny on Jun 27^th, 2003, 6:11am

Well, I've weaned myself off the sudafed, and have been headache free for about 5 days - seems like the cold and the sudafed have broken my episode - of course, there's really only one way to know - I'm going to drink some red wine this weekend! If I am truly out of my episode, then it'll have no effect ------