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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Stadol
        
(Message started by: smfaison on Jul 20^th, 2003, 7:23pm)

Title: Stadol
Post by smfaison on Jul 20^th, 2003, 7:23pm

Today was my first experience with Stadol (butorphanol). I was getting a CH as I woke up from a nap. So I sprayed some up my nose and waited. After severel minutes I was getting dizzy and the room was spinning. So I lay back down on the couch. I wasn't exactly asleep, but I was having vivid daydreams. The pain was still there, but I really didn't seem to care. Is this what I should expect?

Title: Re: Stadol
Post by Enrique_Geiger on Jul 20^th, 2003, 8:41pm

At best, it does stop the CH.

Title: Re: Stadol
Post by forgetfulnot on Jul 20^th, 2003, 10:07pm

The first time or so you use Stadol it will kick your ass, after that you should tolerate it better, usefullness is limited as you will build a tolerance quickly. I would look elsewhere for relief.

Lee

Title: Re: Stadol
Post by Georgia on Jul 21^st, 2003, 9:18am

I used Stadol a long time ago and for a while, it helped me. It did exactly what you said, it didn't stop the CH, I could still "see" and "hear" the pain, but I didn't feel it. It was pain without the ouch.

It was tricky with me though - I had to allow myself to feel the effects of it, to be druged, to not concentrate on anything too hard - otherise it wouldn't work. I know this sounds bizarre, but I felt like I was seperated into two heads - the one with the CH and the one on the drug. I was distinctly aware of both at the time...trying to read or drive or see only one of something made me switch to the head in pain...allowing myself to feel all the effects of the drug switched me back to the head that was just watching the other one have a cluster attack.

For me, the longer I took it, the more sensitive I was to it - the drugged feeling and the side effects got worse, like some sort of reverse tolerance. The last time I took it: I was home alone, talking on the phone to a friend a few states over, started getting hit, took a hit of the Stadol. I remember standing up and attempting to walk, holding the phone and a glass of water, from the dining room to the bedroom. The next thing I remember was waking up the next day with my sheets stuck to me - they were completely blood soaked. Apparently, I had passed out en route to the bedroom - dropped my glass of water and then proceeded to fall onto the glass. I had still been on the phone with my friend - he said I was unconcious for about 15 minutes and he was freakin. Once I came to, he talked me into crawling into my bed - which I did - totally unaware of the giant hunks of glass that I was driving deeper into my knees by doing so. I told him I was fine - just sleepy and hung up. I could have bled to death in my drug induced sleep. It scared the shit out of me and I haven't taken it since.

If it helps - then god bless ya. I just caution you to be careful on it - hopefully you live with someone who will keep an eye out for you.

Peace and love,
Georgia

Title: Re: Stadol
Post by Bob_Johnson on Jul 21^st, 2003, 1:10pm

Stadol is generally not as effective as other aboratives for cluster.

If this is your doc's first line of treatment--and you have not tried other abortives--you might consider that this doctor is not up to date.

Docs at major clinics consider this type of drug as a last resort when other treatments have failed.

Title: Re: Stadol
Post by smfaison on Jul 21^st, 2003, 6:22pm

Thanks for all of your feedback. I am taking 360 mg of Verapamil and 1000 mg of Depakote, and 2 Bellaspas pills a day to prevent the headaches. The Stadol is to knock me out if I should get one anyway. Yesterday was my first 1 in 15 days. I also had dropped from 40 mg of Prednisone down to about 2.5 mg. The headaches have always come back when I tried to get off the Pred. But I'm going to stay off if and see if the CH start up again. My cycles generally last 4 months and I'm only about 7 weeks into it.

Title: Re: Stadol
Post by Bob_Johnson on Jul 22^nd, 2003, 7:07am

You may have to redo the Prednisone starting with a higher dose. The effect dosing varies widely between people, some having to start with up to 100mg and tapering. Unfortunately, only trials will tell what you need.

Have you tried Imitrex to abort attacks? Or other abortives? Has your doc considered Zyprexa to abort? (I've had excellent success with it and it costs much less than Imitrex injection.)

Title: Re: Stadol
Post by smfaison on Jul 22^nd, 2003, 6:08pm

Thank you all for your input. I had great success with the injectible Imitrex. But my neuro said I could not take it while taking the Bellaspas. That is why I switched to the Stadol. What Georgia said is true. When I relaxed and went with the flow, I was having these vivid daydreams and didn't care about the pain. When I tried to think about something, I was more aware of the pain. I have had 2 pain free days since the last CH, so I think the drug "cocktail" I'm now on is pretty good. My neuro said he would rather adjust the dosage of the Verapamil and Bellaspas, and even the Depakote than go back on Prednisone. If I can go 15 days between HA, I'm not going to worry much about it. It is usual for the cycle to get more severe towards the end, so I will have to wait and see what happens. My neuro has been good about calling me back when I have questions. I'm supposed to see him in about 3 weeks so we can review everything at that point.

Title: Re: Stadol
Post by Tessa on Jul 23^rd, 2003, 2:52pm

smfaison;
Please take some advise from someone that had a 3 year run with stadol for CH's. It's true, the first few times it will kick your ass, but you quickly develop a tolerance to it, as I did, and it takes more and more to get the desired effects to put you in that place where you don't care about the pain. I was hooked on this stuff for about 3 years in the 90's when it first came out. No it never aborted my CH's, and yes for a while it did take the edge off the pain, but within a few months it took a bottle every couple of days to take the edge off, and then the doc's will cut you off! Also, beware, because stadol is a narcotic antagonist, and DO NOT take any kind of opiates such as hydrocodone while you are using this drug, or it will send you into immediate withdraw, it turned me into a raging bitch! I try to stay away from it now, i find that the combination of imitrex, oxygen, and an occasional hydrodocone is much more effective! This stuff is highly addictive! I understand how it is with clusters, and you will do anything to get rid of the extreme pain, I'm there myself, but I don't think I would ever go back to it again. When I was licking the insides of the bottle trying to get every drop I could I realized what was happening and stopped. If you have enough will power, use it, just be careful about using too much.

Tesa

Title: Re: Stadol
Post by K-MAN on Jul 23^rd, 2003, 3:19pm

Wow, I didn't realize they even still prescribed Stadol for CH. I used it once about 10 years ago for the first time when I was at work. I left my desk and went to the restroom to use it. After inhaling it I got extremely dizzy and passed out. A coworker found me lying there on the tile, and they hauled me away in an ambulance. They had no way of knowing what was happening. I was fine when the drug wore off, but it was a less than optimal scene to occur at work.

This is kind of humorous now that I think about it, and it made quite an impression on my boss--just not the one I wanted.