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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Verapamil taper
        
(Message started by: godsjoy on Sep 23^rd, 2003, 4:34am)

Title: Verapamil taper
Post by godsjoy on Sep 23^rd, 2003, 4:34am

Hey guys....After getting the blood test results saying my liver functions were out of whack I not only stopped the Zocor I was on but thought I should go ahead and get off my Verapamil.....since my cycle had pretty much wound to a close after the usual 12 week cycle.....I had never been on Verapamil before during a cycle....and didn't think to call and ask my Neuro 'till after I was off of it a few days.....My Neuro's assistant told me I should probably taper off....not cold turkey...cause the CH's could come back because of it......hmmmmm....stupid me....They aren't full swing or anything....BUT....they are back....waking me up at night.....just enough to suck oxygen and back to bed....

Question....Does anyone who is episodic just stay on Verapamil? Or....do you get on during a cycle...then "taper" off? I started taking a half dose last night in case that might help.....

??? ??? ???
Blessings,
Karen

Title: Re: Verapamil taper
Post by Prense on Sep 23^rd, 2003, 9:03pm

on 09/23/03 at 04:34:33, godsjoy wrote:

Question....Does anyone who is episodic just stay on Verapamil? Or....do you get on during a cycle...then "taper" off? I started taking a half dose last night in case that might help.....

??? ??? ???
Blessings,
Karen

I have no personal experience with your question as I am chronic, but I have read here on this board that some episodics continue to take a lower dosage of verap while others taper off. The only benefit I can see of staying on it while not in cycle is if your cycles are someone frequent. Like every two months a new cycle starts...something like that. Additionally, I have read others recommend staying on verap for a period of time (lots of opinions on what a period of time exactly measures up to) after the cycle has ended (or at least you think it ended). Then, taper down to see if you start getting hit. Something like that. Either way, don't listen to me, I am chronic! ;D

Unless you are having negative side-effects from verapamil, why rush to get off of it? Just a thought...

Title: Re: Verapamil taper
Post by godsjoy on Sep 26^th, 2003, 7:51am

Thank you....I have started back up with Verapamil and Miclazine at night I had a good night's sleep....The first in a long while.....Soooooo.....though my cycle is "usually" every 10 moinths I think I'll stay on this for a week or two and them cut it in half for a week and then maybe every other day for awhile.....So wierd....I have been a head banger now for 14 years and this is the first time I've had a "preventative" so who knew? Well....thanks to the folks on this board I'm on a better learning curve... ;D ;D

Blessings y'all,
Karen

Title: Re: Verapamil taper
Post by Bob_Johnson on Sep 26^th, 2003, 8:23am

My impression is that most folks stop taking when not in a cycle. However, I know one woman, who is being treated by one of the leading headche specialists in the country, who stays on it all the time--now for 10-years since her last attack.

I don't know how much of this is medical judgment or how much her anxiety about what she sees as the risk of stopping.

Title: Re: Verapamil taper
Post by UnsolvedEquation on Sep 26^th, 2003, 12:46pm

Way back when I was epesodic ... I stayed on it year round. Verapamil isn't going to hurt you if you stay on it all the time. I don't know how big a dose your on ... I am STILL on 320 mg / day.

Title: Re: Verapamil taper
Post by 5-string on Sep 26^th, 2003, 7:02pm

I've been wondering myself what people do about Verapamil when out of cycle. I've read all the posts I can find about this. Fortunately,I hav'nt felt any side affects while on this stuff. I think I'm out of cycle now(got hit pretty bad last thurs.)Other than that I've been doing ok for a few weeks now.
My worry is that I got hit with no warning in july,nothing at all leading up to it. lasted 7 weeks. 2 months earlier than last year.
I really don't want that to happen again. Maybe staying on it will curb the visit a little. Or at least the suprise party. I got 3 more refills on this prescription. It's a gamble.
Thanks for the post Karen,
...Mark..

Title: Re: Verapamil taper
Post by stevegeebe on Sep 26^th, 2003, 7:37pm

If cycle is over, for sure, than why take it? I'm not saying that it's unwise either way unless it's a blood pressure issue.

Will it lessen intensity/duration of the next bout or better yet stop the next cycle if it were continued?

Good question Karen. Would like to hear good results.

Steve g

Title: Re: Verapamil taper
Post by Prense on Sep 26^th, 2003, 8:39pm

on 09/26/03 at 19:37:51, stevegeebe wrote:

Continuing to take a low dosage of the med will allow for quicker buildup to an effective level when the next cycle comes. Depending on the person, verapamil can take like up to 8 weeks to start being effective. This is based only on what I have read.

Title: Re: Verapamil taper
Post by 5-string on Sep 26^th, 2003, 9:15pm

My neurologist encouraged me to take it all year. At 120mg a day (out of cycle). She said that if I do that combined with succesfully quiting smoking,She would be suprised if my cycle hit next year.
I'm not banking on that at all realistically,she was probably just trying to make me feel stronger with accepting this,but I was extremely impressed with how much she knew about cluster headaches. She knew excactly what to give me and explained without a blink what cluster headaches are.
....take it for what it's worth. I just remembered that and thought I'd share it.
..Mark.

Title: Re: Verapamil taper
Post by Prense on Sep 27^th, 2003, 8:49am

Quit smoking if you want, but I have read plenty of places that it will not cure CH.