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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Clomid…My experience
        
(Message started by: hootchdom on Nov 20^th, 2003, 7:24pm)

Title: Clomid…My experience
Post by hootchdom on Nov 20^th, 2003, 7:24pm

Just thought you might like to follow my experience on clomid. Started 50mg/day dosage yesterday. This morning was second dosage. Currently taking 900mg/day Lithium, 20mg/ day Lexapro (anti depressant/SSRI), 200mg/day Topomax (anti seizure), 8 mg/day melotonin, 50 mg/day Clomid, Oxygen to abort.

I’ve gotten 6 headaches a day, every day since the 24th of July, the beginning of my cycle.

The first day I took the Clomid, yesterday, I skipped the 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm headaches. I shadowed during those times but nothing over a kip 2-3. Found this very strange. Like clock work after sleeping for a 1 ½ hours last night I awoke to one of the worst headaches of this cycle (always said I would never have a KIP 10 because that would be a barrel in the mouth) well this was a 9.75 then and it lasted probably an hour or more longer than most. Got back to sleep about 4:00 am and bam 5:30 awoke to a KIP 9, the beast hangs around to about 9:00 hovering KIP 7-9, nothing I do will tame him, finally at 9:00 he subsides and then bam 10:00 he hits again, this time by 11:30 it subsides and back to a KIP 3 or so. Now for the rest of the afternoon I’m just shadowing again. Once again no 4:00 headache and no signs the 8:00 is going to show.

For 4 months I’ve had a headache every 4 hours. I’ve tried 18 different prescriptions. Those prescriptions might have altered the scale of the pain but they have never altered the course, 6 headaches a day until now. This I find very strange. Maybe not for the best because of the intensity and the duration the last couple of days but I still find it strange. I attribute this to the Clomid. Could this be working and the beast is just struggling to hang on. Looks like I’m just going to have to wait and see.

Does anybody have any experience with their headaches getting more frequent or intensifying before their cycle ends?

Title: Re: Clomid…My experience
Post by Cluster_head on Nov 20^th, 2003, 7:56pm

I can't offer anything about the medication you're taking, as I've never tried it. It sure sounds like you're having one mother of a cycle though. For whatever reason, the cycle I'm in has been particularly troublesome this time around too (I had my first K-10 about two weeks ago :o)

Normally, my cycles build to a peak and then taper off. At the peak of a cycle I will have headaches practically every couple of hours. Sounds like what you're experiencing. I feel your pain!

I am begining to believe that some of the meds that I have been prescribed actually make my HA's worse. I can't take alot of the normal meds, because I also suffer from liver disease. In past cycles, I have taken heavy-duty narcotics over a period of several days and it seemed to break the cycle. No such luck this time.

I have decided that since my attacks are eposodic, they will end eventually. All I do now is try to abort attacks with oxygen (the insurance co finally caved-in and paid for it!) Something funny happened when I stopped taking the drugs...my attacks immediately grew less frequent and less severe. Still no fun, but I haven't had to sniff on the butorphanol since Saturday.

I don't know where I'm going with this, I haven't slept much for a few weeks and I'm probably not making much sense. Sometimes I guess its just nice to connect with someone in a similar situation.

I intend to try the Mushroom Treatment as soon as I can find some.

Title: Re: Clomid…My experience
Post by hootchdom on Nov 21^st, 2003, 4:05am

Clusterhead,

I know how you feel. I also went off all meds about a month ago for a couple of weeks. Thought maybe that would end the cycle seeing how this is also my longest cycle and the docs weren’t having any success. I also agree with the mushroom treatment. There are a few meds I want to give a try first. I figure by the first of the year if nothing has worked I’m going for a “trip” also.

What other meds have you tried?

Wishing you pain free days in the near future

Title: Re: Clomid…My experience
Post by Cluster_head on Nov 21^st, 2003, 10:50am

Thanks for the well wishes. I send you the same!

Here's what I've been prescribed:

Lithium
Sansert
Cafregot
Imitrex (Pills, nasal, and injection)
Prednisone
Ibuprofin
Percocet
Oxycontin
Morphine-sulphate
butorphanol Tartrate (nasal)
and a few others I can't remember right now.

Right now I'm just on the 02 which is new for me. I tried it in the past and it didn't work so I didn't bother with it. I had to take a trip to the ER a couple weeks ago and it did work. I think when I first tried it, I wasn't given enough. I was prescribed 6 LPM, but 10 LPM works better (I drain the E-tanks pretty fast at this setting).

I'm still off the meds today, no guarantee for tomorrow though. I think I probably would have sniffed a little butorphanol last night if I hadn't stashed it in the garage so it would be hard to get at.

Thank God the weekend is here. At least I can get a break from work for a couple days.

Title: Re: Clomid…My experience
Post by hootchdom on Nov 22^nd, 2003, 8:45am

Saturday Morning…Day Four

Friday was the best day in four months. Skipped all my headaches since Thursday evening, only shadowed and experienced quite a few pf moments.

Now for the bad news. Friday evening got hit with my 8:00 headache KIP 6-7. Oxygen aborted in about 15-20 minutes. Then got hit at 12:00 am with a KIP 9 was asleep did not catch it in time oxygen would not abort. Painful SOB. Got hit again about 6:00 am with a KIP 5-6. Dosed meds at 6:30 included 50mg Clomid.

Bottom line, I’m going to up daily dosage of Clomid to 100mg/day. Just saw to much alteration in cycle first three days to give up on it. Will see how rest of today goes after this mornings dose and planning on another 50mg dose this evening.

Will continue to update for anyone interested.

Hootchdom.

Title: Re: Clomid…My experience
Post by Yos on Nov 25^th, 2003, 10:49am

hootchdum,
Any update??

Title: Re: Clomid…My experience
Post by MarkHW on Nov 25^th, 2003, 12:41pm

I went almost 7 weeks on clomid with no cluster! I even drank alcohol with no ha.

But... a few days ago i started having them again. I'm having them about every day to every other day. Still better than before (2-3 / day).

But... looks like the clomid is only a short term solution... at least for me.

Well, it was a good 7 weeks!
Mark

Title: Re: Clomid…My experience
Post by hootchdom on Nov 25^th, 2003, 4:58pm

Day 6,

Still having headaches, pain level is down and so is number. Have gone from 6 a day down to 2 to 3. The night time ones are still the worse. Still on other meds.

Will say clomid isn't the cure all. But it has worked wonders for me where nothing else has. Not giving up hope on it. Still tweaking dosage and time to dose. Hormone balance and all. Like markhw will give it another 30 days.

If headaches persist going to go "tripping around the Hollidays".

Hootchdom.