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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Help, no one understands
        
(Message started by: love on Dec 26^th, 2003, 1:45pm)

Title: Help, no one understands
Post by love on Dec 26^th, 2003, 1:45pm

I have been dealing with these dreadful headaches for about 5 years, I have been on 5 different medications maxalt, zomig, amitriptalyin, paxil, and now imitrex tablets. The imitrex is the only one that actually helped the pain, but I've been on that for a year now, and the medication seems to take longer to work. I have tried some research on my own to see what would be the best medications for me to talk with my doctor about, but there are so many, and my doctor just insists on staying with the imitrex. I'm looking for a preventative and an abortive. I've already seen an neuro, they of course didn't find anything. So scince I'm destined to be stuck with the beast, I just want a medication that is worth paying for. please help

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by forgetfulnot on Dec 26^th, 2003, 2:07pm

Hi Love, check out the meds survey at the left, also check out the OUCH site for additional med info. Good luck!

Lee

PS. Take a look at this site as well http://www.clusterbusters.com/

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by CJohnson on Dec 26^th, 2003, 3:18pm

You may want to look at Prednisone as a preventative. Read up on it and see if its worth it. A 5 day course is 5 bucks without insurance.

PFDANs
-Curtis

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by Tiannia on Dec 26^th, 2003, 5:03pm

The imitrex also comes in a nasel spray that works in about 10 mins rather then the 40-60 mins of the pills for me. And the shots that I have only had in the er, but others swear by them. Also try and get O2.

Tia

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by Prense on Dec 27^th, 2003, 9:27am

Abortives are like the holy grail for clusterheads... We are so blinded by getting rid of the immediate pain that we often don't really care about trying a bunch of preventatives that probably do not work anyway. You will never know if a preventative will work for you until you try it. A good start is pred (for episodics normally) and verapamil. After that, there are meds like lithium, depakote, topamax, etc... When a certain med doesn't work, you still cannot discount it as a viable option because it may prove useful in a "cocktail". It is a long tough road, and the longer you wait to tread down it, the longer you will suffer.

Imitrex injections work in about 10 minutes for me about 85% of the time with little side effects. IMO, the pills are for folks who have had a 8+ hour migraine that can spare another hour to get to the PF state. Waiting an hour for relief of a CH attack is no better than waiting the attack out med-free. When you consider the risk you put yourself at with the med, it is not a good thing at all. CH will control you endlessly without a fast abortive!

Chris

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by chronic_chic on Dec 27^th, 2003, 11:15am

on 12/27/03 at 09:27:54, Prense wrote:

IMO, the pills are for folks who have had a 8+ hour migraine that can spare another hour to get to the PF state.

In the interest of saving you from getting injured, please don't ever say this to someone with migraines! No migraineur ever WANTS to have an attack that lasts 8+ hours... A large amount of them have also reverted to the imitrex injections because of speed of relief.

It is imperitive for ALL types of head pain to experience as rapid a relief as possible, in my opinion. :)

~Lizzie :)

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by thomas on Dec 27^th, 2003, 12:26pm

on 12/26/03 at 17:03:47, Tiannia wrote:

T Also try and get O2.

Tia

And if your attacks come at night melatonin is worth a try, before you go to bed.

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by Prense on Dec 27^th, 2003, 12:47pm

on 12/27/03 at 11:15:25, chronic_chic wrote:

In no way am I saying that meegrainers should take the pill version...

Many CH attacks are over in an hour. Simple math when you consider meegraines can last days... I highly doubt I am gonna get hurt thus I don't need to be saved.

Chris

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by 5-string on Dec 27^th, 2003, 8:42pm

Hello Love,
I'm sorry your head hurts.....These things are a real struggle .
I take Imitrex nasel spray. I've tried the pills and have a box that I keep but I don't use.
I also take Verapamil as a preventive and that stuff works great for me. But everybody's a little different here.
Good luck,stick around, I've learned more here than anywhere.
This place is the best.
take it easy,
...Mark..

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by justin on Dec 27^th, 2003, 11:13pm

doesn't look like you've tried verapamil and neurontin. those seem to be the best according to me and my neuro ... all the best

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by jonny on Dec 28^th, 2003, 12:46pm

Happy Birthday, Love ;;D

.............................jonny

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by mahargb on Dec 29^th, 2003, 11:18am

Okay Brother, I understand. I'm 44 and started having them when I was 25. The longest I have gone without them was about 2 years. But have had nightly episodes for as long as 5 years........Seen it, done it and tried it all, No remedy or abortive therapy on this website has ever worked for me. The only thing that ever helped was Stadol and It did not abort the headache or ease pain....I just didn't care.

I don't condone illicit drugs, but I read an article posted somewhere about headache reasearch and LSD and "Shrooms" somewhere on the internet as well as Cocaine.

Now I don't make a habit of hanging around folks who use drugs but last summer in desperation I asked a person I know to get me 25.00 worth of Cocaine...I further asked for directions on how to use it. For some reason he did not believe that I was trying to abort CH's.

I did the Cocaine one time.........I have not had another headache since, granted my headaches start mild and each one gets succesively worse and crescendo overtime. They go away in the reverse order. I was about 70% through that 3 month cycle. Is that what stopped them? I don't know for sure, but I have never had a cycle stop that abruptly. I have not done that drug since that time.

But If I start another cycle, I will try it again.

For those of you who wish to condem me for such action or even posting what I experienced, please understand I have had these CH's for 20 years and I have tried every kind of Doctor and if Medical science or Pharmacutical companies will not properly address this devastating, debilitating condition. I am left with no choice but to experiment for my own cure.

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by 5-string on Dec 29^th, 2003, 11:52am

Hello Mayhargb,
People generally don't get slammed for posting what works and what does'nt. If you tried cocaine once and you think that's what did it, that's great. These things can bring some of us to the brink of suicide. At that point,in my opinion,anything goes.
What we do see sometimes is someone without any posting history come in saying "I've got the cure...click here..." Those people usually get beaten off with a stick.
Have you really tried "everything"? Verapamil, o2? Imetrex?
take it easy,
...Mark..

Title: Re: Help, no one understands
Post by jflynn on Dec 29^th, 2003, 1:26pm

I second the melatonin. Great preventative for those it works for, cheap and harmless over-the-counter experiement for the rest. I've ben pain free ever since, except for the nights I forget to take it. It's nothing short of a life-changing miracle for me, really.

You have nothing other then five bucks to lose if you try, and possibly will be pain-free if it works for you. Try 9mg an hour before bed. Some of us do okay with lower doses, 3mg is what I'm currently taking. I sugegst you avoid the melatonin pills with vitamin B added to them.

If it doesn't work then you can move up to more aggressive stragegies such as oxygen, prednisone, and injections.

But yes ... we all understand. Those darn doctors and other random people can be so annoying when they say "oh, I get bad headaches also." They don't know sh*t from shinola! :)