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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Sanserts and Aspirin
        
(Message started by: toadisland on Jan 19^th, 2004, 10:39am)

Title: Sanserts and Aspirin
Post by toadisland on Jan 19^th, 2004, 10:39am

I just finished doing, and reading, the medicines survey. It's impossible to answer items yes or no. I've been doing CH for many many years, 4 to 8 weeks every 14 to 18 months. It ook a neurologist to figure out what was going on. GPs don't (didn't then) know any thing about headaches.

I've been using Sanserts for a long time. They reduce the severity of the headaches - making them merely excruciating instead of truly excruciating.

I find that if I get 3 or 4 crushed aspirins into me within a minute or two of headache onset, I can often shut it down or shut it off.

Oxygen did not work for me. Zomig made one headache worse instead of better.

Alcohol tend to make headaches come sooner and probably more hurtful.

Title: Re: Sanserts and Aspirin
Post by thomas on Jan 19^th, 2004, 1:11pm

Welcome aboard, be careful with sansert. You can only take it for 6 months at a time.

Title: Re: Sanserts and Aspirin
Post by Bob_Johnson on Jan 19^th, 2004, 2:08pm

Your aspirin experience is a first for me: but success is wonderful.

One of the limitations of Sansert is that so much of the active ingredient is neutalized by stomach acid--and then the side effects of long term use are, as you know, significant.

You may find a trial of Ergomar is better. This is a tab of ergotamine which you place under your tongue as the earliest sign of a cluster. I used it good success for many years. It should be faster acting than Sansert.

However, I've found something which is much better as an aborative. May wish to copy this and ask your doc tor a sample.

1: Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):813-6

Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.

Rozen TD.

Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. The initial olanzapine dose was 5 mg, and the dose was increased to 10 mg if there was no pain relief. The dosage was decreased to 2.5 mg if the 5-mg dose was effective but caused adverse effects. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and two patients became headache-free after taking the drug. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. It alleviates pain quickly and has a consistent response across multiple treated attacks. It appears to work in both episodic and chronic cluster headache.

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Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.

Title: Re: Sanserts and Aspirin
Post by toadisland on Jan 19^th, 2004, 8:18pm

i reply to my own post in answer to two replies. yes, i do know the 'danger' in using sanserts. i've been doing sanserts for several years. fortunately (ha) my periods of CH last "only" like four to eight weeks.

in regard to the aspirin - i saw some where an 'analysis' that supposed that vascular headaches come a step at a time. something happens, something reacts, something reacts to that, etc, etc, and so it builds.

the aspirin (analgesic) theory is that if you upset this 'chain' early enough, it doesn't develop.

aspirin often, but not always, works for me if i get it RIGHT NOW as soon as the first something comes. it's like tripping up the first domino in a chain set up to fall.

i would rather chew up three or four aspirin tablets right quick than have a head ache. of course, if it doesn't work, then more aspirins are going to be nothing but stomach eaters.