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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Need an Episodic's opinion
        
(Message started by: west17m on Feb 8^th, 2004, 2:42pm)

Title: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by west17m on Feb 8^th, 2004, 2:42pm

I have had five or so cycles total now and am currently in one. My question is do you notice any similarities when you are in the "home stretch" ? I ask because I've been walking around in "shadows" for about 36 hours and woke up this morning (afternoon) feeling amazingly clear-headed. I can't remember specifically what it was life breaking out of the previous cycles, just the elation once I knew I was clear.

Any personal experiences would be great. Thank you all.

-- Tag

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by floridian on Feb 8^th, 2004, 3:50pm

For most of my episodes, there was no clear sign. My last two cycles ended with hot flashes - I thought I was literally going to burst into flames. (Seemed a bit strange for a middle aged man.) Then the cycle was done. I don't know how common this is - it may be linked to CGRP (a chemical linked to both hot flashes and clusters), or maybe the thyroid (doctor couldn't say).

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by duck_soup on Feb 8^th, 2004, 3:59pm

It's so odd. I was just about to post the exact same question. I've had these for 25 years usually once per year. I treat them with abortives O2 and imitrex. When things get out of hand, I go on a prednesone taper which I am on right now. It seems like they start to go away right about the time that I've had enough and I don't think I can take any more. Maybe that is just the natural duration of my cycle , 6-8 weeks. I wish I knew what it was that made them fade out. I think that's what they do, just fade out. I think I always have them, they just break through during my cycle. Anyway, I didn't answer your question, but I'm very interested in anything some of the others might have. I tend to forget about them between cycles and it's like I don't remember what it was that happened last time. I do know that when I get into my "hard time", the O2 quits working altogether and the only thing that works is the full 6 mg imitrex shots (half shots don't work). Needles to say, with 2-3 HA per day, this is a very stressful time.

Rick

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by kim on Feb 8^th, 2004, 6:55pm

For me the attacks build to a crecendo and then putter out (same as they began). One day I just happen to think "wow, i have not had a cluster in days".......and soon i'm living in the land of the living and forget all about it - until the next time.

Similarities in "the home stretch" are: the attacks are repetitive and particularly viscious with hard shadows between attacks. There is no pain free reprieve. It is constant. I usually get one MOFO banger that breaks the scale and sends me and family almost over the edge. Then, it kinda putters off back into the universe and I am allowed to live again. :-/........hope that helps.

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by Giovanni on Feb 8^th, 2004, 7:51pm

I'm kinda like Kim. I get hammered really good during the peak and especially at the end--some deep shadows; then gone.

Hope yours is over.

John

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by duck_soup on Feb 8^th, 2004, 11:32pm

Kim,

It's just like that for me. Must be like childbirth :D. You forget about them completely until the next time.

Rick

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by jmorgan52 on Feb 9^th, 2004, 8:20am

I start with a period of a few weeks or a month of HA's/shadows some days and then that turns into every day, then twice a day which I can manage with OTC painkillers. I then get a long period of several real bastards every single day that only imigran/imitrex inkections can kill. Then I get a few weeks when they get less frequent , then less intense, then they shadow, then they stop.

So the ramp up/plateau/ramp down seems pretty normal.

When they stop and I can drink beer again without a HA it is wonderful!

John

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by JDH on Feb 9^th, 2004, 10:22am

My cycles start out w/sporadic hits then it will settle into a regular schedule of 3 or 4 h/a's a day. It seems that during the peak the h/a's are more intense and then they will taper down and eventually they quit altogether.

Jim

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by thomas on Feb 9^th, 2004, 1:45pm

on 02/09/04 at 10:22:37, JDH wrote:

Yep..... me too....

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by PatFan on Feb 9^th, 2004, 1:47pm

Me three....

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by Paigelle on Feb 9^th, 2004, 10:32pm

When my cycle starts, I start with one hit every other night, then I go to 3-4 hits every night, then when I hit the peak I will have a one hit every night that seems like it lasts forever with mild hits all day long and then it slowly decreases back to one hit every other night and then I will go one week PF and whammo I will get one more hit and the son of a bitch disappears.

Does that make any damn sense?

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by amen on Feb 10^th, 2004, 2:35pm

my cycles start with sporadic hits. then they settle into a pattern. Once they have a pattern the hits intensify gradually. then I'll start skipping a hit now and then for about a week, then the hits increase again and I get hit more frequently but with less intensity for about a week, then they taper of for about week, less hits and less intensity until they are gone. This is how my last cycle went and it totalled about 3-4 months. Not sure about my previous cycles because they were 5 years ago and I did not have a clue as to what I had and did not really track them.
Andrea

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by 5-string on Feb 10^th, 2004, 7:00pm

Hi Tag,
so far my cycles have been different every year, unfortunatly each year they get worse for me.
This year they started out of nowhere,with no warning. full on attack within about 15 minutes. Pacing the bathroom floor,banging my head, believing I was dying of some brain illness. etc...the worst attack I've ever had. They progressively got less intense and ended in constant shadows for months. I still get them,but they're very faint now. This cycle started in July.
This was my 5th year with them. I'm 35 years old.
So,this past year my home stretch was "constant shadows"
I hope this helps you.....take care,
...Mark..

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by mediccpc on Feb 11^th, 2004, 9:43am

My cycles start and end with these shadows. I usually get a week of shadows before the full blown headaches. Then toward the end i get a week to 10 days of shadows before they go away. I usually get these the same time every year, so I kind of expect them.

Title: Re: Need an Episodic's opinion
Post by bobkip on Feb 11^th, 2004, 11:17am

No patterns, no nothing. The beast just appears from nowhere, visits from 1 to5 times a night with mostly 7s but sometimes throws in a 10 just to let me know it can, sticks around for 3 to 6 months and then crawls back into its cave. This last cycle was strange, lasted less than a month with 7s max and always while asleep. I used to always get hit mid evening and sometimes during the day during previous cycles but had no evening chs this time. The cycle ended (I hope its over) just as abruptly as it started tho I have had some heavy shadows.
Kip