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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> So let me get this straight.
        
(Message started by: flavin on Mar 12^th, 2004, 7:45am)

Title: So let me get this straight.
Post by flavin on Mar 12^th, 2004, 7:45am

I am an episodic HA sufferer. I get them 2 times a year and they normally last about 1-2 months at most.

My Dr put me on varapimil and imitrex injections.

Now I have to take the varapimil everyday to prevent them and if i get them i take the imitrex.

Since i am episodic, How will i know when my cycle is over so i can stop taking the varapimil? I dont want to be taking it everyday for the rest of my life.

Now i figure that since i am EP and not Chronic that I can skip out on the varapimil and only take the imitrex when i get them. that way i will now when my cycle is over and can continue to sleep thru the night and not worry.

Also the varapimil can cause rebound HA's as well as the imitrex. Maybe i should not take anything and just suffer thru them till they are gone.

Title: Re: So let me get this straight.
Post by Bob_Johnson on Mar 12^th, 2004, 7:55am

Verap. will not cause rebound headache. The situation on Imitrex is not clear. There appears to be an emerging agreement that that it doesn't cause rebounds in clusters (but does in migraine).

When to stop Verap? No clear answer. Generally, folks continue it for a couple of months after their last attack (since it is not always 100% effective in prevent attacks you will have some experience to guide you.)

Whether to take Verap in the future depends on how often you have cycles and how long they last. If you have brief cycles, it may not be worth taking Verap since it takes weeks to become fully effective. If you have long cycles, then taking it would be useful. It's your judgment, in the end, rather than being a medical question.

Title: Re: So let me get this straight.
Post by ljd1963 on Mar 12^th, 2004, 8:17am

Your Dr. may have put u on verap because you have slight ot high BP. Do u know if you do or not? Ivebeen on verapamil for 3 yrs beacuse of pressure...but it does not help with the head situation...it is a treatment for pressure for me. So u should see if you have high bp or not.

Title: Re: So let me get this straight.
Post by Edski_1 on Mar 12^th, 2004, 11:09am

Yeah, check on the possibility of HBP...verapamil is used for that too. My neuro was surprised I was not using it when I met him since I have high BP, but after several difficult tries had found an efective combination to control my BP, and did not want to mess with those meds...

As for the end of a cycle, that's a difficult question. I'm currently struggling with it. Been on topamax for about 2 months, and don;t want to stay on it any longer than needed, but it's done a GREAT job, and by now I'm not suffering from any side effect problems...but of course I don;t want to have the CH's come back. I have not really felt anything remotely like a shadow for almost 2 weeks...

Is that long enough? For me this is only my 2nd cycle, and I had a about a 10-12 year remission...and the first cycle was mis-diagnosed, so the end of it is not clear in my memory. I'm going to try and get to see the neuro next week to discuss it, but for now keep taking the 100 mg of topamax each night...

Title: Re: So let me get this straight.
Post by flavin on Mar 12^th, 2004, 11:20am

Can i just up and stop taking varap? or do i have to slowly go off of it?

Title: Re: So let me get this straight.
Post by JDH on Mar 12^th, 2004, 11:26am

on 03/12/04 at 11:20:35, flavin wrote:

Can i just up and stop taking varap? or do i have to slowly go off of it?

When I went off of it I was advised by the doc to taper off my dosage over a 2 week period.

Jim

Title: Re: So let me get this straight.
Post by Kevin_M on Mar 12^th, 2004, 2:13pm

Flavin,

My doc said that when I get two months PF, we will talk about tapering down the Calan (verapamil). That sounded ok to me.

Kevin M

Title: Re: So let me get this straight.
Post by Edski_1 on Mar 13^th, 2004, 12:46pm

on 03/12/04 at 14:13:50, Kevin_M wrote:

Flavin,

My doc said that when I get two months PF, we will talk about tapering down the Calan (verapamil). That sounded ok to me.

Kevin M

Yeah, maybe 2 months is a better goal, as tough as it is to swallow. 2 weeks without a shadow was great but a I had a definite shadow yesterday. Nota bad one, and came nowhere near a full blown CH attack...but enough to make me rethink trying to wean off topamax for the time being.

Damn...

So how do you knw when the cycle is over? I guess one really never does know. :-/

Title: Re: So let me get this straight.
Post by Karla on Mar 13^th, 2004, 5:54pm

I was taking 960mg and I just quit taking it after my dr ordered me to because it was causing an irregular heart beat.