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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Help with Prednisone
        
(Message started by: LongRunner on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 4:33pm)

Title: Help with Prednisone
Post by LongRunner on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 4:33pm

I am new to this site and just got finished reading the medical information section and had some questions for users of Prednisone. I am currently a college student and athlete and these cluster headaches(episodic) are killing me. I have been prescribed Imitrex nasal injections but they only work half the time. From what I read about Prednisone, this drug sounds like it could really help me out. If any of you have had success, failure, complications, etc. with this drug, please reply so I can make my decision. Thank you.

Title: Re: Help with Prednisone
Post by LongRunner on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 4:46pm

And I also would like to know if taking this could affect my running at all. I am in season right now for cross country and have about 2 months left. Could taking this cause any problems with that?? Thanks again.

Title: Re: Help with Prednisone
Post by Jonny on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 4:53pm

How many names are you going to use?

Title: Re: Help with Prednisone
Post by Superpain on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 5:06pm

Who is it jonny?

Pred made me breakout like I had chicken pox from the chest up. But I think that is a fairly rare reaction. I don't think one cycle would effect your running much... You may just not really feel like doing it.

For a majority of us pred knocks the headaches out pretty quickly. Then it's just a question as to wether or not they stay gone.

Title: Re: Help with Prednisone
Post by Jonny on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 5:14pm

on 09/22/04 at 17:06:11, Superpain wrote:

Who is it jonny?

Dont know but he registered twice under two different names, just wondering if there will be more.

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

Title: Re: Help with Prednisone
Post by Bob P on Sep 23^rd, 2004, 9:54am

I've used the pred dose packs. 60mg 1st day, then 50, 40 .....
Pred stops my attacks dead in their tracks the very first day. Unfortunately they return when I get down around the 20mg/day level. I use them just to get a couple of good nights sleep in the middle of a cluster.

Title: Re: Help with Prednisone
Post by Mr. Happy on Sep 23^rd, 2004, 11:15am

on 09/22/04 at 17:06:11, Superpain wrote:

Pred made me breakout like I had chicken pox from the chest up

Damned if I didn't come down with the chicken pox from the chest down, and they put me on a minimal short pred burst to squelch it. Worked like a charm on the rash. No CH for the first 3 days, then it's back in the saddle again.

Pred's only meant to hold you over till the preventatives kick in. That's why it's listed as a Transition drug. I prefer not to take pred, but wait for the prevents/alternatives to kick in. Right now, LongRunner, you seem to be worried about getting thru a 2 month "track" season. CH will probably be with you for the rest of your "Life" season. Think long term.

Planning is everything,
RJ

Edited to make sense in English

Title: Re: Help with Prednisone
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Sep 23^rd, 2004, 10:04pm

Ditto to the above. Prednisone is only meant to be a "stopgap" measure until preventatives (like Verapamil) kick in. Abortives like Imitrex will help with the immediate pain, but won't help make your cycle shorter or less intense. Your doc needs to be taking a more "holistic" approach to your medication cocktail.

With regards to the side effects ... a taper of Pred shouldn't cause too much difficulty with your workout/running routine. Chances are, you'll have alot of energy and your times will improve. However, you'll also have great hunger and will find yourself eating everything in sight. This could be a bad thing, because chances are you'll gain weight, which could slow you down.

I'm not trying to be sarcastic here. The above it true. You'll probably feel a little hyper, but you'll also be HUNGRY!

The obvious benefit it that Pred can make your HA's go away - at least temporarily. If you're in a random drug testing program, be sure to report this med! It shows up as a steroid - important they know why you're taking it.

Good Luck!

Kris

Title: Re: Help with Prednisone
Post by Bob_Johnson on Sep 24^th, 2004, 6:27am

A bit of confusion in your message: Using Imitrex nasal spray or the injection method? If nasal, and only getting 50% good response it may be because your technique for spraying is incorrect and/or if you have serious nasal congestion this is blocking the meds.

Normally, injection is about 90% successful but if cost is a problem, ask your doc for a trial of this med. The per dose cost is less and one or two pills will indicate whether it's helpful for you.
----
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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.