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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Treatment questions...
        
(Message started by: cw sigmund on Oct 1^st, 2004, 5:33pm)

Title: Treatment questions...
Post by cw sigmund on Oct 1^st, 2004, 5:33pm

Hello all, I'm Chris, and I'm a semi-newbie...I joined and posted here approximately 4 years ago. I have had one other CH cycle between then and now, and it was relatively mild. I'm am now in my 8th day if what is turning out to be my worst cycle to date. My attacks have gone from 1 or 2 only at night to hitting me pretty much any time I try to go to sleep, with some blessed breaks in this pattern. On to my reason for posting this longwinded message here...

For the first time I have gone to see a doc about my attacks, mainly because I'm married now and my wife is deeply concerned. The doc is not well-schooled in CHs but after asking me all the questions he pretty much confirmed what I already knew thanks to this website mainly, and he has expressed interest in having my try O2, with a possible referral to a Neuro in the near future. My question involves his prescription of Darvecet (sp?) for my pain. I have tried it for one day so far and it has seemed to dull the pain to a great degree (along with a significant portion of my senses), but it didn't fully prevent or remove the attack. I could still feel the pain, it just felt more like shadows than an actual attack. Has anyone else used pain meds, and to what degree of success, short term and long? The darvs are relatively cheap and if my cycle ends soon (please) the med-head will have definitely been worth it.

Kinda OT of my own topic (still have med-head :) ), I saw somewhere on these boards someone had mentioned doing things to draw blood from the head to other parts of the body to short-circuit an attack. I had read somewhere a long time ago a home or folk remedy for headaches was washing dishes in VERY hot water because blood is drawn from the rest of the body to the hands to help carry away and disipate the heat. I tried this with my CHs, then tried very hot showers thinking maybe bigger was better (I am american after all), and I found that the dishwashing had more of an effect, but for me the effect was minimal. It did indeed seem to lessen the pain and duration of my attacks, but only just a little bit. It also did seem that the longer and more painful my attack, the more effect it had. Just one guy's experience. I wish PF days and nights to all here.

Chris

Title: Re: Treatment questions...
Post by cw sigmund on Oct 1^st, 2004, 5:41pm

Oops...forgot, I had 2 questions....dang med-head :-[ I appreciate the great o2 info here, but I haven't been able to find any estimated costs of the equipment. If someone has a really rough idea of how much I might have to spend for a home set-up I'd appreciate it...just a ball-park figure is ok, and I have no insurance atm as I'm self-employed and struggling financially right now. Thanks so much.

Title: Re: Treatment questions...
Post by Kevin_M on Oct 1^st, 2004, 8:51pm

on 10/01/04 at 17:33:50, cw sigmund wrote:

The doc is not well-schooled in CHs but...
...he has expressed interest in having my try O2, with a possible referral to a Neuro

My question involves his prescription of Darvecet (sp?) for my pain.

Soon enough the darvacet(sp) script should have you calling him back to tell him they are not effective. On the same call, remind whoever you talk to of his "expressed interest" in the O₂ and see if he wants to talk try again or make that "possible" referral to the neuro possible for you.

After a couple of times of being awoken at night several times and using the darvacet, you will come to your own conclusion.

edit. I just read your second post. There are definitely costs involved in what I said, I skipped the part about no insurance.
Uh...I guess there could be suggestions about cheaper alternatives which may be posted. Some can use melatonin to help. I think Charlie has a method about drawing blood away from the head. Access to welder's oxygen may help costs if that is possible too.
I use icepacks to help during an attack while waiting for the meds to take affect. And I have heard verapamil can be relatively inexpensive, as far as prescriptions go as a preventative, only under doctor's orders.

Welcome

Kevin M

Title: Re: Treatment questions...
Post by BobG on Oct 2^nd, 2004, 11:09am

Quote:

I saw somewhere on these boards someone had mentioned doing things to draw blood from the head to other parts of the body to short-circuit an attack.

Go over to the Getting to Know Ya page and click on the 'Hello' string. Then scroll down to Charlie's entry.

Title: Re: Treatment questions...
Post by hoosierdaddy on Oct 2^nd, 2004, 12:05pm

Chris,
I'm new as well I've been suffering for years and have just started meds in the last three days. I have never heard the washing dishes but when I start paceing I would run my bath tub about 6 inches full of HOT water and pace back and forth in it while drinking cold water.

Be carefull not to slip and fall slip proff matts are a good thing for this. I don't know if this will help but It made me feel like I was doing something.

I started o2 and Trex Prednisone and Verapamil and have been PF at least nothing over kip5 since yesterday morning.

Title: Re: Treatment questions...
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Oct 2^nd, 2004, 8:17pm

Hi,

Welcome to the Board - so sorry you have to be here.

Even sorrier you have a doc who would prescribe Darvocet for Clusters. If you truly have CH, taking a Darvocet would be equivalent to taking a Baby Aspirin. And, the fact is, pain meds and OTC stuff like aspirin can cause bad rebound HA's. Most of us avoid them.

O2 is a good abortive answer for many - there are other great ones as well. But treating a cluster cycle requires at least a 3-pronged attack.

Please read all the info to the left, and here is my favorite link. This particular article is stapled to the inside of my patient file at my doc's office:

http://www.future-drugs.com/admin/articlefile/ERN020304.PDF

Print stuff out and take it to your doc, whom you're going to call first thing Monday! Save the Darvocet for the next time you have a "tension" HA.

Hugs and good luck!

Kris

Title: Re: Treatment questions...
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Oct 2^nd, 2004, 8:17pm