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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> ? For The Ladies Only
        
(Message started by: Sylvan on Jan 5^th, 2005, 9:52pm)

Title: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by Sylvan on Jan 5^th, 2005, 9:52pm

Just got my first shot of Depo-Provera.

My Ob-Gyn said something that i had never seen mentioned anywhere. He said that sometimes depo-provera helps people with both cluster and migraine HA's to stop having them - or at least lessen the severity.

Has anyone ever seen or heard anything to this effect?

Sylvan

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by nani on Jan 5^th, 2005, 10:14pm

No. It might make sense for hormonal migraines...but I don't see how it could help CH. Next time you see him, ask him why. I'm curious...

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by Sylvan on Jan 5^th, 2005, 10:41pm

I actually did ask - especially since one of the listed side effects is headaches.

He said that he doesn't know why - but he has had several patients that suffered from migraines and one who had clusters who reported that they stopped shortly after starting the depo. He told me that there is no documented link.

He actually asked me to let him know if there was any change to my HA's in the next few weeks.

He is also the Dr who first told me that he thought my HA's sounded like cluster and that i needed to see a neuro ASAP.

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by nani on Jan 5^th, 2005, 11:05pm

Well...then Anne if there's any improvement please let us know. Wouldn't that be interesting? I suddenly had a visual of CH men lining up for their depo shots. LOL Keep us posted OK?

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by Sylvan on Jan 5^th, 2005, 11:14pm

on 01/05/05 at 23:05:33, nani wrote:

I suddenly had a visual of CH men lining up for their depo shots. LOL

And all the CH women lining up to give it to 'em in the butt? [smiley=laugh.gif]

Not holding out any real hopes - but i will keep you posted.

Thanks
Anne

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by Ueli on Jan 6^th, 2005, 3:53pm

As clusters involve wild variations in neurotransmitters and hormones, it is not hard to see how sex hormones (male and female) could play a role. This has been discussed many times here over the years. As far as I remember both good and bad results came from hormone replacement. It was also reported that different brands of the "pill" had different effects on CH.

Instead of wild guesses check out the archives. Here are 900 Google hits from the old message board alone:

Old CH.com Archive search on "hormone or pill" (http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&num=30&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=hormone+pill&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=clusterheadaches.com)

Sadly, Google is of no use in searching the new message board.

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by Sylvan on Jan 6^th, 2005, 5:45pm

Interesting reading - thanks for the link.

Seems there has been talk about this both helping and causung CH since as far back as 1998.

Thanks!

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Jan 6^th, 2005, 7:59pm

Hi Sylvan,

We've had several threads here, and a number of women have reported also, that their CH's decreased or stopped during pregnancy. Depo works in many ways by making your body "think" its already pregnant - no ovulation, no periods, etc. Perhaps the connection is there somewhere.

If it works, won't that be just great!?! Keep us informed. As a post-menopausal woman, I probably wouldn't be a candidate, but many others here would.

Kris

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by maureen on Jan 9^th, 2005, 2:06pm

while I was preggers I never got any chs with both my kids, but with my second the day after I delivered I got a new cycle.

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by Sylvan on Jan 9^th, 2005, 3:22pm

Probably too soon for any real results - but i haven't had anything except for some shadows and a few *almost hits* Kinda like i can feel the eye drooping and the beast stirring - but he never truly wakes up.

Just FYI - i was on oral provera for 30 days prior to the shot - and about 2 weeks into that i stopped getting the wake you up and bang your head ones. Nothing worse than a KIP 5 for a little over 2 weeks now.

Don't want to hope ... but ...

On the other hand - it may just be that the lithium/verap is working or my cycle is ending.

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by Melissa on Jan 12^th, 2005, 7:24pm

I went on Depo (injection) for approx. 1 year after the birth of my daughter 10 yrs ago. I still went into cycle, for 2 weeks (normal is 37 days), and still got painful ch's.

Hope it doesn't go full throttle for you.

mel

Title: Update
Post by Sylvan on Mar 22^nd, 2005, 11:37pm

Just wanted to let y'all know how the depo experiment went.

I've been relatively PF since i got the shot. A few hits - but nothing really major. Haven't even gotten a chance to try out the O2 yet. Almost all of the hits have been while driving or triggered by flashing lights. Nothing over a Kip 4 though. And no wake up calls at all - just some bad shadows once or twice most days.

Of course - i can't truly attribute this to the depo. I started the lithium/verapamil combo only a couple of weeks prior to the depo.

Down side of the depo - major cramps and i've had my *friend* for nearly 3 months. Unnacceptable. I will not be getting the depo shot again.

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by adacie on Apr 18^th, 2005, 10:45pm

I have been on and off Depo for about 5 years now. I am always "on" for at least one year at a time.

It has NOT in any way helped my CH's. They are just as intense and my cycles are lasting longer, six to seven months compared to only two to three months prior.

I would stop the Depo, but it's nice not having the monthly visitor. It's almost worth the trade... almost!

Hope it works for someone else though!

Stacey

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by gravelgirl on Apr 22^nd, 2005, 5:41pm

I'm 20 and had been on depo since 16. I quit the depo in November '04 after 4 years of use. I got my first period 4/1/05 and first CH 4/5/05.

?????? Related ??????

~Bris~

Title: Re: ? For The Ladies Only
Post by hdido on Apr 22^nd, 2005, 5:58pm

In the late 70's, the US Indian (Public) Health Service was using deop shots on mentally retarded Yupik Eskimo girls as part of an experiment to prevent them from giving birth to more "idiots". Those 21 or older were given "consent" forms to sign-although they couldn't read and hand't the slightest idea of what they were signing or what was being done to them; the parents of those under 21 signed the consent forms for their daughters-most of the parents did not read nor, in many cases speak, English. This was in Bethel, Alaska. Someone who worked in the hospital found out about this and blew the whistle and the experiment was ended-nothing to do with CH, just an example of our governent at work-they would have kept going on because, hey, who cares about retarded Eskimos? Shade of the syphillis experiment in the 30's. Thought some of you might be interested in this true story.