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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> Considering DHE IV Infusion, any comments?
        
(Message started by: Dangitboy on May 7^th, 2005, 6:03pm)

Title: Considering DHE IV Infusion, any comments?
Post by Dangitboy on May 7^th, 2005, 6:03pm

This has been a really bad cycle for me. Been through more trex than I have ever thought about. (my insurance is balking at every turn) Night attacks mostly, but then the day time began a month ago. Seems all I can do just to get through the day and hope to finish work without the beast lashing out at me. The O2 helps temporarily, then it comes back with a vengenge from hell !!!! Any way back to the subject, my nuro, has suggested the DHE treament. Has anyone else been through this, and what were your results?
I am at wits end here, these things are absolutely killing me this time----- HELP!!!!!!

Title: Re: Considering DHE IV Infusion, any comments?
Post by Bionic_Daddy on May 8^th, 2005, 12:37am

Hello, Tried it. Good luck breaking the top off the glass vial. It never worked for me, it may work for you though. Be sure to ask your Doc. how to inject it in your leg. When I first tried it I left knots in my legs, I wasn't using the needles properly. Good Luck & I hope it works. Have you tried a Medrol Prednisone pack? Prednisone was my only savior.
Bionic Daddy

Title: Re: Considering DHE IV Infusion, any comments?
Post by Renee on May 8^th, 2005, 6:12am

You mentioned IV infusion thus I assume this will be done inpatient. I have gone inpatient for DHE infusions every 8 hours over a 3 day period and that is the longest pf time I have ever had, 2 months to 3 months, and I am chronic.

For episodics, I understand it can stop the cycle in it's tracks for many.

I use DHE IV when I'm at my the end of my rope.

Good luck and may you find pf times!

Title: Re: Considering DHE IV Infusion, any comments?
Post by Bob_Johnson on May 8^th, 2005, 9:44am

Reports here have been very mixed, ranging from success to temorary relief, to failure. Given the expense of an in-patient stay, I'd suggest exploring with your doc various combinations of meds which have worked and which are less time consuming and expensive.

If your doc is not aware of this approach, get back.

Title: Re: Considering DHE IV Infusion, any comments?
Post by Lizzie2 on May 8^th, 2005, 10:47am

I've done this inpatient about 8 times, mixed with a variety of other meds. My inpatient stays are long because I'm not just battling clusters. At any rate, the last stay was 17 days in length - I stayed on DHE for a week of that stay. I will say that on the day I left, unfortunately I still had 2 hits before ever getting discharged.

However under extreme circumstances in the ER, I've had a DHE injection abort a very bad attack and then leave me without any attacks for about 24 hours and up to 3 days.

Make sure, if you do get it, that they premedicate with an anti-nausea med like reglan. And if you're like me...you may need another med for nausea after it. Last week I was working in the ER and had a very bad migraine plus was getting a lot of CH, so I took some zofran for nausea, and about an hour later m y friend gave me an injection of DHE in my arm. About 20 minutes after that, I was throwing up about 5-6 times or so, but then once that stopped, I was able to go back to work. Unfortunately that time, the DHE did not help my pain at all.

It's kind of a mixed bag...

Best of luck!
Lizzie :)

Title: Re: Considering DHE IV Infusion, any comments?
Post by don on May 8^th, 2005, 11:43am

The DHE infusion stopped a 9 month cycle dead in its tracks and was followed by a 3 year remission.

Give it a try. Your milage may vary.

Title: Re: Considering DHE IV Infusion, any comments?
Post by Dark_Funeral on May 10^th, 2005, 10:43am

I had DHE in hospital for 10 days with Domperidone anti sickness IV drugs and anti sickness pills too, I was vomiting so much UGH!!!! and after all that just one pain free day followed by HELL after that. Don't know how it works over there in US. Not available as take home here

Title: Re: Considering DHE IV Infusion, any comments?
Post by thomas on May 10^th, 2005, 2:16pm

on 05/08/05 at 06:12:15, Renee wrote:

For episodics, I understand it can stop the cycle in it's tracks for many.

I can attest to this statement. It worked for me! (God I sound like a hooked on phonics add.) :P

Title: Re: Considering DHE IV Infusion, any comments?
Post by Dangitboy on May 11^th, 2005, 9:05pm

For all who replied, Thank You!
After the appointment we decided to wait on the DHE treament.
So far for 4 days in a row, I have only had 1 hit in 24 hours, way down from the 3 to 6 a day for like 2 months. I am feeling somewhat like a real person, at least for this week, who knows what is to come? In the back of my mind, I keep thinking its the calm before the storm. But, maybe, just mayby, I am cycling off, and the beast is tucking his tail and running off.

Title: Re: Considering DHE IV Infusion, any comments?
Post by brewcrew on May 14^th, 2005, 9:47pm

Worked great for me for the 3 days I was hospitalized. Then, 36 hours later I got a 9-level rebound and had 4-6 headaches a day for a week. After that week, I went pain free for 6 months. Did the IV DHE cause the remission? I don't know - I've been pain free for 6 months at a time many times without the DHE. What I do know is that I had become intractable, where even O2 wouldn't do anything, and the DHE broke that cycle.

FWIW - YMMV