Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> Oxygen plus Imitrex
        
(Message started by: jmc1106 on Sep 8^th, 2005, 8:51am)

Title: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by jmc1106 on Sep 8^th, 2005, 8:51am

Does anyone else do it this way? The oxygen seems to be working, knocks the CH all the way down in about 20 minutes or less. But then hubby gets hit again every two hours afterwards. So we started adding 50 mg Imitrex tablet at the same time, and then he seems fine for the rest of the night.

The CH's are much more tolerable now, and it seems like the oxygen keeps them from continuing to build like they do when he just does the Imitrex. Things are looking up!

Jan

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by jcmquix on Sep 8^th, 2005, 9:31am

During the Day time hours, when I get hit, which I rarely do, I just stick with the O2. I just stay on it a little longer, if i quit too soon I will get hit in about an hour, but if use the O2 for about 30 minutes at 8 to 10 lpm, I will usually be good for the rest of the day...

Now at night its a different story, when I am in cycle, I will get hit like 3 or 4 times a night... I lose alot of sleep.. So I use 1/3 of a shot of TREX inj each time, then start the O2 till I fall asleep.... Its alot of O2, but it gets me through the night....

I also found that using the Melatonin at 9mg each night, about 30 minutes before bed, decreased the amount of night time attacks... after about a week of using it, I actully had nights with no HA's.... If you don't use Melatonin for the night time attacks, give it a try... it takes about 3 to 4 days to start working, but I think you will notice a difference...

PFDAN's to You !!!
Charlie

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by Svenn on Sep 8^th, 2005, 9:34am

1=Oxygene

2=trex-shots

3 if that dont help morphine-shot

Svenn

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by BikerBob on Sep 8^th, 2005, 1:39pm

During the peak of my most recent cycle; I was consistently getting hit hard at about 7pm, 10pm, 1am, 3am and 5am. O2 at 12 lpm would abort the 7pm, 10pm, 3am and 5am hits in 10-15 minutes but the 1am hits were too strong for O2 so I had to resort to Imitrex injections for those. The 1am Imitrex injection did not prevent the 3am and 5am hits.

On several nights, I took a 100mg Imitrex tablet at midnight, an hour before the expected 1am hit, as a preventive for the 1am and 3am hits and was able to get 6 hours sleep.

BB

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by pubgirl on Sep 8^th, 2005, 5:39pm

Try a Zomig or even better a Frova pill with the 02, I've managed 10 clear hours with 02 and Frova (not consistently but usually get at least 6 hours) as it stays in the system longer than Imitrex.

Doesn't work for everyone but it's the best I've got at the moment.

Wendy

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by Gator on Sep 11^th, 2005, 11:29pm

on 09/08/05 at 09:31:43, jcmquix wrote:

Charlie, what you typed here worries me, man. There are good and sound medical reasons for staying on the O2 no longer than 20 minutes. You could do serious damage to your lungs staying on it too long at high flow rates, especially sleeping with it. One major side effect can be scarring of the lungs which decreases their ability to function properly. There are others as well.

From the Dorlands Medical Dictionary:

http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands.jspzQzpgzEzzSzppdocszSzuszSzcommonzSzdorlandszSzdorlandzSzdmd_t_14zPzhtm

Quote:

O2 toxicity, oxygen toxicity, the effects of hyperoxia due to the breathing of high partial pressures of oxygen for prolonged periods; they include serious, sometimes irreversible, damage to the pulmonary capillary endothelium, followed by cerebral edema and convulsions that can be fatal. Called also oxygen poisoning.

A quote from a Pub Med document:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11338223&dopt=Abstract

Quote:

Hazards of oxygen therapy range from retinal damage in premature infants, damage to the alveolar capillary membrane with resultant hypoxemia) atelectasis and decreased mucociliary activity.

By using oxygen at high flow rates for extended periods of time, you are pushing your luck, bro. Please be careful.

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by jcmquix on Sep 12^th, 2005, 6:57am

on 09/11/05 at 23:29:46, Gator wrote:

Charlie, what you typed here worries me, man. There are good and sound medical reasons for staying on the O2 no longer than 20 minutes. You could do serious damage to your lungs staying on it too long at high flow rates, especially sleeping with it. One major side effect can be scarring of the lungs which decreases their ability to function properly.

By using oxygen at high flow rates for extended periods of time, you are pushing your luck, bro. Please be careful.

Gator... Thanks Man.. Sorry to mention that I turn the regulator down to 6 lpm at night... I also have no starp on the mask, so that if I do fall asleep, the mask is not stuck to my face...

Thanks for the concern....

God Bless
Charlie

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by Great_White_North on Sep 13^th, 2005, 8:44pm

Gator,

I've got to call you on this one.

Although you are correct that 100% oxygen is toxic to the lungs, your sources are not adequate to determine what the true risk is. A medical dictionary or an on-line medical literature search will not tell you that it would take days to weeks of breathing 100% oxygen to probably have any effect on the lungs.

Even then, the effects might be reversible.

Anyone using oxygen in the setting of a face mask delivery system to stop CH's would not be at risk to damage their lungs.

Charlie, feel free to suck to oxygen down without concern.

Ciao from the Great White North!

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by Melissa on Sep 13^th, 2005, 8:52pm

on 09/13/05 at 20:44:37, Great_White_North wrote:

Gator,

I've got to call you on this one.

Although you are correct that 100% oxygen is toxic to the lungs, your sources are not adequate to determine what the true risk is. A medical dictionary or an on-line medical literature search will not tell you that it would take days to weeks of breathing 100% oxygen to probably have any effect on the lungs.

Even then, the effects might be reversible.

Anyone using oxygen in the setting of a face mask delivery system to stop CH's would not be at risk to damage their lungs.

Charlie, feel free to suck to oxygen down without concern.

Ciao from the Great White North!

Hello Great White North. I would like to ask you if you are physician? Are you licensed to practice medicine in order to give out this kind of advice? Because we here are not doctors, so when we DO give advice it is to err on the side of caution. Especially with the nature of our condition, of getting multiple attacks daily. Hence, the concern about falling asleep with the mask on.

Take care,
mel

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by Great_White_North on Sep 13^th, 2005, 9:18pm

Mel,

I simply think that Gator need not worry too much. His statement that there are good and sound medical reasons for not using oxygen for more than 20 minutes just doesn't seem to be supported by his references.

If we are talking to each other as sufferers of CH, we do a disservice to make a useful and safe treatment such as oxygen seem like a such a risky undertaking.

I personally use oxygen in the setting of aborting my CH's and am not at all worried about my lungs getting scarred.

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by FrankF on Sep 13^th, 2005, 9:23pm

I agree falling asleep with O2 running all night probably isn't healthy. O2 is dry, and too much too fast (like all night) will dry your lungs out. I have fallen asleep and woke up with an empty O2 tank and I noticed it does hurt to breath for a day after. But it isn't "toxic" in the sense that it will poison you.

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by jcmquix on Sep 14^th, 2005, 5:52am

Ok Guys....

This is what I got from my Nero.. about the O2 usage....

At 12 to 15 lpm... do not exceed 30 minutes in one session... The O2 is not only dry, but she did say that the O2 could SCAR my Lungs at that rate....

But then I discussed the fact that what if I fall asleep...

So this is what she said... Start at a High rate to help prevent or abort the HA.... Then as You start to fell as if the HA is aborting, decrease the O2 rate.... to about 6 lpm.... So that if I do fall asleep, it would not do any damage.... Also don't forget to remove the Strap from the Mask.... in case the O2 runs out....

It seemed to me, the Dr's worry about using a high lpm rate for more than 30 minutes, was that I am a smoker...

I really never understood it, but I GUESS it could case damage.... I dunno....

Now I learned an IMPORTANT lesson last night... I was getting Shadows all day at work, So I thought well when I get home, I'll try the O2 and see if it helps.... well it got rid of the Shadow, but I got a different kind of HA, I think it was a sinus HA..... Reason being: When I get a regular CH, I get the runny nose and sinus condition, well I did not have that and I do not have a moisterizor yet... it dried me out fast.. in like 10 minutes.. result was the different HA....

Anyways, I am going to get the moisterizor bottle, this week....

Hope this helps some....

God Bless & PFDAN's to ALL !!!
Charlie

Title: Re: Oxygen plus Imitrex
Post by Svenn on Sep 14^th, 2005, 5:58am

"At 12 to 15 lpm... do not exceed 30 minutes in one session... The O2 is not only dry, but she did say that the O2 could SCAR my Lungs at that rate.... "

I would say that 12LPM is usually plenty enough for us.
If it dont seems to work after 15 minutes then take a break for 5-10 minutes then another 15 min.

No more then 2 sessions the way i see it,mainly bc it just dont work

Svenn