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        Supporter's Corner >> Supporter's Corner >> making the rounds of neurologists
        
(Message started by: mcksmly on Mar 29^th, 2006, 12:18pm)

Title: making the rounds of neurologists
Post by mcksmly on Mar 29^th, 2006, 12:18pm

My husband had his first cluster type headache about 10 years ago. (Starting in his right neck and rapidly progressing to behind his right eye, extremely intense, right eye tearing, nose running.) He has had headaches all his life but these intense ones came only sporatically until one year ago. Last spring he went into full cluster headache mode - two to three per day of these terrible, terrible painful headaches. The neurologist diagnosed cluster headaches and put my husband on Depakote which he titrated up to 500mg. The Depakote finally seemed to get the headache to go away. The neurologist suggested oxygen but my husband wasn't willing to consider it at that time. Three weeks ago, the beast came back. We live in a very rural part of Indiana on a farm and believe it or not, have a neighbor 3/4 mile away who also suffers from clusters. This past Monday, my husband got 5 clusters in a 24 hour period. The one he got at 2:30 that afternoon, he still had at 6:00 pm when I arrived home from work. He was in agony. My big, strong husband was actually crying with pain. He called our neighbor who brought down the oxygen. (Fortunately, our neighbor is currently cluster free.) Within a few seconds, the oxygen was working. We quickly became believers!! We then proceded to try and find out how my husband could get oxygen. My husband is 65 and on Medicare. Oxygen is only covered by Medicare if the oxygen level in your blood drops below a certain point at night, in other words, if you have breathing problems. I knew my husband would not qualify and I was sick about it. My husband went to a neurologist who comes once per week to our local hospital. He wrote out several scripts for my husband to try.My husband is a veteran and gets his meds through the VA so he went last week and checked to see if he would qualify for oxygen through the VA. He had to meet with another neurologist at the VA. This neurologist pretty much rubber stamped the scripts our local dr. had prescribed including oxygen. The oxygen was delivered on Friday. He has used it several times with good effect. The neurologist put my husband on Ladocaine (did not work, in fact, we think the Ladocaine made the headaches worse), 20 mg of prednisone, Lithium (which he has not started yet), Imitrex nasal spray (which he also has not used yet) and Verapamil. This is sooooooo scary to watch someone you love go through. I am so glad I discovered this web site. Thank God for you!

Title: Re: making the rounds of neurologists
Post by Jackie on Mar 29^th, 2006, 12:59pm

Hi and welcome to the family....sorry you have to be here but since your husband is a sufferer it's the best place for help and support.

Sounds like you all are on a good track.....02 is the best.
You mentioned prednisone.....is he on a taper?

Good luck....

Jackie (another hoosier....Elkhart County)

Title: Re: making the rounds of neurologists
Post by mcksmly on Mar 29^th, 2006, 1:09pm

Is a "taper" where they taper you off the dose? He is supposed to take two 20 mg. tablets for five days then go to one 20 mg. for ten days.

Title: Re: making the rounds of neurologists
Post by Jackie on Mar 29^th, 2006, 1:51pm

Yep....sounds like a taper to me.....

The prednisone will give the Verapamil time to kick in....

Some CHers take the combo.....Verapamil and Lithium.....if the Verapamil alone doesn't do the trick.

Jackie