Finally it's draining away. Had one 20mins k4 at 1 in the morning, and a mild shadow when I got up this morning at 6:30, that means I had around 5 hours of undisturbed sleep, woohooo! First time in 7 weeks. I feel like a new man:-)

Good for you man.  I'm right there with ya.  Got five hours straight last night and also last weekend.

I'll race ya to end of this episode.  Winner buys the beers.

                                      JPC

Ha ha you're on buddy, I am invited to big halloween party at the US Marines house here in Norway next friday, so I am keeping my fingers crossed ;)

Amazing how something as simple as a good nights sleep can totally change your outlook! Wishing you many more to follow!

Guiseppi

Yes what others takes for granted is a blessing to us clusterheads:-) Hope you are getting some good ole shuteye too:-)

1.5hrs. in the last 48 for me. Been like this for over a month. One day I sleep then one to two I get very little if any. Not working right now so that's not a factor. I feel for those who are. Done that, many times.

Staying just ahead of the beast with the O2 and just got a brand new Opti-2 mask with the big bag on it. Used it an hour ago with some high flow to abort a kip-5 wake-up in 4min. Yes. Got it yesterday.

Wishing sleep vibes to all Clusterheads including myself, I'm half nodding on the keyboard now.  ,Don

Had it like that for 7 weeks, so I am right with you there and know how you feel. Hope you too get some much needed sleep soon. Hang in there!

Hey Max
  Actually got up to the alarm clock this moring. feelin pretty good.

    I am kinda cheatin though.  I started back on the prednisone.  Gonna take it for a five day burst to see if I can kick this bastard outta here and move on down the road.

    Tell all those marines "SEMPER FI" from an old former jarhead.

    Man, I hope all you other guys can get some sleep.  That kicked my butt this time more than the pain did.

                          good sleep an PF time to everyboy
     
                                       JPC

[smiley=sleep.gif] Sure puts a whole new outlook on the day when we can get zzzzz's! [smiley=snore.gif]

Finally got some. 5hrs. straight, I actually feel normal. Thought the wife was going to have to take me to the mental ward after 48hrs of so little. But we get through it and keep the fight going.

How we don't just end up in an ambulance being taken to a padded room is a testamony to the strenghth and stamina we Clusterheads have, even when we forget we do.             ,Don

    Good for you Don.  5 hours sleep to most people doesn't sound like much, but to us it is major.
                        Go get some more.
                                 JPC

Don I hope you have many more nights of blessed sleep !
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Jason C

Thanks guys, like being reborn. I really get on the edge to the point of considering a trip to that padded room on my own. Being here really helps.   ,Don

Good to hear you got some sleep. Last night was back to the old drawingboard for me 5 hits during sleep, but very mild and only lasted 10 minutes each. Not feeling to bad though, and the usual cycle ending headaches are coming back. I usually start getting tensionheadaches at the end of my cycle that lasts about a week after the actual CH's are gone. They're annoying but like a mild breeze after battling the beast:-)

It's goin to be a good day

manged to get 8hrs sleep last night with 2 minor hits that went away almost immediately.

                    Wishin The Best to You ALL
                                JPC

Glad to hear that guys. Me too, I got 5hrs this morn. May even get out of the house today.

Max, I go thru the same 4-5 weeks of peak then a couple months of wake ups with a few higher kips but much easier to control. Makes me really have sympathy for the chronics. I actually was chronic my first 2.5yrs, don't know why I went epi. but been there since. (20+yrs)    

Hoping my cycle will end before Christmas, I've had some K-10's with no X-mas cheer.  Best, Skyhawk

Woke up stiff and rigid today, felt really groggy and disoriented. I understood why straight away, 7 f*** hours straight woohooo!!! ;D Saturday night we went back to wintertime here, that means we put the clock back one hour, I don't know if that has anything to with it, but I sure as hell was feeling real tired and sleepy last night. Went to bed at 10, woke up with a mild k4 at quarter to midnite. Back in bed again at five past midnite. fell asleep around half past I guess. Woke up 7:30 ;D

Good for you Max,

    I'm some kinda stupid groove now. It doesn't matter what time I go to sleep, I'm up in an hour.  Usually a pretty mild hit.  Back to bed for 3-4 hrs sleep.

    Up now with my second of the night. (around a k8 but only lasts 10-15min) Probably be the last one but I have to get up in a few hours to go to work.  

    This has sure been a wierd episode this time around.

     Anyway, you guys hang in there. Today is gonna be a better day.

                                PFC's On Ya
                                   JPC
           

Hope you get some more sleep before going to work bud, that's always hard when you have perform at work. I hate going to long boring and tiresome meetings when I am in cycle. That's when I start hating people who cannot make decisions on their own without needing to elaborate in the smallest irksome details, yuck ;)

          I hate going to long boring and tiresome meetings when I am in cycle

                                 I feel the same, in cycle or out.

   

Yea right with you there, but I don't hate people then he he

JPC, where is RO, MI.?? I'm near Ann Arbor. Yeah I'm still one night of 4-5 hrs then wake ups every hour and hit the O2. but only one Kip-9 to report on 10/24, 7:45am but stopped it with O2.

I woke up dazed and grabbed the E-tank with the NRB mask and the hit went from 5 to 9 fast, well, my new O2pti was right next to it so got on that @ 25lpm and it was gone in 6min, Yes.  Got 5hrs last night,  Don

Hey Don,

    Royal oak is only about 45 minutes NE of you. (center of the universe)
I75 & 696.

    We should get together for a beer or three when we are able to.

    I am averageing about 5hrs sleep a night.  Not enough for me.

    Working on getting the 02 tomorrow.

                          Get some sleep man.

                                      JPC

[/size]JPC, DAAA,  I just bought a handgun at the indoor range in town a couple years ago. You can rent them there to try out 1st. Just couldn't put the RO together. How stupid of me. Yes we'll make the connect sometime. The wife like to go to the MGM Casino, but I'm not yet for me. Soon.

You won't regret the O2 been a life saver for me for 20yrs. and with the newer mask even more so. Plus the 25lpm set up. I still use 15 though. Last year I only had 12lpm.

Well the beast did wake me last night several times so @ 4am took a shot and slept from 5am-11. This thread is a help keeps it in mutual perspective so to speak.       , Don[size=16]

4 am in the morning, awake for the second time tonite, but very mild k5 again. Did the beer test last nite and had 4 beers, no hit. Maybe it's just the REM that is a problem now...

Hello, I 'm Millie, I haven't posted in a long time but I have been looking around in the shadows until I found what I was going through. This lastest cycle has really shown me just how much sleep that is does deprive me of. I am a shift worker and it affects whatever my sleep time is( day or night). It ( the headache) seems to allow me just enough sleep to make it to work that day or night, meanwhile it is truly taking a toll on me. I seem to be having 2 - 3 a night, lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to what seems like an hour. I am fighting with O2 and imetrix. I am going to start a prenizone taper, but I don't want to use the preventives. The verapimil and the neurotin don't seem to make a diffence and it makes me feel bad plus I still have to go through the headaches plus I feel bad from the meds. But I need the O2 and imetrix!! Where can I find a Opti-2 mask? Soory to rush in like the wind, but I need some sleep too, It has only been 2 1/2 weeks since the cycle started and the best is yet to come. I can bearly comb my hair because my head in actually SORE to touch.

Hi Millie,

I know what you mean about the sore hair thing.  I had that for 2-3 weeks and it went away.

Click on the oxygen info to you left.  It will tell you how to order.

Also, read some of the other threads.  There's alot of info about masks ect.


Don,
    Be careful with that hand cannon.  

Max,
    I'm jealous.  I had a nice cold Miller Light in my hand this afternoon but didn't dare open it.  Maybe Saturday at bowling.   (wishful thinking)

                         Hope Everyone gets som ZZZZZZZ 's tonight
                                             JPC
                           

Gosh Max that beer sounds good, I know if I smelled one right now I would be hit. Sorry to here about the wake ups. Seems the 3 of us are having a time of it with that right now.

4 beers are a good test, you may be coming out of cycle. Got my fingers crossed. I should be able to get a few hours if I try soon, my shot of DHE usually lasts 24hrs or so and I had it @ 4am. So thats 4hrs from now, better hurry!\Best, Don

Top of the morning to ya, got away the rest of the night without any hits, except the early morning yell of horror of course:-) I had the same thing a coupple of weeks ago with sore scalp, and also my jaw and teeth ached. It's the nervs that has taken a beating. It's alway like that at the peak for me.

Those beers tasted like pure heaven let me tell ya. Hope you get out of this shit real soon, so we can have a toast together, virtually that is;-) The sun is shining outside, but it is getting colder, 4 below zero celsius at the moment (Don't have a clue what that is in fahrenheit).

Have a great day ;D

I got slamed with a K8-K-9 at 1:00am.  Took a Treximet at 3:30 and slept from 4-8.

That sore scalp thing is wierd. I get that too.

So what are you going to the halloween party as?  Advice, don't go as a sailor.


I'm with ya Don.  Can't even look at an empty beer bottle for more than a few seconds.

What a night the Beast is hunting me so I dare not close my eyes. This is the night before my last dose of prednisone and my last 2 cycles I had K-10's on this night. Maybe silly but it has my nerves in a bundle. I need to sleep.

I've fought a K-6 & K-8 tonight already. The 8 almost got away, came on right after the 6 and almost fooled me into thinking it was just a shadow. The O2 sent him away.

I have to try and sleep, find a little courage I guess, I'm forgetting that I have the tools to beat the beast back. I think the attacks from the past are burnt into my mind and this is why I'm fighting it .      OK guys here I go,    Don[size=14][/size]

Only one mild k2 last night, so overall almost 8 hours of shuteye. Things are looking up. He he don't think I'll be going as a sailor. I don't know yet, any suggestions?

Kick his ass Don !!!!!     Your'e right, you got the stuff to beat him.  Don't let him get ya down.  The bastard snuck up on me last night.  Tonight I'm up with a K5 and its goin away   Hope you get some sleep.

Good goin Max.  I hope me and Don will be following shortly.  Go as a pimp.

                                     Nighty Nite
                                         JPC

                                   

Yea that was what I was thinking too;) Hope you both get out off this asap! Snowing like hell here now, sitting in the kitchen sipping coffee watching cars getting stuck on the road, pretty happy I have 4wheel drive on my car ;)

One Mutha of a night.

from 700pm to 10:00pm had attacks every 30 - 45min.  Only K4-K5 or so.  Used the O2 for the first time.  Knocked them out in a jiffy and I would just go back to sleep.  I gave up on that after 3 hours.

back to bed at 1:00am.  Attacks every hour. O2 fended them off in 10 min. (tank is about empty)  Without the O2, they would only last about 15min.

Hope this is makin sense.  I'm a little out of it right now.  

I hope you guys had a better night.

                                          JPC

Hi guys!

I am little pissed off right now. Thought I was heading for remission but no such luck, or the beast is having it's final saying. Been waking up every 2 hours with k6 last two nights, they are not that painful, but they linger on for atleast an hour and it's pissing me off real bad. I am hoping that it is the final gasps and not some sort of recycling back to peaking again.

  Sleep sounds good 4 am and havn't sleep a wink yet,  I guess I'll put some coffee on no sence trying to sleep now.  Hope others are doing better than I.
        Phil [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

I'm tellin ya, there is someting in the air.  Best I can get the last two nights is 1hr at a time.

AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH !!!!!!

At least I got the O2 and seems to do the job.  I've got to get a better mask though. The one Binson's supplied is not very good.

                                     Pooped Out
                                           JPC

I hate this shit, luckily it helps doing the push ups, but I had another k5 when I got up this morning at 8, and now 5 hours later it's still f**** lingering... I am hitting that Halloween party tonite no matter what. Gonna have a drink, and if I get hit then, I'll walk it off and have another >:(

Hang in there Max.  I know that's disapointing  Like gettin the rug jerked out.

I sure wouldin't be flirting with the alchohol, but that's me.

Don't let those Jarheads take advantage of ya tonight.

                              PFD's On  Ya

                                       JPC

I'm right there with you guys. I finished my pred taper Wed. and the beast is playing it's game big time. I got a little lucky last night, slept 2hrs. at a time and the O2 blew him away. 3rd time I gave up. So Phil I'm having a coffee with ya.

Max, I hope your having what I like to call the Grand Finale. One last burst of CH activity. Maybe. For the first time I got hit in my Neuro's parking lot. He was coming back from lunch and walked by my truck right when I put my O2 mask on (O2pti) should have saw his face.

Carl, yeah the problem with the NRB is the 1 liter bag and some are better than others. The ones I recently got from W/F are junk so I was using my old ones from last from Apria. I suggest you get the O2pti w/3 liter bag. $25 plus shipping, way worth it.

Keep on fightin the good fight,     ,Don

I have noticed that my night time hits are always worst as the days are getting longer or shorter. I usually get it in the evening between 4 or 5 to 8 or 9 time period every day of the year. The night time hits only come in the spring and fall. I used 4 M's last week but I am better this week.

A tip from me would be that when you wake up and sit there rubbing you neck and head wondering if it will subside, train yourself to get up immediately and hit the O2. I have completely trained myself to do this and never wake up to a screecher any more. If you don’t wake up till you’re at K6 the O2 will take a long time to bring you down. Now that I wake up immediately at the start of the hit it goes away a lot faster and I fall back to sleep much quicker also.

I don’t use a mask any more because the things are crap and give me a sore nose so I use the mouthpiece and exhale with my nose or pull the mouthpiece away. If you don’t exhale through the valve it will last a long time. I don’t even have the exhale valve on the rig anymore and it seems to work even better. Some day when I can afford it I want to try a demand mouthpiece.

I use those big freezer bags and they last about 6 months. Cheep and always at hand in the kitchen.

The best thing on the tank is a FLOTEC regulator click style with 60-40-25-15-10 settings. 25 LPM is perfect for me and 40 gets ya numb. I haven’t had a K10 since I got the HF reg.

PFW’s guy’s

Roland. ;)

H guys!

Here is an interesting update. I hit that Halloween party last night. First I met the guys at a pub where I had 4 pints of beer. No hit, then we went to the marinehouse and I must have had around 10 more beers, was feeling pretty breezy at the end, didn't feel a thing until 10:30 then I got a sort of nagging headache, so I quit drinking, went down to 7/11 and got a big coffee which took care of the headache.

Went home, and was in bed at midnite. Slept all night long without any hit at all. Pretty weird huh? Maybe I killed the beast with beer hehe. Anyway I hope you guys are feeling better and are getting some sleep! Have a great weekend! ;D

Maybe Ya got something there Max.  I not willing try the beer test just yet.

I got 8 hrs sleep last night myself.
Against my better judement, I took a Treximet at 11:00.  Went to be at 11:30.  Up at 12:00 with an attack ready for another shit night.  Hit the O2 and stayed up til 1:00am.
Made it through the night with no attacks. Woke up a couple times but no pain. Got up at 9:00 this morning.

Nice to get some sleep.  A little wigged out today from the Treximet but no shadows, no nuthin.

Hope all of you had a decent night.

                                  PFD's On Ya
                                      JPC

Hey Millie, Welcome to the sleep thread. The O2pti mask (you prbb got opti-2 from my whacked out butt) can be orderded from the 'oxygen info' link on the left of this screen.

I actually got some sleep last night too! Had to do a shot though. glad to hear I'm not alone. Kick the beasts butt!!               Best,  Don

Hi guys, resent events: NO HITS at all, slept 10 hours last night so I am guessing the beast got drowned friday night... hopefully:-) Hope you are seeing the end of this shit soon!

Great news Max! Suprized the Norwegian Navy didn't have to rescue YOU from drowning LOL. Last night was the first night I had no wake ups in many weeks with no meds.

My peak must be ending but I still have some time to go. It does get easier to control once the peak is over and I can start to get out a little more. I really have done well this cycle with the higher flow O2 and the new O2pti mask, aborts are faster. Keep us posted. Carl we'll beat this thing yet.       Best, Don

I can't believe how similar our cycles are.

Last night was episode free.  Woke up a couple of times during the night but not due to any CH.  Man did that feel good.

I'm down to 120mg of Verapamil.  That will be finished after tomorrow.

I hope we are all on our way to PFDAN's

                                 good luck to all
                                     JPC

Hi guys!

Glad that you are starting to see the end of this too. I woke once last night at one o'clock with a k6 that came and went in 5 minutes, slept the rest of the night (6 hours) without any more hits. It looks like it's almost over for now. I will have gone 8 weeks instead of the usual 12 weeks. Don't know if that has anything to do with not taking any medication, but I think I'll do without meds next time around also. The k10's are definetly fewer in number compared to other cycles where I have used Imitrex.

So CLose.

I'm down to one attack a night.  I get hit about an hour after falling asleep. Hit the O2 for about 10min, get up and have a coffee or a coke, go back to bed in about an hour and sleep through til morning.

I can almost taste the Miller Light.

I hope you all are doing as well or better

                                             JPC

8 1/2 hours straight, no hit at all. Think I am out of it now:-) Hope you guys follows suit ;) I am just in time for the Christmas beers ;D

No hits at all since last post so I guess I am in remission, hope you guys are doing ok?

My hotmail adress is oslxdrgr@hotmail.com if you want keep in touch outside this fora.. please do:-)

Now kick some demon ass, and make him get the hell out, so we can have a toast ;)

Robert

Good for You!!!!    I'm down to  1 small hit at night so should be right behind ya.

Lookin forward to that virtual beer with ya.

                                        JPC

Good to hear guys! I've been doing better too. until this morining @ 4am blam kip-1 !!!. Only 20 min. of actual k-10, my shot stoped it.  My cycle isn't really due to end until around Christmas. My peak 'should ' be over and it will get farther apart as we go.

Carl we need to meet up but I'm afraid of that E-way by you at the moment. I'm going to PM you my number and you can give me a call. Not working for awhile so.,

Preceeding this k-10 I got 2 nights of fair sleep with only one w/u. The calm before the storm. Max I'll catch up with you soon.

I think the O2 failed because when I woke up I was already @ K-8 and climbing fast.  It was a blinding hit and I was having trouble loding my syringe, got lucky and Helen had just gotten up and she did that for me, right as I went K-10.
Well enough of my horror story I'm OK now.

Best, Don

Up with my nightly.  1:30am.  I can't thank you guys enough for turning me on to the O2.  10min and the K5-K6 is gone.

I'll be sure to give you a call Don.

                                     PFD's On Ya
                                           JPC

Hi guys!

How are you doing? Seems like my cycle this time is weirder than ever. First several nights without any hits at all, and then one night with one hit, then two nights without hits, and last night I awoke at 2:30 without a hit, but after a minute or two I was feeling a shadow. Went outside for a smoke and then back in bed. Awoke this morning at 6:45 without feeling anything but a minute or two later had a k5, that lastet about an hour. Weird huh?

Anyway hope you guys are getting closer to endcycle!

R

Awe Shit Robert.  I thought you were free of this crap.

goin through the same thing.  Had only one hit in three nights and then got banged with 4 hits last night.

But, I'm thinkin, The Last One Was The Last One.

                                          Good Luck My friend
                                                   JPC

I feel we're all gonna get to that last one one of these days, but this really makes me feel for the chronics. God give them some rest too.

Max, been there had that happen and it sucks so I try not to say it's over for several weeks of PF time. I know I have until at least the end of December but they will get less and less as it we go. I usually cycle for 6 months.

Carl, I'm so glad you got the O2, it really does help. You may want, in the future to look into the higher regulator I have the 25lpm on my E-tank, it works a little faster. You can get them sometimes on e-bay cheap or thru Lifegas on the left of this screen for $100+. PM me for more info if you like. The 15lpm does work great though I suggest the O2pti clustermask from them.                             Best, Don

Hi guys!

How are you doing? Getting some sleep? I haven't had anymore hits and my back aches from sleeping longer, so that's a good sign ;)

R

How are you doing? Getting some sleep? I haven't had anymore hits and my back aches from sleeping longer, so that's a good sign


Way to go!  That's great news.  :)

I'm still getting 2-3 hits a night.  Not bad though and the O2 croaks em right away.

Still waitin to have that beer with ya.  I'll let ya know
                                 
Don went hunting.  Trying to sacrafice a deer.

                                       Later
                                          JPC

How long have you been in cycle now?

Hope to have a beer with you guys very very soon!

since Sep 9th.  Too long for me, but this cycle has been so much different than before.

I can only hope< The last one was the last one.

                                    JPC

Hi guys! How are you doing? Hope you are getting better. I am well out of it now, took the final test last saturday, and had a bloody steak, and a bottle of red wine. I'll keep my fingers, knees, eyes and toes crossed that we can have a toast before christmas:-)

R

That's fantastic Robert.  Good for you.  

I'm mighty close.  Down to 0-1 hits at night.  Just go woken up with one, but didn't even bother with the O2 and it was gone in 5 minutes.

I'm thinkin a big ole Miller Lite is right around the corner.

I'll be in touch.

                                           Great News Man
                                                 JPC

That's great news Carl! Kick that beastie ass ;) Have a great weekend ;D