Yep, today I visited my new neurologist. It was a private sector visit here, but definitely worth it.

Basically I entered there and she immediately felt really open and interested about my case. I told her everything about my 2 attacks per day and how meloxicam and the steroids have helped while nothing else has. She agreed how the symptoms sound exactly like CH, but it's very unlikely that I would immediately have multi-medicine-resistant chronic CH, to which NSAIDs would help. She did say, though, that meloxicam is a close relative of indometacin and it could be the way it affects me so well. However, she also said that while chronic paroxysmal hemicrania could otherwise be the diagnosis, the small amount of attacks and not total effectiveness of indometacin rules it out. All-in-all, she felt extremely knowledgeable and nice, being up-front with statistics like oxygen helping 70% of CH patients and so on.

She also said that my case is so special that it almost is worth publishing in a medical journal!

The current plan is to try out a new drug, Arcoxia (etoricoxib), which is a drug developed for rheumatism and specifically blocks COX-2 -enzyme, which causes inflammation, at a dose of 90mg per day. She wanted me to call about the results to her in two weeks, immediately when she gets back from a neurological conference in Bermuda. In the mean time she will contact a neuro-tomography specialist and talk to him about getting specific CT pictures of me which could reveal inflammation somewhere. She also wrote more meloxicam and a stomach-protection medicine, which I can use if the Arcoxia won't help and I have to turn back to meloxicam.

Altogether I'm very happy and very hopeful about the visit. Definitely the best neuro so far that I have visited. No wonder she's considered one of Finland's best. Actually, she said that she's not just a neurologist, but a neurosurgeon! :)

- Best regards and PFDAN,
Rosa

Rosa that is awesome news....a doctor who knows about CH...and is open minded, what a blessing!!!!!!

Guiseppi

Fantastic news, Rosa! :)

I hope that the new drug will help you. :)

PF days your way,
Sanna

Thanks, Guiseppi and Sanna :)

I have now taken two 90mg doses of the etoricoxib since Tuesday. Had only a minor attack at night after taking the first dose, no attacks otherwise. I'm quite happy about it and the neuro will certainly be interested of the results ;)

- Best regards and PFDAN,
Rosa

Keep us posted about it, Rosa. :)

I hope that lots of more PF time is on its way to you! :)

Sanna

Dang the news just keeps getting better Rosa, when one of us kicks beast ass, we all win a little!!! [smiley=hug.gif]

Guiseppi