I'm a long-term episodic.  My cycles have always been very predictable.  They've changed over time, morphing from twice yearly--spring and fall for twenty years--to once a year in the spring for another ten years, and most recently to once every three years in the spring for the past twelve years.

I'm "due" in May or June of this year.

I've noticed some premonitory symptoms--interrupted sleep patterns, twitching eyelid on my cluster side, slight Horner's syndrome, a weak manifestation of the "neck thing"--but this is fairly typical for me in the months prior to my "old" cluster windows.  It doesn't necessarily predict the onset of an actual cycle.  

I'll be prepared just in case.  I'm putting together a proper oxygen setup and so forth... so no worries.  If it comes, it comes.  Nothing I haven't gotten through before.

Anyway, on to the point:

I'm trying to address some of the known deficiencies that clusterheads have, and I've increased my daily magnesium supplementation to 500 mg. from 250 mg., will be adding a B-2 supplement, have started taking 100 mg. B-6 daily, and 600 mg. calcium with D-6.  I've also started taking 3 mg melatonin before bedtime (I normally don't take it when I'm out of cycle).

This is simply an experiment to see whether or not I can evade a cycle by using supplements.

I have no idea whether or not this will work.  Even if I get through the "window" of May/June without a cycle, that may simply be due to the fact that I'm getting older.  So I don't expect to get a clear-cut "answer" if the cycle doesn't materialize.  If it does come, the answer (at least to me) would seem to be that--no--I can't evade a cycle by using those particular supplements.

If I do go on cycle, I intend to give Kilowatt3's "Synergy" regimen a fair trial, and will report on any progress in that line.  If nothing else, I'll have my oxygen at hand, properly done up--at last.

Guess we'll see what happens.   :-/

Best,

George

You might try adding fish oil to your supplement cocktail ... Batch thinks it has helped him.

YMMV

Good luck with your experiment!  I sure hope it helps!


Chuck

ClusterChuck wrote on Mar 9^th, 2009 at 1:46am:

You might try adding fish oil to your supplement cocktail ... Batch thinks it has helped him.

Don't see how it can hurt.

I'll add it.  Thanks for the input, Chuck.  And for the other info as well--talking to you and Pete on Skype really crystallized my approach to 02 therapy.

All the best,

George

From what I have observed, the cycle seems to emerge with symptoms of autonomic failure, starting first with interrupted sleep patterns, changes in appetite, general lethargy and a slight depression in the sense of wanting to withdraw and staying indoors.

We cant do much about the hypothalamus but we can directly influence th pineal gland by regulating ( sun ) light exposure. You could schedule a regular sleep/wake cycle, reduce light exposure late at night and avoid lengthy period looking at a computer screen. Early morning outdoor exposure to the sun at certain time will also help make the pineal gland functioning better.

You might notice that you crave sugary or sweet food more and this can be a sign that the serotonin level is dropping. If this happens, you may want to increase serotonin rich food in the diet.

Its worth keeping a diary documenting all these symptoms down.

Avoiding cold, flu and sinus infection also helps. These tend to inflame the trigeminal nerve making it more sensitive.

Good luck with it George, I hope you skip this completely.

George,

have you considered adding guarana supplement to your regime also? I've tried it this cycle and I believe it has been very useful addition indeed.

I do hope that the best will stay away from your door, though.

All the best,
Sanna

Good luck with that - worth a shot.

For me, melatonin seems to help prevent a cluster cycle if I use it to help enforce a regular sleep cycle ... simply taking it is not enough. When the twitches and disturbed sleep are evident, I start taking the melatonin at 9:30 every night, and force myself to be in beds with lights out at 10:00.  

monty wrote on Mar 9^th, 2009 at 2:37pm:

Good luck with that - worth a shot. For me, melatonin seems to help prevent a cluster cycle if I use it to help enforce a regular sleep cycle ... simply taking it is not enough. When the twitches and disturbed sleep are evident, I start taking the melatonin at 9:30 every night, and force myself to be in beds with lights out at 10:00.

Thanks.  I'll do my best to follow that regimen, whenever possible.  I have an 18-year-old in the house right now, though, who's discovered that her curfew has been extended.  I don't sleep well until she gets home.  I figure she'll get over it, eventually.   ;)

George, I'll be following your progress (hoping there won't be any though!) and if you have any questions about what I've used, let me know.

hugs,
:)mel

George wrote on Mar 9^th, 2009 at 3:09pm:

I have an 18-year-old in the house right now, though, who's discovered that her curfew has been extended.

What in God's name did you do that for? ;)

Good Luck, George!   I wish you  a totally PF Spring and FOREVER!

Please keep us posted as to how things go!

Jeannie

I had a respite of a short few months, but back again Dec. 10th.  Though a little different than you've mentioned, there were familiar signs the prior two weeks to believe the impending if I wanted to acknowledge it or not, but I stay mobilized.  Switching to a midnight shift immediately kicked it off for the season.

Preparation, best prevention and aborting materiel.  Looks like you have a plan A and B for prevention, and oxygen.  George, all I can honestly add is to keep an extra rod and reel with heavier test line in case any larger girth prevention needed.




Quote:

Even if I get through the "window" of May/June without a cycle, that may simply be due to the fact that I'm getting older.

 

Hope this "getting older" thing works for you, buddy.    ;)

Good luck!  I hope it works, or at least cuts the hits way down.

Charlotte

Many people pray every night and when they wake up the next day they say, "see, it works!"

Sorry, but all these meds in combination destroys the trial. Even if you don't get into an active cycle you still won't know which med is doing the trick.

If it works you'll be a believer--but you still won't know.

Just being a bit cyclical this afternoon. Don't have to take any of this seriously. <bg>

Bob Johnson wrote on Mar 9^th, 2009 at 4:03pm:

Many people pray every night and when they wake up the next day they say, "see, it works!" Sorry, but all these meds in combination destroys the trial. Even if you don't get into an active cycle you still won't know which med is doing the trick.

Yeah, got to watch out for 'shot-gun medicine' where they put in so many things that it is never clear what really works.

My doctor is a big shot-gunner for heart health ... lots of diet changes, regular exercise, reduce stress, cut back on vices, keep an eye on cholesterol and blood pressure and a bunch of lab tests.  If I follow his advice and live to 100, I will be disturbingly perplexed as to what was really responsible for such a long life.

;)  

Good Luck George

I’ve stayed with the Magnesium/Calcium, Taurine supplements & varied the intake over time; I’m currently 229 days into a low cycle with 68 days to go before I match my previous best.

Hope it works for you.

Cheers
Barry

Bob Johnson wrote on Mar 9^th, 2009 at 4:03pm:

Many people pray every night and when they wake up the next day they say, "see, it works!" Sorry, but all these meds in combination destroys the trial. Even if you don't get into an active cycle you still won't know which med is doing the trick. If it works you'll be a believer--but you still won't know. Just being a bit cyclical this afternoon. Don't have to take any of this seriously. <bg>

A one person trial isn't much of a trial anyway.   ;)  

It's more in the nature of throwing a number of things at the wall to see if any of them stick.  If one of them does, that's fine.  I'd just as soon skip a cycle.  

On the other hand, if the thing shows up as usual, I'll be pretty clear that--at least for me--none of it worked to help me evade a cycle.  Which would be no big disappointment, really, because so far, nothing has.   ;)

Best,

George

   

I so pray this works for you and you kick a cycle. That would be so cool! 8-)

Go George Go!!!!!!

Wishing you the best George...I'm another who does the daily magnesium and calcium supplement. Convinced it's lessened the duration and intensity of my cycles. On the other hand...I am getting old!!! Maybe that's it. ;)

Joe