Hello All, havent posted in a while but I thought that this would be worth sharing.

I've been on Verapamil for about 2 yrs now and its largely successful in controlling the beast but I do get breakthrough attacks every few (3)weeks, these typically come out of the blue when I am beginning to believe that the beast may have left for good, stay around for a few days and disapear again.
So about 6 months ago I developed what I can only describe as a Tell, I have a sweat gland just above my left eye (same side as the clusters) that starts to leak the same day as I am going to get a hit. I didn't make the connection at first but have been monitoring for the last 4 months and blow me if this doesn't work. Two months ago I started taking a few mg of Ergotomine when the leak started and havent had a full blown hit since then, some minor shadows but nothing to get excited about.
Has anyone else experience anything similar??
Cheers

That's wild! ;D I haven't had anything quite like that, put emphasizes the importance of being really really detailed in head ache diaries. As wild as it sounds, damned if it isn't working for you. Good on you! ;)

Joe

The medical literature calls it a "premonitory symptom."  For me, there are certain changes in sleep, and twitching of my right eye and right foot.  When those happen, I start taking magnesium, and use melatonin to enforce a sleep schedule ... or I pay the price!


Quote:

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2001 Feb;5(1):55-9.    Premonitory symptoms in cluster headache.    Raimondi E.    Cluster headache is one of the most excruciating headaches affecting human beings--especially the male sex. Most of the cluster headache cases are of episodic nature, with active cluster periods lasting generally between a few weeks and 2 or 3 months. A still undetermined percentage of patients report nonpainful sensations preceding the onset of the pain attack for a variable period of time. If occurring only a few minutes or a few hours before the onset of pain, such symptoms are called prodromal. When occurring for several days, weeks, or months before the pain, they are termed premonitory symptoms. The author believes that premonitory symptoms have not been properly diagnosed and emphasizes the need to investigate their presence, because by knowing them advances can be made in the understanding of the physiopathology of this particular cephalalgia. Furthermore, it can also allow the physician to be ahead, by giving preventive treatment and stopping or diminishing the intensity and duration of the pain attacks.

Oh yes Joe, its critical to keep a diary to keep track of these things, even if it does seem like a chore sometimes. Thanks for the info Monty, so it is more common than I thought.