Hi All-

Just wondering how long you continue the Verapamil after your headaches have stopped?  I appreciate your input!

Joni :-/

Work with your doctor.....but it's basically a crap shoot. I use lithium as my prevent. My cycles always ran 2-3 months. So after I'd been on my prevent for 3 months, I'd slowly start to wean off....keeping 02 close by. If I got slammed I'd ramp back up to full doseage and wait another month. It doesn't "cure" your CH....just somehow works as a "block" against getting as many hits while you're on cycle.

I'm assuming from your question you are episodic.....you have months of pain free time between cycles of headaches. So it's pretty much a non-scientific guessing game. If you're chronic, you stay on it forever!

Joe

Verapamil is not a drug that you can just "stop" taking it can have nasty side affects if you do.  You must wean yourself off of it and speak with your Doctor 1st!

I have never been able to stop taking it since I am chronic, but I do know that, you must wean yourself off of it.


Quote:

Do not stop taking this medication without first talking to your doctor. If you stop taking verapamil suddenly, your condition may become worse. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

Verapamil is a preventative, so if you stop taking it, you may get more CH hits, if your not out of your cycle yet; if you are cyclical that is.

I wait for a full 2 weeks with no hits then start to taper off.

Funny, I specifically asked my doc about the taper when she prescribed it to me and she said I do not have to worry about that with Verapamil. I knew you had to with the prednisone.

Could also be that she put me on only 140mg a day dose or she doesnt have a clue what she is talking about.

Chris

Wow....140 mg a day is a very low dose. Many start at 240mg a day, working to as high as 960 mg a day to get relief. But as you saw mentioned here repeatedly, go up or down on dosing ONLY with the help of your doc. Not a med to play fast and loose with.

Joe

Thank you so much for replying!  That gives me info and ideas for what to do.  I will also check with my doctor as well, but I wanted to hear it from you all first!  I think I'll go 2 weeks beyond my headaches, then taper as my doctor sees fit.  I did forget to tell you all that I am episodic....always 8 weeks once and sometimes twice a year so far, but I know in the back of my mind it could change.  Don't you sometimes wonder how in the world it can be that precise???  My sister's were always the same way until just recently and her's are shorter now, just like clock work!  She has had them for 46 years and I have had them for 25 years.  She has them and their side effects the worst I've ever heard of.  It's a good thing she worked for our father because she couldn't have kept another job.  I was lucky and taught school for 31 years...headaches in the night and school in the day! 

Thanks again!

Joni :)

As per my Doctors instruction (reading from the label on the prescription)
"cease when headaches have resolved for 1 to 2 weeks "
Been 10 days now but still get the sfternoon shadows so I'm a bit hesitant to stop.  I guess it's a matter of trying it ( fingers crossed) and hope to hell I dont get hit.

Hope this helps, but my advice would be to talk to the prescribing Doc.

My Doc told me that when its time to taper off, take one every other day, and go from there.

   She also said its not so much the blood pressure that you have to worry about, but the heart rythyms going strange.  That we don't need!   good luck...let us know how it goes for you. :)

Thanks Lorac!!!