preventative medication

and what about maybe

surgical option?

if anyone knows pls

The track record for surgeries is meager, erratic, not worth even considering until the last desperate step when the medical approches have failed.

We have meds which are quite useful--see the survey data (left buttons).

When you hang around here for a few years, the one reality of CH will become clear: finding a good med for ME often takes multiple trials of this and that, of various doses; having found effective meds, they sometimes stop working for ME while, for others, they are effective permanently. All this says that the depth of medical knowledge about CH is still primitive and so patience is an essential skill to cultivate if you are not going to be defeated.

So, all you can do is keep up with the current developments by being a regular here.

If you have not kept up, see the next items and the PDF file, below.
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Here is a link to read and print and take to your doctor.  It describes preventive, transitional, abortive
and surgical treatments for CH. Written by one of the better headache docs in the U.S.  (2002)
 
START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE
============================================

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE
ALL NEW!! HEADACHE 2008-2009
The new 72 page Headache 2008-2009 is hot off the press! Click here to download the PDF instantly! (free)

If you would like a bound copy, send $12 (includes shipping) to
Robbins Headache Clinic
60 Revere Dr, Suite 330
Northbrook, Ill.60062

OR call 847-480-9399 to use Visa or Mastercard.

---

What Bob said! The best prevent is the one that works for YOU! Sadly, that can take a little bit of trial and error. I was lucky in finding lithium as an effective prevent fairly early on, and it's been working forever. For others, verapamil is their silver bullet, some have gone to a combo of lithium and verapamil to get relief.

My only suggestion is that while you are working with your doc to establish an effective preventative regimen, make sure you have oxygen to abort the attacks that come. It's hard to preach patience to a person that's getting creamed by 90 minute attacks! For me, the 02 will kill an attack in less then 10 minutes, makes the trial and error period a little more manageable.

Wishing you luck on your journey, it's certainly worth the effort when you find an effective prevent.

Joe

There seems to be consensus here and amongst many headache and CH specialists that surgical intervention treatments for CH are still very much in their infancy and that they still have a very high failure or relapse rate.

Preventatives of choice for many here are Verapamil, Topamax and Lithium. Which one will work for you at which dosage is a discussion to be had with your doctor.

Alternative and non-chemical prevents / supplements include Kudzu and Melatonin. The latter is being used by many, particularly to manage night time hits. Additionally, treatments being discussed at clusterbusters.com have proven effective for quite a few.

Regrettably, as the others have mentioned, given the fact that CH continuously morphs over time, the prevent that works best for you now may not work as well for the next or subsequent cycles. Consequently, it will take some time to find the right formula or combination that will maximise effects for you.

I have personally found some lifestyle adjustments helpful during cycles. These include a histamine low/free diet, plenty of water and a very rigid sleep / wake time schedule.

And the hard part for us episodics is that you get several weeks to try out your new pain med and then the CH disappears and you forget about it for a year or 2. Or you don't forget about it, but aren't quite sure if the meds worked because the kip levels decreased but didn't disappear, blah blah blah........So yes, it could take many years to figure it all out, and then it morphs on you.

No doc is cutting into my head as long as I have other stuff that works very well.  I haven't really heard anything good about the surgery either.  Psilocybes, caffeine, oxygen etc.  Read about all of it on this site and at clusterbusters.com

Over Christmas I was able to abort a cycle in 3 weeks with psilocybes.  I also stopped my shadows (what I thought was another cycle trying to sneak in) a few weeks ago with the same routine. 

Good luck!

--Shaggy

Thanks for the info everyone and especially Bob for the extra pdf.You are all great.

and sorry for the extra trouble
but another two questions
Guiseppi
if i go for a try with lithium,the only one i haven't ever considered till now,how much effective have you found it to be without the 02?

and

Does anyone know any supplier for Kudzu in Canada?
I have some relatives there coming here for summer
and maybe they could get some bottles with them(if there is,they can do it right?or its not permitted with the airport and etc?)

thanks in advance
and pf wishes for everyone

I take lithium at 1200 mg a day while in cycle, in concert with a prednisone taper as it takes lithium about 10-14 days to really build up to a therapeudic level. It will block about 70% of my attacks, so I still get hit just not as hard or as often.

Fortunately for me the oxygen is very effective at stopping the break thru attacks so I rarely resort to imitrex.

As an aside.....I'm prone to re attacks 10-20 minutes after shutting off the 02. I have all but eliminated those by drinking an energy drink, I prefer sugar free Red Bull, as I start the oxygen.

Joe

Black,

Can you not buy Kudzu at a local health food store in Canada?  Kudzu is sold OTC at health food stores and even many grocery stores in the states. 

Sandy

You should be able to order it on line without any problems.

Carolyn

at last!Found Kudzu here!and bought it!
so happy!where is that emoticon with the gold tooth?

wish me good luck!
750mg twice the day as it says right?
:) :) :)