Had an appointment with neuro today.
i have the prescription in my hands.
120 mg x 3 for verapamil (increase every 5 days)
300 mg for start lithium (Milithin)
and 300 x 2 after five days.

blood tests before and after for lithium levels and check for thyroid.

No luck still for 02 supplier the way it works like you.
And seems that no other med left to take.
I ll be honest.it has been three years since last preventative lyrica and tegretol with nasty side effects
and psoriasis since then(pretty sure even if there is no proof).
what would you do?Any personal experience with this others than giusseppi.

I admit i am scared of this
am i gonna hear nirvana and evanessence all day as side effect? :D

How good or bad it really is? :(

Just read that diabetes is in the possible side effects?? :o

I have been taking Verapamil and Lithium for 19 years with no bad effects.

Don

Title:  Double Blind Comparison of Lithium and Verapamil in Cluster Headache Prophylaxis 
Author: Bussone G, Leone M, et al.
Date:  Posted: January 2010
Source:  Headache  30:411-417, 1990
Chronic Cluster Headache (CCH) treatment is troublesome; since there are no pain-free periods, it must be continuous. The most effective CCH prophylactic drug today is lithium carbonate but long-term use of this drug is limited by the possibility of side effects. Recently, calcium antagonists have been successfully employed to prevent migraine, and preliminary studies also indicate that verapamil in particular is an efficacious treatment for CCH. We have conducted a multicenter trial employing a double-dummy, double blind, cross-over protocol, comparing verapamil with the established efficacy of lithium carbonate, in preventing CCH attacks. BOTH LITHIUM CARBONATE AND VERAPAMIL WERE EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING CCH BUT VERAPAMIL CAUSED FEWER SIDE EFFECTS and had a shorter latency period. We did not observe any correlation between plasma levels of the two drugs and their clinical efficacy. Both the drugs tested here may exert their effect by restoring a normal inhibitory tone to the pain modulating pathways from the trigemino-vascular system, a circuit putatively implicated in CCH.
===============

Fear of Lithium?? Not to worry. The side effects are known; the blood tests will monitor; and as long as you know what effects to look for, Lithium is a well established med with good outcomes.

I have used the "chronic cocktail" (verapamil and lithium) for years with only minor side effects (some constipation, which has a tendency to correct itself after several weeks, and some lessening of the libido). My magic numbers were 480mg verapamil and 900mg lithium per day. And NOT the time-release version of verapamil. Get the immediate release if you can.

Worked on the head like a charm.

My husband is chronic.  He took Verapamil and Lithium for 2 1/2 years.  It worked well for the CH, but he suffered chronic fatigue, constipation, hand tremors, and nausea.  After 2 1/2 years it lost it's effectiveness and he couldn't handle the side effects.

Everybody is different.  It may work great for you for a long time.

Lee Ann

Brew give me a hand here
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you mean getting the SR or ER, XR,XL?
or doesn't matter as anything of these but not the cr version?

thank you all  :)
pf wishes

Thanks Lee Ann.Just show your post.
The doc told me that after the blood tests show that are clear,i can start the lithium but he warned me for the tremors too and said to call him immediately in case it happens.Even if i asked he wasn't specific whether it is to cut it or adjust properly and let it till then.

did the side effects vanish once he cut it?
And how much did it help him during those 2 years?
In duration and frequency of attacks?

Hand tremor is one of the FIRST signs of lithium toxicity. Not one of the last.

His dose was adjusted constantly during the 2 1/2 years. He saw the dr every 6 weeks or sometimes sooner.  Blood tests were done regularly too.

It took about 2 weeks for it to start working, but it worked well and he rarely got a headache during that time period, but eventually the headaches started busting through and he couldn't take any higher dose.

He had the ONS trial in April.  It didn't work.  The dr then suggested Occipital Nerve Decompression.  I have been reading about clusterbusters for years and he decided to give that a try.  It is working great.  Clusterbusters rock ;D

As long as you follow the drs orders and get your blood work done regularly, you should be fine.  Good luck.  I pray it works for you and you don't suffer any side effects.

Lee Ann

I take diltiazem(cartia) 360mg/day and lithium 1200mg/day. The side effects for me are tremors, very tired, achy, and runs one week then constipation the next. Can't figure that one out. I've been on this dose for 8 weeks, had a blood test 2 weeks ago and was on the very low end of the scale for lithium, .6 I think. I weigh 150 lbs. This cocktail has stopped my headaches after a 7 week cycle, my shortest ever and I haven't heard from the ghost in 3 days. In fact tonight I started my taper 120mg and 300mg each one. The alternative to these meds is way worse as far as I'm concerned, but you know what is best for you.