I haven't had an attack for a while. Time for a beer test methinks. I'll report back in an hour.

Fingers crossed. ;)

I'm nicely buzzed from the beer... and no headache!

Looks like the cycle may be over. Time to taper down the verapamil. :)

A succesful beer test is truly a beautiful thing! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Joe

That's what I like about this forum... I can talk about beer tests, inhaling oxygen and injecting meds for a headache without getting strange reactions. :)

[smiley=thumb.gif]

Congratulations on a successful beer test.  Sounds like you're good to go.

Best wishes,

George

Sweet!!!

Congrats!
Nothing worse than getting these in the summer and not being able to pound a few with my dad.
Glad you're over the hump.  Enjoy the summer.

I'm brand new to this site and pleased to see a sense of humor and taste for good beer here.  I am 5 weeks into a brutal cycle and would just love a cool Sierra Nevada on the deck with my wife on this hot, sunny day.  The last time I had one the side of my scalp was peeling off within a half-hour of finishing it.  I'm off to Lousiville in a few days for work and sadly won't be able to indulge in a bit ofthe fine products at Bluegrass Brewing.  Oh well.  Have one for me, eh?

glad 4 ya man. I failed the beer test the other night. Maybe in a couple more weeks. ;)

Hey Thingfish, glad you poked your head in to say hi! I'm with you, I sorely miss my micro brews when in cycle. Now the nosey questions start! You have a decent treatment program for your CH? Oxygen?

Joe

Sucking on O2 as I type.  I'm new to the oxygen therapy and haven't had particularly good results yet.  Still working it out.  Apparently the equipment they dropped off isn't the right stuff.  It only goes up to 10 lpm so I'm going to have to change that tomorrow.  I popped some Imitrex before I expected this evenings dance to commence and started  sucking on the tank at the first stab in the right eye.  It's holding at a 6 or so right now so it's doing something.  I had to have my neuro call the ER to get me the right mask; the O2 guy just left the hose with the nose inserts, which did not work at all.  In fact it seemed to make things worse.  The last 2 nights, my first with the O2, were among the worst I've ever experienced.  I scared the crap out of my daughter when she bumped into me around 1 AM crushing my skull between my hands.  One quick look and she shut that bedroom door fast.

This morning was the first time I've cried over this; I wasn't feeling too manly when the third headache kicked in after back-to-back 2 hour hits.  I haven't had a decent sleep in 5 weeks, which has ravaged my mind.  But you know all this.  And tomorrow morning at 7:30 I'll stand in front of 26 17 year-olds and slog on once again.  The one consolation here is that my headaches are episodic; sometime this is going to pass. 

Oh yeah, and as to the question you asked, I'm on prednisone and verapamil, too.  In the past that has been the mix that broke the cycle.  In the past, that usually started working a week or so after starting the regimine.  It's taking longer this time.  I hope it hasn't lost its efficacy at this point.  However, as this long-winded response probably indicates, the O2 seems to be working.

Finding this site yesterday has been quite empowering.  I'e gotten more information here in the last day than my neuro has given me.  I hope after this cycle passes a beer or 2 is in my future.  Thanks for the info and encouragement.

George P

Nasal canulas...worthless! The key to 02 working is your lungs getting pure oxygen...no outside air, no exhaled air. Obviously the nasal canulas will not work for that. Need at least a 15 LPM regulator, preferably one that goes up to 25.....and a non Re Breather Mask.

Good luck. Getting the right 02 set up has totally changed my outlook on ch!

Joe

Lincare is coming by to drop a tank and the appropriate mask and higher volume valve this afternoon.  I wouldn't have known what to do if I hadn't found this site.  I finally got a little sleep last night, but I'm not out of the woods yet.

That's great news. Remember to jump on the 02 as soon as you feel the beast scratching. A delay of even a few minutes can lengthen the abort time for me. Wishing you luck and a whole bunch of succesful aborts.

If you start having problems with re attacks, within 10-20 minutes of shutting off the 02, try drinking a Red Bull or other type energy drink, in between breaths. This cycle it's worked really well at preventing the re attacks for me.

Joe

Thanks.  Last night was the best I've had in a while; one attack and I caught it pretty quickly.  I took the Imitrex and at the first signs of pressure hit the O2.  I could feel it in there, but it never fully launched.  It felt like a small critter pushing against my skull, tingling around my eye, but never the lightning.  I guess I ought to go post at the first-timers' link. Thanks again for the advice.  I'm shot, but what a gift to actually get some sleep.  I allowed myself to sleep until 7; the extra hour-and-a-half felt great.

Not to stay off the beer test topic but I will, thingfishp if you find no relief from steroids and verapamil which can happen to all of us check out START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE for some alternative ways of breaking your cycle. Good luck and keep slogging through with those 17 year old students, I have one at home just finishing up her JR year.

I wonder if Wine Coolers would bring on a CH? I may have to give it ago. Although being an episodic suffer may hinder me from even smelling the wine cooler.

ClusterHK glad to know the beer or even the smell didn't bring on an attack.

Guiseppi wrote on Jun 7^th, 2010 at 4:26pm:

That's great news. Remember to jump on the 02 as soon as you feel the beast scratching. A delay of even a few minutes can lengthen the abort time for me. Wishing you luck and a whole bunch of succesful aborts. If you start having problems with re attacks, within 10-20 minutes of shutting off the 02, try drinking a Red Bull or other type energy drink, in between breaths. This cycle it's worked really well at preventing the re attacks for me. Joe

Joe wouldn't a red bull contribute to an attack since it contains caffeine, at least I think it contains caffeine? I was told to avoid caffeine products since they can contribute to CH. I do miss a good caffeine buzz once in a while.

Neetnut,

Two things I feel MOST of us can bank on, any alcohol will trigger an attack and caffeine helps abort. Again I reiterate MOST of us. I have learned over the years what is true for  some of us is not necessarily true for all. If you have found while in cycle that wine coolers don't trigger an attack god bless, I might have to try one as I have not had any alcohol for 6 weeks. :(

David