thanks to my wife i found this site, i thought id share my treatment with everyone.
i take a half of 100mg imitrix every four hours from the time i get up till bed (which we all know sucks) and 10/325mg of hydrocod with each dose, the hydro take away from the extreme pain of the episode or should i say dulls it a bit , i dont have insurance so i dont have oxgen but working on getting the machine for in home use i know it does help, ijust had a episode that lasted about 20 minutes but i also tryed a triple expresso while having it not sure if that sped it up or not...i've take blood pressure med and alergy daily as well...the only thing that gets scary is my heart rate drops to as low as 18 beats a minute during the peak of the episode... slow steady breathing and staying mellow helps....and trying not to touch my head and face (but we all know that is hard not to do!) helps....
im on week 6 of the cycle havent had one for a year and half before know and never this time of the year.....not sure why having cycle now.....any thoughts.....??

You're taking quite an unusual mix of medication for your CHs.

Imitrex is not an idea preventive, which is what you're using it as. I am not sure that taking it every four hours every day will do your heart or circulatory system much good at all. Imitrex is best used in it's injectable form as a way to abort CHs.

Hydrocod is a narcotic pain killer, which as you comment will do relatively little to kill the pain of a CH, but it will result in dependency issues.

What you need to do is to move to some better medication for your CHs.

First off, you need a preventive, something like verapamil, lithium or topomax, which will cut down the number of CHs you get.

An alternative or compliment to this is based on vitamin D (see the topic START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE). This is becoming very popular here as it is effective for a lot of people.

For any CHs that get through you need something to kill them off quick. For this oxygen is amazingly good. Many people use welding oxygen, which is just as pure as medical oxygen, otherwise welds would fail.

Also try out energy drinks, like Red Bull or Monster, with both taurine and caffeine at the start of a CH as this can reduce the pain and intensity of the CH.

Keep reading the forums, ask questions and people will do all they can to answer them.

Careful the 325mg every 4 hurs doesn't mess your liver up.  Lots of tylenol!

NEfigureout wrote on Jan 14^th, 2012 at 12:05am:

thanks to my wife i found this site, i thought id share my treatment with everyone. i take a half of 100mg imitrix every four hours from the time i get up till bed (which we all know sucks) and 10/325mg of hydrocod with each dose, the hydro take away from the extreme pain of the episode or should i say dulls it a bit , i dont have insurance so i dont have oxgen but working on getting the machine for in home use i know it does help, ijust had a episode that lasted about 20 minutes but i also tryed a triple expresso while having it not sure if that sped it up or not...i've take blood pressure med and alergy daily as well...the only thing that gets scary is my heart rate drops to as low as 18 beats a minute during the peak of the episode... slow steady breathing and staying mellow helps....and trying not to touch my head and face (but we all know that is hard not to do!) helps.... im on week 6 of the cycle havent had one for a year and half before know and never this time of the year.....not sure why having cycle now.....any thoughts.....??

You would die.

        Potter

NEfigureout,
Your medical regimen for CH's is not helping, but harming you. 

Hydro = serious emotional and physical problems. 
Energy drinks, Trex inj, 100% o2 = fantastic!

Imitrex pills = prolonging pain. 
Imitrex nasal spray and/or injections = fantastic!

O2 machines = worthless.
100% o2 is fantastic!

Recipe for proper CH treatment:
(A) Transitional,
(B) Preventive,
(C) Abortive.

Start some reading here, take notes, ask questions and make solid recommendations to a worthy headache specialist.  You need to be knowledgeable and a self advocate.

Also, your heart rate is so low that I would be surprised you are alive.  Minimal (safe) heart rate according to cardiologists is no less than 50/minute.

You are not alone, we understand your pain and frustrations...Stick around, we'll show you the ropes. ;)

-Gregg in Las Vegas

thanks for the info, i can't afford anything other then the pills the injections i found out are 170 dollars for 2 injections, i dont have health insurance soo its a little ruff on the wallet.  i am trying the heavy doses of coffee in small consentrated amounts it seems to shorten the time.. and i am weeding off the hydro it really isnt doing much...thanks again for your suggestions i'll take any i can get this place is great...its getting close to the witching hours soo....talk soon....thanks again

I'd stay away from caffeine as much as possible as it can make shadows last longer and occasionally cause a rebound headache. Have you tried the oral steriod method? Can't be any worse for your system than the method you appear to be using now.

READ READ READ... There's a wealth of info on this site and, as other's have said - you're doing it all wrong (in my opinion).

The trex pills will cause rebounds and mess with your heart. (and are expensive)

O2 (the machines are useless) is what most of us swear by - can kill a hit in just a few minutes without side effects. Welder's O2 is as safe as med O2 and cheaper than the stuff you're buying now.

Pain meds are useless for CH (most of us have been there and know that for a fact).

Ergotomine (Cafergot) is an old vaso-constrictor and a cheaper alternative to Trex (it's what I take). Doesn't seem to mess with the heart rate like Trex does and works for a longer period of time (at least for me). BUT I only take it as a last resort.

Sounds like you need to consult a "good" CH doc (one that actually knows something about CH).

Now as to no insurance - I went for years with no insurance and I do understand that problem. O2 is the cheapest way and the most effective one that I can tell you.. Energy drinks help if you take them at the first sign of a hit, but get on the O2 immediately - it's saved a LOT of pain for me. Look on the left at the CH.com store for the RIGHT mask for the O2 - this is one of the most important things about the O2 - the RIGHT mask.

Keep us informed - we're here to help. :-*