So I leave a hotel and head down the interstate. Almost 50 miles later a cluster attack is imminent. I quickly pull over at a rest stop and pull to the very end. I reached into the back of my truck for my med bag with Imitrex injections ... BUT the bag was not there. I had left it back at the hotel.

Now, the pain is so bad, I'm NOT going anywhere! I had to sit and be TORTURED for 2 hours (KIP 10).

That hasn't happened to me in years and looking back on it now, I'm so glad that a cop didn't stop in and mess with me (wanting my license, insurance, etc, and wanting to know what I was doing and what is wrong with me). Things could've went very badly for everyone !!

Nobody messed with me and the cluster attack played out it's entire attack. After I regained my senses, I went back and got my bag of Imitrex and made it back home. Home Sweet Home !!

It was one of those days that a person NEVER forgets !!  :'(

I have a love affair with this med because: it's almost as fast as the injection; costs far less; and, in your situation, how nice if a pill or two was in a container hanging around your neck.
===
Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):813-6 

Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.


Rozen TD.
Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. THE INITIAL OLANZAPINE DOSE WAS 5 MG, AND THE DOSE WAS INCREASED TO 10 MG IF THERE WAS NO PAIN RELIEF. THE DOSAGE WAS DECREASED TO 2.5 MG IF THE 5-MG DOSE WAS EFFECTIVE BUT CAUSED ADVERSE EFFECTS. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and TWO PATIENTS BECAME HEADACHE-FREE AFTER TAKING THE DRUG. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. IT ALLEVIATES PAIN QUICKLY AND HAS A CONSISTENT RESPONSE ACROSS MULTIPLE TREATED ATTACKS. IT APPEARS TO WORK IN BOTH EPISODIC AND CHRONIC CLUSTER HEADACHE.

PMID 11576207 PubMed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.
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Since this abstract was first posted Zyprexa has appeared in some lists of recommended meds for CH. [BJ]

Fortunately I can count on one hand the times I got caught empty handed....major major suckage... :'(

Joe

Imitrex4Breakfast:

Yikes.  I recently forced myself to endure a CH without tx just to see where the thing took me.  Was it going to be shorter?  Kinder?  Gentler?  No, I was greeted by the same 90 minutes that I used to endure without any relief.  Reading your account saddens and touches me.  I'm finally putting together a more reliable emergency kit.  I had NO idea about the oral med.  Gotta talk to my MD about that. Take care,
TJ

Thanks Bob, but I have tried that med. It was Todd Rozen that put me on it years ago while at MHNI with Dr. Saper. Unfortunatley, it didn't help me.

I4B

Sorry that Olzan didn't work for you. I still remember my first use: worked so rapidly and totally that I was almost left in tears over the experience.