So, for the past 30 years of life, I have had Eposodic periods lasting no more than 4 weeks. The beast returns every two to three years. Well, the beast has been in my life now since October. This cycle has been very strange, and I am concerned maybe my cycles are changing to chronic. Has anyone else experienced this? Also, I started Batch's "cocktail of vitamins" three days ago. No HA last night, but then no sleep either. I was so afraid to go asleep because thats when the beast makes his visits.

Did you treat your last cycle with another medication than usual?

No. Same routine everytime. 480 verapamil everyday. O2 on the onset, and when the O2 doesn't work, 4mg trex

Hey Wing_Nut,

I'd kick back and snooze If I were you...  The anti-inflammatory regimen can work that fast.

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch

When episodic CH becomes chronic it's a good idea to look for a serious trigger - usually chemical, such as a medicine taken for another condition or a chemical you're exposed to at work. A hormonal change is also possible and it might be a good idea to have blood tests.

Thanks all. And Batch if this anti-inflammatory works, I'm gonna drive to Bremmerton and give you a big hug.

Hey Wing_Nut,

You're on...  Name your favorite libation...  I'll have it chilled and ready.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Hoping the Batch Magic stops it for ya. The beast changing his habits....sadly.....it's an all too common refrain. It's about the only constant...his ability to always morph! ;)

Joe

shooky wrote on Feb 28^th, 2013 at 7:55pm:

When episodic CH becomes chronic it's a good idea to look for a serious trigger - usually chemical, such as a medicine taken for another condition or a chemical you're exposed to at work. A hormonal change is also possible and it might be a good idea to have blood tests.

Do you have evidence for this assertion? It wasn't my experience going from episodic to chronic. Triggers were the same, nothing changed medically, just symptomatically. It is why we say the "beast morphs" leaving behind once effective treatments. Not arguing here, just curious. blessings. lance

Lance, you might be right. But I am wondering if something less obvious (hormone levels is just one example) could be a trigger for the change. It's hard for me to believe it would happen for no reason whatsoever. Though that's just me.

I do get you "are wondering" about this. What I questioned was moving CHs from its designation as a primary headache back to the old view that CHs were secondary to some other illness or condition. It's easy to do, but not helpful, nor is there any research I know about allowing the assertion. For me, the trip from episodic to chronic (and perhaps now back to episodic) is part of the normal path this disease can take. Sort of like metastasizing. Cancer doesn't have to, but it can. CHs don't have to become chronic but they can.

Lance - I have a blog (in Hebrew) about headaches, and many of my readers turn to me for support and advice (which is usually "turn to a headache specialist"). When people with CH tell me things like "it never lasts that long", I try to help them find out possible triggers.

After about 5 years of doing so, I'm pretty sure about this: in many cases, ECH turns into CCH because there's a strong trigger like alcohol, viagra, industrial chemicals, etc. in the picture. 

Of course, this is hardly scientific, but it does make sense.

Personally, my cycles have changed significantly over the past 30 years, and I'm now diagnosed as CCH although I had my last "real" attack some 5 month ago (7 week cycle).

I would be very interested to know if there has ever been any serious work done on understanding the effect that taking verapamil has on initiating the changeover from ECH to CCH. There seems to be a widely held opinion here that taking it for ECH often triggers this changeover but I don't know if there is any scientific backing for this. For my part I was episodic until my third cycle when I took verapamil, I don't know that I have ever really got out of it since then, certainly I have never managed to go med free for very long before a new cycle hits me.

Wayne wrote on Mar 13^th, 2013 at 9:49pm:

There seems to be a widely held opinion here that taking it for ECH often triggers this changeover but I don't know if there is any scientific backing for this.

I can't remember seeing this but perhaps you are right. The only discussion I've noticed concerning verapamil and ECH is whether or not to take it when out of cycle. Some say yes, some say no. Do you have other threads in mind? blessings. lance