Wow  you are in a terrible perdicament.  Have you considered the cluster buster methods.  They have been proven to work for many.  Use ice or heat which ever you find comforting around your neck and face.  I use the gelled tea towels that you can get cheap at walgreens.  They can be frozen or microwaved.  Works at your preference.  Try melatonin at bedtime.  Drinking a cold can of an energy drink has been able to abort some ch.  Some of the preventative meds are very cheap like methadone and lithium under $10/month.  I am sure that there are other meds you could try and pay cash for rather cheaply.  I would look at the medical info link at the left of the screen and see the list of meds and see how much they actually cost and go from there.  Maybe a cheap med will work for you.  Oxygen isn't that expensive either.  Good luck.

In the link George gave you, look for a med, Zyprexa (olanzapine). It aborts attacks very effectively and, on a per dose basis, you may find it acceptable.

As a preventive, some folks find Melatonin, 9-11mg/day useful. Since it's an OTC product, you don't need a Rx and it quite inexpensive.

Explore the OUCH site (left). You may find some other alternatives to meds which you could try.

Several of the drug companies offer programs to help folks get meds at reduced cost. Once you and your doc agree on something, your druggist should be able to to advise on this approach.

that is some great news.  I am glad the O2 is coming.

You want to use a non-rebreather mask with a reservoir bag.  The nose canules dont work well at all.

You want pure O2 to flow at a minimum of 15 litres per minute.  Get on the O2 as soon as you feel a CH coming on.  Slow deep breaths work best for me.

Also might want to try some caffeine.  I drink Pepsi and coffee.  Others drink RedBull or other energy drinks.  Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, which helps CH. 

Don't be afraid, you aren't lost anymore!!
Welcome.
B$

Hi hon, I dont know how this will fly with most on here but this is how I use my O2... first, it's an "all out of pocket" expence for me so I treat it like gold. I get 2 sizes of tanks, E and D (D's are shorter and easier to haul around) and I bought a sweet little regulator on E-bay for $5! It only has a max flow rate of 8 liters per minute, but that has always been enough for me after more than 20 years of use. Now the way I use it... I cut the end of a nasal cannula off, put the hose in my mouth and crank to 8, letting the O2 fill my lungs like a balloon, while at the same time breathing deeply and steadily through my nose. It usually takes only 2-3 minutes to abort, but only if you catch them in the early stages, and after 30 years of suffering, I can smell a cluster comming a mile away. Also, I turn my regulator on and off with each inhale so as not to waste a single precious ounce. Again, this might be frowned on by some or even most on here, I dont know. But damn the torpedos! This is just my way, find what works best for you, and God bless and goodluck!

Guiseppi wrote on Nov 14^th, 2008 at 6:35pm: