Hello Bluebear

Welcome to the board , you are not alone.
There's loads of people on here to ask questions of and years of experience (not me though as I'm in year 1 and there for know nothing) but I'm shore some one will be a long soon to tell you all about O2 etc.

anyway Just wanted to say HI

Nigel

Hi Las Vegas & Nigel
Thanks for the support.
Yes - the steroids were Prednisone, and it was 10 a day to start with going down to two a day which I am now on.
I've had time to browse around the site, and oxygen seems to be favoured by a lot of people. I'll have a talk to the doctor on Wednesday.
I have this vision of me walking in to work in a wet suit with aqualung, mask & flippers - but feeling just great!
Anyway, the Imigran is great for me - it really does a fast job of stopping the attacks in their tracks. Of course the recommended dosage is a maximum of 2 in 24 hours. I'm a pretty big guy, and I've allowed myself 3 a day if necessary - but only as a last resort. But I guess we all know about last resorts.
I do think that Imigran occasionally gives me a nasty type of "hangover". It seems to be a bit like an attack coming on, but more "heavy" and "blunt." I've learned to try to ride this out, and a shower, coffee and 2 or 3 ibiprofens inevitably sort this out.
The Zomig, I use sometimes before I go to bed, and it usually gives me four or five hours sleep without a nuclear war going off in my head. Once again, I'm sure you all know about "just wanting a nice normal sleep." The other use for them is to take one when I feel an attack coming on during the day, and this usually stops things happening.
This brings me on to sleep. My experience is that when I'm well into a cycle, I'm starting to suffer from lack of sleep, and the attacks can be more severe. Has anyone had any experience of taking a sleeping tablet just to give them agood 12 hour sleep??
Jeez - I sound like a junkie! Thinking about this, I recall times when medical professionals have thought that's exactly what I was. The look on thier face that they "knew" I was just looking for a fix of something. My CLs and I have done a lot of travelling, and in some countries I've had no help whatsoever!
I'm really glad I've found this site, and I'm going to make a conscientious effort to keep in touch - even afte this present cycle goes. I'm grateful for the "I'm here for you" approach, and would like to say that "I'm here for you guys too!"
One great minimal thing I've now got is that - from now on - I'm going to say it's "Cluster Headaches" when I explain to people, and not "migraines." I'm a 100% CL sufferer (or clusterhead as you guys say) and I'm not going into the business of pandering to people's ignorance any more. If anyone wants an explantion, I'll point them to Simon Bower's fine letter, or some of the other resources on the Web.
This cycle is the turning point, and I now realise that this is something that I will have to live with for the rest of my life. My future mission, then, is knowing how to deal with it, and my take is that the next time it crops up, I should go "preventative" as quickly as possible. This combination of Prednisone and Verapamil seems to be working, and I have the feeling that I'm a week or two away from the end of this cycle. If I'm right, then I'll go for that next time - and as soon as I can.
Once again - thanks for being here.

An energy drink such as red bull can help reduce high kip attacks and even abort low ones  doesn't matter what make as long as it has caffeine and taurin in it .

Just thought it might help.

Nigel

Bluebear, your attitude is great!  As for taking 3 Imigran (Imitrex) in a 24 hr period, you can avoid the health risk and avoid the hangover feeling by using the "Imitrex Tip" seen on the left side of your screen.  Essentially it is utilizing the 6 mg dose into three 2 mg doses.  More bang for your buck, without the health risks and hangover.  You inquired of a sleeping tablet to get a good night sleep, many here use 9 mg of Melatonin before bed, reporting it helps get a better night rest compared to not taking it.  Oxygen is the best abortive and the safest and the least expensive.  Highly recommend you read the Oxygen Info tab on the lest side of yor screen and print to share with your doctor.  Good luck

What Las Vegas said about the imitrex tip!

This is very important, and can greatly improve your CH experience starting....immediately.

Imitrex Tip: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Hey Everyone
Thanks a lot for all these great tips.
I've done the Imigran one (Imitrex) and it works a treat. I've now got this wonderful feeling of looking at 4 doses and knowing that there are 12 there!
I've come to the end of of my prednisone today - but I've got quite a few left. Guiseppe - many thanks for the concern and the advice. Since I'm only - what - three days into the Verapamil, I think I'll follow your advice and keep taking two tabs of Prednisone daily for another week, along with the Verapamil.
I've got the doctors on Wednesday, so we'll see what happens there. I'll have a talk to her about O2 - I can only try. My second line of attack is the neurologist, but I'm still waiting for my appointment. Perhaps he will be more interested in me, and I intend to discuss quite a few things I've learned on here.
Things weren't so bad last night - I feel that the attacks were "blunter" and "heavier" and I didn't wake up with my eyes streaming. Since this is now my fifth week, and the doc first of all put me on a course of Pizotofen, maybe, just maybe, I'm coming out of it.
Coming out of it or not, I've sussed from this board that I'm going to have to be prepared to fight this Beast, and to be ready with a game plan next time round.
I'd like to also say thanks to Headache Boy, Brew et al for the tips about the energy drinks. My expresso machine is now working full out since I got the info on caffeine from this board, and I've been keeping topped up at work with a couple of Red Bulls.
You guys all take care.
Catch you soon.