Hello and Welcome.....

No "fixes" but you owe it to yourself to check out the O2 link on the left hand side of page.

Welcome to the board. My advice is to stock up on whatever works and be ready for the beast at any time. He'll stay in a regular routine for years and then jump up and bite your butt just when you least expect him and are unprepared....those times really suck!

If you can get to a neurologist who specializes in headaches you can greatly improve the quality of your life while in cycle. Otherwise your best bet is to educate yourself, and find an open minded GP. I've found the best results using a 2 pronged approach to my cycles:

1: A good prevent med. That's one you take daily, while on cycle, to reduce the frequency and the intensity of your attacks. I use lithium at 1200 mg a day, blocks 60-70% of my hits. Reduces my dependance on my abortives. Verapamil is usually the first try prevent and has proven succesful for many here. Topomax has a loyal following but is called dopey max by many due to its potential side effects.

1(a) A transitional therapy. I go on a 2 week prednisone taper when my cycle starts, 60 mg down to zero. It takes 10-14 days for most prevents to build up and the prednsone will generally keep beasty at bay during this time. It's a great short term med but has some serious side effects if used long term.

2: Abortives. The attack starts now what. 02 should be your first line abort. Cheap, easy, portable, I can be pain free in 6-8 minutes. Beats the old days of 90 minute rides. Read the 02 info link on the left as it must be used correctly or it won't work.

Imitrex injectables are great when I can't get to my 02 but I hate how they make me feel. Imitrex nasal sprays work for many, the pills generally take too long to get into your system to be really effective.

Energy drinks, Rock Star, Monster, I prefer sugar free Red Bull, any containing caffeine and taurine will work, chug it down at the first sign of a hit, will abort or reduce a hit for many. I use them with my oxygen for a 1-2 punch.

No cure yet but with a little trial and error you can certainly reign the beast in.

Joe

Ditto to everything already said, plus you might consider adding melatonin to your nightly routine, say 9-18mgs. Check out some of the melatonin threads on the board to be sure you're taking the real stuff. Blessings! lance

Just wanted to say welcome to the board and do try the energy drinks . If they work for you they are a relatively cheep and straight away too.

God bless

Nigel

Thank you all so much.  Clearly, I've got a LOT of reading to do

Quote:


We just hate it here when we hear silliness like this come out of a Dr.s mouth.  Unless I read what you said wrong...MANY, MANY people here get "Hit"  with a headache several times per day.  In 23 yrs.  my average would work out to 3 per day, sometimes going up to 7 or 8 times per day.   My experience is the norm, not the exception.     Also...Imitrex can be used twice in a 24-hr. Period.  If you will read the Imitrex tip to the left of here...you can abort more often and still use the same amount that is safe.

The oxygen link is also to the left of here(in yellow)  02 has been a Godsend to so many of us here.  It's safe, cheap, no side-effects and it WORKS!