I'd never had any energy type drink in my life until a couple of months ago when I read about the Red Bull "trick" here. I've found that it makes a huge difference when I do get a CH in that it drops the duration down from what was typically 45-70 minutes to 5 - 15 minutes. I've also noticed that the intensity has dropped too.

Whilst the exact mechanism is not known, it is suspected that the caffeine / taurine is acting as a vasoconstrictor.

As to all the kids using it, well they are just falling for all the marketing.

... well if I was stuck out in the forest with no meds etc and got hit, thanks to this place I'd know exactly what to do....  run on the spot!  Vigorous exercise works   

Quote:


Exactly. And it was out of desperation after 22 years that I looked for, and found, this site. Here I found a fellowship of sufferers who had found a way to remain on this side of desperation. And a willingness to share what works for them. That is a key ingredient in any site such as this one: we share what works (lay stress upon the next phrase) for us. Another phrase you'll hear around here is "everyone is diferent." If Brew, and others, did not share with me I would still be in desperation. So...stick around, be humble in the face of the pain others feel, and contribute meaningfully to the hope we so "desperately" need. Blessings! lance

I am a big mind over matter person myself.  I know that if I remain calm during a hit (it's really a lot harder than it sounds) the chances of it ramping up to suicidal type pain are lower than if I let my B.P. go through the roof.  It took YEARS for me to realize and try this.  But it does help.  I call it "embracing the pain" ( I stole that line from Robert Jordan).  It is a state of mind that I get into and just think "It's pain, that's all it is and it wont stop until it's done, so I might as well just wait for it to be done".  Do I still use abortives?  Yes I do, but not nearly as many as I did in my early years.  Does CH affect different people differently?  Most certainly.  But I understand where the original poster is coming from and agree with him on quite a bit.  I've been a pacer, crawler, head-banger, screamer, whiner, pounder, prayer, you name it.  But since I've learned to "calm down" and behave myself, the hits are more manageable and the cycles are shorter (I think the latter is due to using fewer triptans - just my opinion, I'm no doctor). 

So with all that stuff out of the way, welcome to the community and I hope you find relief where and when you can.

Agostino Leyre wrote on Aug 5^th, 2010 at 4:50pm:


Dang near word for word agreement here. It was a near epihany when I FINALLY figured out my own reaction was only making things worse....

Oh...that and verapamil, zomig ns, and oxygen (my buddy!)

Best,

Jon

I tried Red bull for headaches recently without success. I only tried a few times. Is there anything else I should be doing with it to make it more successful?

This is a great thread because it causes those of us who have been around for a while (many much longer than me) to reaffirm our personalized treatment plans and learn about more coping tools. My experience:
1. Red Bull helps with shadows and enhances my O2 when taken before O2 treatment. It has never aborted a real HA
2. High flow O2 is the only real abortive for an HA I have experienced. Don't leave home without it when in cycle.
3. Relaxation techniques, breathing, jaw, neck and head stress relieving exercises reduce my stress level.
4. Having a plan and confidence in it reduces my stress level.
5. Mind over matter (confidence/faith) is a real thing and reduces my stress, but has never been enough to abort an HA for me.
6. Reducing stress can only help and should be part of our arsenal.
7. I think most of us agree that there are very few drugs that we can count on and even fewer with no side affects.
7. Busting with your "tool" of choice is the real deal for many of us and no known side affects.
8. Red Bull has a massive market and there are not enough of us in the world to impact their sales.
9. The kids and celebs are getting screwed up on prescription meds in this country, and cocaine and additives. The busting tools reference here are not addictive and very natural.

Just my 2 cents and thanks for the great post

Haunted1, count me in as another one who has aborted shadows with Red Bull, never a real CH hit.

In fact I had a strong shadow the other day (or was it a low level hit?) that had gone on for a good while before I chugged the Red Bull, and that's the first one I remember the Red Bull not working on. I ended up going to the car and doing the deep breathing thru the nose on the blasting/freezing air conditoner vent, and that killed it outright.

Jay, I'm in  agreement with much of your ten commandments, and I'm a vocal proponent of busting, but last time I checked, there can be side effects associated with busting during the relatively short time one is under the influence. 

Hello All,

I am new here and was doing as the site asked and reading before posting. I was getting ready to post my own little personal tidbits and horror story, when I stumbled upon this post.

Just a little background I have been struggling with the Beast for 12 years now! I am just learning about a lot of this stuff now. As many of you I am sure, I went misdiagnosed for a long time. Well when I think back to those times before the verpamil, and triptans, Hoping the O2 soon (as insurance would not pay for from last visit) I am not sure what has REALLY worked? I remember the Beast coming knocking and taking Advil or Tylenol or whatever other HA medicine was lying around, sitting there with a cold rag and gently rubbing the area around my eye and to my nose (which I still do to this day)!!! Honestly I am not sure anything else has worked any better. Although I am eager to try (especially the O2)! Anyway, most of us have said the Beast is a strange animal and who really knows if the time you took a red bull if it did anything, or was it just a CH that was never gonna go above a 3 on the kip? I am in no way trying to be a naysayer (especially since I am new here) Whatever works - works, and if it be a red bull or just plain will power then nuthin for nuthin I am trying it!!!!

I have another MRI tonight (just to piss me off - lol) and a Neurology appt on friday.

Hopefully I will get my own little Bio up before the day is out - so keep an eye out.

Hope everyone can be Pain Free, and lets Kick this Beasts A$$!!!

Lets go Phillies,
E  - aka Erik

Welcome to the Board Erik !

I hope your MRI/Neuro visit goes well and you get the help you need.

  As for my eye...well I already want to pull it out of my head on occasion so I'll keep it in for now, but I will watch for your bio/posting. 

PF Wishes to you!
Ging...

1haunted1   ,-( wrote on Aug 5^th, 2010 at 10:54pm:

Yes I have tried O2 and red bull along with many,many other things as I approach my 20th year aniversary with these things.....

O2 works great if you use it at a very high flow rate 25 lpm and up.  Red bull or other energy drinks help some times, a little, especially if you drink it early on.  Never tried maritol, sounds like a narcotic and I refuse to go down that road.  CH has not defeated me and nor will I allow it to.  So I am not going to risk my quality of life by using potentially addictive narcotics.

JustNotRight wrote on Aug 9^th, 2010 at 6:58pm:


Thanks so much for the reply! I love the eye line!!!

Same wishes to you,
E

Agostino Leyre wrote on Aug 10^th, 2010 at 11:16am:


Yes, Marinol (if that's the med you're referring to) can produce dependency - but it's not a narcotic.  It is a derivative of the active ingredient in marijuana and is considered a cannabinoid.  I don't know of any studies showing effectiveness for CH