The only thing I've found that effectively combats the fatigue associated with verapamil is caffeine. And for me, that means large amounts of it. Like 4-6 cups of coffee a day.

It's one of the reasons I don't take it anymore.

It does the same thing to me and I take small doses compared to everyone else.  A month after my last headache, I start tapering down, then continue on 10mg in AM and 10mg in PM year round.  This is the first time I have stayed on a low dose yearly (as my doctor suggested, but I didn't like).  It has been a year since my last headaches, which is too early to tell if the small dose is doing anything for me.  There have been a few times recently that I got the pressure build up and I just added an extra 10mg that for a couple of days and it hasn't progressed.  But, like I said...it is too early to tell.  When I started tapering...I did it VERY slowly and sometimes had to back up a little and re-start.  Hope this helps.  I hate the Verapamil, too, but, like you, I am too afraid to stop it.

Joni

I know you feel terrible.  I won't take Tomamax...wouldn't be able to function at all.

Hey, its better than the CH's so if CH's are the main dish I'll
live with the sides. I'm an episodic so I get vacations from the
madness thank "well someone" I don't know who!  but I
thank you! I don't know how you guys live chronic, wow, no
break from the beast.  Talk about a visitor that staied to long
and smells like fish!  That's some smelly old rotting fish!

Topomax to the max baby!    Dumb as Dogdooo!

Hey I have a bright side 9 years ago Doc said quit smoking
might help (didn't help the CH's) it did help my health!
But, I gained a lot of weight.  Well, that dropping with the
Dope-o-max faster than I put it on!  Yeah baby! Back to
my fighting weight in a few weeks!   
I have been dropping it slowly but the last 20-25 has been
killer.  Are they listed as diet pills!  Kidding!!!! 

Have a PF  weekend all!

Hey Brew:

Told you I was dumb as shit! 

Leave it to me to go against the grain! 

Normally I get some smaller warning hits before the off
the charts hits come.

I started as once a year, then it was every 2! yeah baby!!!!
Last time I got a warning, last year started med's for a few
months and was fine for a year! Can I hear a yeah baby!!!
Then this year Whamo!  Hit hard just like I remember,
but it was 3 years ago I forgot the routine!
That's what you mean?  Brew, not remembering how to deal
with them.

I'll be myself again soon I think, I pray, I hope! And drug
free!  For I hope maybe 1 - 2 years.  Maybe 3 if I get lucky.
I'll  take that over chronic, but if that's what the survey
says! They must be right.  I'll pull my head out of there!

I Love My vacations as I call them, Great imitrex stock time!
I get my pile nice and high for the next visit. 

Don't get me wrong I haven't a clue but any time away
my friend is time well spent.  Even if I spend it with my
head up there so deep I start to see light again if that's at
all possible!! 

Hey have a great weekend everyone,

Boski

Hey Brew:

I feel for ya!  All I know I look forward to that next break!
You have the knowledge of both, you know how the other
half lives!  Hope your in a PF cycle at this point in life!

Have a gr8 one man! 

Boski

I started to hold the guitar again so must be getting used
to these med's cause it was like a switch, stopped playing
after 7 months of almost everyday 1/2hr + I hope I play
better after I stop taking all this stuff. But I am playing
again and enjoying it.  That's a good thing!  Peace all.

Keep that damned hack under your arm Boski, glad to hear your pushing the strings again!

Joe

Quote:

Not necessarily. Chronic just means no break that lasts more than thirty days.

Not a moron - just uneducated.

I Know Brew.  Bad Joke!  

Not sure how to tell, But I have gone 8-9  months.

Hello Everyone,
Thanks for all the great advice!  Joni, I think I will try tapering.....next week...!!  It’s just weird for me to be so afraid of this beast... I’m not afraid of anything else but this stupid thing!  I like spiders, snakes, rats, cats, dogs...okay, you get the picture...I’m a Mississippi girl.

I had a couple very small hits this weekend and it threw me for a loop.  Was able to maintain without drugs and only the a/c vent in my face in the car.  I’m seeing my PCP  for the first time since my diagnosis tomorrow.  Not sure if she knows about CH and not too sure what to tell her.  I guess I will print off something from the web site and have it ready just in case.  I know she will have something to say about the weight gain...this time I have an excuse.... the pred!  Lol
And thanks for the laughs and banter... it’s great medicine!  lib

Hi Joni,
It's been a while since the Pred.; I was on 60 mg for about three weeks and then started to taper.... took longer than the neuro wanted but I was so afraid to give it up. I'd had about all I could take of trying to rest propped up in the bed so I wouldn't fall asleep. Then having to work without any sleep.  So, to answer your question (sorry, I digress...a lot), I had been completely off pred about 10 days or so before I started to get the little hits. I continue to have this pressure, not pain, behind my eye and some twitching on one side of my lip.  I didn't have any of that while taking the pred.

I went to see my PCP today, I forgot to print off the info, I forget a lot of things these days. She acknowledged that she knew about clusters but I doubt she knows a whole lot a she didn't elaborate nor answer my Verapamil. She was too interested in whether I had my mammogram this year!  Are you kidding me, my mammogram!!! I'm telling you I have these attacks that feel like a space shuttle is launching out of my head while an auger is trying to drill into it all the while someone is poking my eardrum out with a knitting needle and stabbing my eyeball with a butcher knife and spooning the pieces out and you want to know if I've had my yearly mammogram!!!

Whew!  Okay, that was my rant for the day... she also wants me to take a baby aspirin and continue to lower my cholesterol (total current 111) because I've had a stroke... which btw, felt like a bee sting compared to this beast... oops, here I go again.
lib