It's been a while since I was last here and posted. Probably almost 6 years.
I'm an episodice suffer and 5 1/2 weeks into my current full-blown cycle, though I started getting my shadows - or what I call "F-you" headaches about 2 weeks prior.
It usually takes me about a week or so to realize that it's a cluster cycle coming on - deny, deny, deny.
At any rate, I've been aborting with Relpax since mid-late September with a lot of success. Just a lot of pain (tenderness and "cluster-bruising") and exhaustion after.
I'm typically a daytime sufferer, but this cycle has been completely different. Late night, wake me out of a sleep, or first thing - as soon as I open my eyes, attacks. Only a handful have been my normal - 2 hrs after waking up - and they've been the worst.
Food seems to bring them on in the am unless I wait to eat until after an attack. And it aggravates the shadows in the evening.
I haven't had a drop to drink in 2 1/2 weeks. Got fed up a few weeks ago and mixed vicodin and Relpax with a margarita chaser only to remind myself how stupid that is.
I've pretty much given up on the vicodin to help with the shadows also. It's not helping so I haven't taken but two 1/2 tabs in the last week.
I've been to countless doctors in the course of the 15+ years that these have been as bad as they are including neurologists, pain management clinics etc. No more imitrex for me. Doesn't work any more and the Dr. doesn't want to prescribe the injections. I'm cool with that as long as the Relpax keeps working. I can abort an attack within 10-30 minutes. I just wonder if all that I am taking is just making this cycle last that much longer. 5 1/2 weeks is longer than typical. Most last 3-4 weeks, but I did go 8 weeks once... the year that they tried Prednisone, Depakote, Vicodin, you name it...
Anyway, I have yet to try O2, not for lack of wanting, but because I never have the opportunity to try to see if it will work for me. I am not getting hit during office hours and by the time I get to an ER, it'd either be almost over or so bad that I'd take something just to ease the pain. Any suggestions with that one?
Well, that's enough ranting for now. Sorry that I'm back here and that you're all here to read this. I know we're all going through this together which is somehow comforting, but I really wish that this site did not need to exist.
I'm just frustrated, angry and want my life back and I know you will all understand.
Thanks for reading...
~ Katie