Posted by Duke on June 05, 1999 at 19:40:26:
In Reply to: How long does it take to get Verapamil to work? posted by Laura H. on June 05, 1999 at 11:32:10:
Laura,
Glad to see your note. My doctor gave me some samples of Verelan (Verapamil) he had in his office to try. They are 180 mg capsules. I tried them for 3 days with no results. Maybe I should have been up to two pills a day? I didn't throw them out. If the water doesn't work for me, I might give them a try. Imitrex also works for me in 5 minutes (shots). But the cost is a little steep (but better than mucho suffering). I did read on the net that Verapamil won't work if you have other medicines being taken at the same time such as caffeine drugs etc. They didn't mention Imitrex though. They said you needed to clear out the system before Verapamil could work. This is what was written about DHE and rebound headaches.
"Drug Rebound Headache
Rebound, or drug-induced headache, is a syndrome caused by the excessive use of analgesics in patients prone to migraine or tension-type headaches. Clinical features include a diffuse, bilateral headache associated with GI complaints and photosensitivity and usually worsened by mild physical or mental exertion. Patients may be awakened in the early morning with headache and complain of constant restlessness, impaired memory or concentration, nausea, asthenia, and depression. Work and social habits may be dysfunctional. To fend off rebound headaches, patients take excessive amounts of medicines containing barbiturates, opioids, and caffeine. (In this clinical setting, prophylatic therapy is doomed to failure. Treatment often reuires inpatient detoxification.) Rebound headaches are managed with vigorous hydration and a scheduled regimen of DHE (0.5 to 1 mg IV q 8 h) along with metoclopramide 10 mg IV. Associated anxiety is managed with diazepan. Most patients detoxify within several days and become available for counseling and initiation of prophylactic regimens." This was in the "Daily Hemicrain" Migraine Specialized Journal, on the net.
Kind of long winded, but sounds like they may have you in mind. Have you ever tried Prednisone.
A 20 Mg pill each day for 10 days cured me for two years . . . but make sure you taper off the pill 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 done for 3 or 4 days each after the 10 days. You could be cured right away. I didn't have headache 1 from the first day on the pill. Good luck Laura.
Duke