Posted by Jackie on June 09, 1999 at 20:27:57:
In Reply to: re:medication posted by Doris E. Buss on June 09, 1999 at 15:53:41:
Doris:
You're asking about abortive drugs. Have you tried
any of the preventives? Verapamil would be an
excellent place to start. You start at, say, 120 mg per
day and ramp up as needed. People with cluster
are typically on 240, 360, or even 480 mg per day.
I found that with the Verapamil, I did not get
any cluster attacks. It takes a while for it to
kick in--maybe 2 weeks to fully kick in. If you
do have any "break-through" headaches, you can
try Imitrex nasal spray (20 mg), which works in
20 min, or the injection, which works in 10 min.
Or, you can inhale pure oxygen (8 to 10 liters per
minute through a face mask). You need a physician's
prescription, but the oxygen is extremely effective
for most people. They have portable tanks.
Jackie