Posted by Pat on July 10, 1998 at 23:16:41:
In Reply to: Let's all answer this one . ( tad long ) posted by Yazz on July 10, 1998 at 01:00:56:
OK, I'll wade in on this.
Ihave had classic migraine since preteen. My mother
and grandmother also.
I was whiplashed in an 83 car wreck and added clusters
at that time.
Beer is a trigger always guaranteed to produce a
episode within 15 minutes and return over an over
for 24-36 hrs. The CH 1 hour after bedtime and again
in the wee hours is quite typical for me. Curiously,
fine bourbon will seldom cause the problem.
I still get migraine several times a month, but, there
is a decided difference from CH.
I use coldpacks and hotpacks, depending upon which
doesn't cause more pain for any particular attack.
I'm a smoker, 43yo man, with a high stress job.
I broke my back in a diving accident at age 18 and
have used yoga since age 25 to control that pain
as well as to deal with stress and migraine, however,
yoga is of no help with cluster, just can't muster the
level of concentration or detachment.
I have tried numerous so called preventative meds
such as verelan, inderall, prozac, amytriptylene,
dilantin, and lately bellergalle (contains ergot,
beladona alkaloids,and phenobarbitol).
I use cafergot or imetrix nasal as abortives, with
limited effectiveness. Oxy was of limited usefulness.
Cafergot seems to last longer and prevent reoccurence
for a longer period but is becoming less effective.
I have also tried midrin, imetrix oral, fiorinal,
and darvocette as well as various OTCs and combinations.
I have been sitting on 24 150mg duflucan tabs and
detoxing over the last week and next week at which time
I will have 12 days vacation and will by then be
off everything else and free to roll around on the floor
suffer through the CHs,and give the diflucan a fair
test at 200mg per day.I'll let y'all know sometime in
August how this test goes.
I have been chronic with these damn things for 15
years now and only an occasional week or so off
the pain train so it has been difficult to put a
label on anything which *really* seems to be a
difinitive cause. I am fortunate in that my individual
attacks seldom last over an hour or two even if
I use no meds. It is so easy to take too durn much
of anything in desperation that it is a constant battle
to moderate the use of meds but it has, over the
years become easier to do so.
To address the external factors,
high stress job, (yoga!, yoga!, yoga!)
good physical condition
regular exercise
work is 50/50 physical and sedentary
Florida sun and heat sucks
love the return of cool weather
ahhhh swimming even with CH :<)
and above all, knowlege! stifles fear and helps
to feel some measure of control.
45 caliber analgesics? not considered since the
first year or so.
Be well friends,
Pat