Posted by Carl T (205.179.128.40) on July 21, 1999 at 11:43:30:
I recently discovered this group and believe it to be the best thing going regarding support and info-passing.
My last cycle ended 2 1/2 years ago (thought I'd outgrown them — wrong!). The previous one was 2 years before that. In total, I'm a 19-year sufferer, but it wasn't until those last two cycles that I was diagnosed correctly and prescribed Verapamil. In both these previous cases, it was a month or so before I actually started taking the medicine. In both instances the cycles were over within days. Granted, their let-ups probably had more to do with their running their natural course, than with the drug.
My current series of headaches started in the middle of May. I called and had a prescription filled almost immediately and have been taking it religiously. Some nights are better than others — from no episodes to 2-3 episodes (but most within a severity level of '4-5' on my personal richter scale of '1-10', for which I'm grateful and credit the Verapamil).
My question is this (and excuse the length of this message): Could it be that the drug is dragging out the length of the cycle? I realize that many sufferers contend with cycles much longer than my typical one-monther. But, for me, going now over the two-month mark is atypical, and there are nights that I wonder if it would be better to suffer through the worst of what they throw at me, and be done with them sooner. Of course, what holds me back is the memory of those '10s' that have me rocking, pacing, cursing, and hitting the side of my head.
Any thoughts on this matter? I've got to get going to work (already late, due to a bad night), so I'll check the message board tonight.
Prayers for all sufferers and supporters,
Carl T.