Posted by DJ on August 06, 1998 at 03:51:41:
I haven't had much time lately to keep up with the board and just wanted ya'll to know that I'm still around. I've been working two jobs, and trying to get some sleep between h/a's.
This still has been the weirdest cycle in my 14 years of having these things! All the stopping, starting, stopping, starting, blah, blah, has been crazy. Two days with multiple h/a's, three days without. Three days with multiple h/a's two days without. A week straight with h/a's every day, a week straight with no h/a at all. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the attacks after the initial 60 day blast where I had 5-6 a day, every day.
One thing I did want to bring up is about the Imitrex injections.
NOTE: The following is my personal opinion!!!!! I'm not a doctor and don't claim to be! I'm just a 'regular' ol' cluster sufferer (and a part time webmaster :-) Take the following opinions as just that, opinions.
For those of us who can take the shots, the maximum dose is two 6ml shots a day for a total of 12ml in a 24 hour period, right? What if you take less? It shouldn't matter how many times you stick yourself with a needle a day right...just so you don't take more than 12ml per day.
Well, I probably shouldn't be saying this, but I was in a desperate situation. My doctor would not give me the two shots every day for 60 days straight. I had to find a way to make the shots last longer. I started pulling the syringes out of the containers and manually injecting 1/3 to 1/2 of the Imitrex.
Two prescriptions getting me through 6 h/a's instead of just two.
For me, 1/3 of a vial of the 'wonder juice' relieved the h/a's just as fast as the full vial without all of the pressure/heat sensations associated with injecting a full vial. It takes a bit more work to give myself a shot now, but it's definately worth it for me. One third of the dosage has got to be better for you than a whole dose anyway!
Good to see all of you again!!!!