Posted by John (206.165.44.231) on July 28, 1999 at 21:28:31:
Folks, let me tell you that I have found from personal experience that cocaine will indeed abort a cluster attack. For a short time. However, if you are really looking for something worse than clusters, cocaine is it. It is exceptionally addictive, and the addiction is in a primative part of one's brain. Lots of very smart people who have resisted other addictions fall into the coke trap. The stuff is dangerous, illegal and IT WILL ADDICT YOU. Don't do it.
I use Stadol occasionally as a rescue medication. My experience is that the use of anesthetizing agents is a bad idea, except as rescue medication. I believe that releaving the pain without actually aborting the attack allows the veins to expand; you just don't feel as much or any of the pain. The problem is that the pain-causing expansion of veins is also a symptom.
My experience is that preventing an attack or immediately aborting an attack is very important to reducing the number of, and intensity of, future attacks. It is as if the smooth muscle of the veins lose their ability to resist expansion the more often they are allowed to expand. Kind of like allowing them to lose muscle tone.
Narcotics and other pain killers simply zone you out but do not actually abort the attack. If I have exceeded the amount of ergot (I use DHE-45 injections) that is safe, I will cut back, and use Stadol to get me through. Occasionally I will use Stadol when I just need to get a good night's sleep for a change and don't want to be awakened an hour after dropping off. Seems to work pretty well. The problem with Stadol is that it takes 15 minutes to work, and 20-25 to work really well. That is, as we all know, a fucking distant eternity when you are at force 10.
I would welcome some input from others, and from any doctors that pick up on this post regarding my views.
Don't forget to drink LOTS of water every day!
Here's to a good night's sleep for all.