Posted by Jack Boyd on August 11, 1998 at 07:58:40:
In Reply to: 3 weeks on Verapamil posted by Rick on August 10, 1998 at 14:00:59:
I have been using verapamil for the last 10 years
with great success. I only use it during my one month cycle. As soon as the cycle is over I stop
taking the verapamil. The length of the cycle is not affected - my cycle is always one month whether I take verapamil or not.
Side effects - verapamil is the most benign of all
the cluster medications that actually work. The
short term side effects can be things like constipation, fatigue, dizziness, etc. There are
no long term side effects. The only caveat I would
offer is that for people who have cardiovascular disease, particularly congestive heart failure,
there is a slight increased statistical risk of
heart attack or stroke.
Verapamil has not lost effectiveness for me. It has worked for the last 5 cycles.
I have felt very fortunate to have verapamil work
for me - I know it does not work for everyone.
The one thing I would add, and this is pure speculation on my part, is that its efficacy may
be reduced if you take it on a continuing basis
after the cycle has ended. The mechanism for this
drug is pretty simple - it prevents your blood
vessels from constricting ( the pain from clusters
comes from the dilation after they have constricted ).