Posted by Jackie on August 11, 1998 at 15:16:54:
In Reply to: add one more to the list posted by Bill Herbstritt on August 11, 1998 at 13:52:19:
Bill:
There's some very effective treatments for cluster.
I've had clusters since I was 14 (I'm 51 now), so
I've gone through almost all the drugs. I highly
recommend inhaling oxygen (7 liter flow for 15 minutes).
That's been very successful for aborting a headache
--especially if you get it at the outset. I take
a portable tank with me to work, even though 95%
of my clusters occur in the middle of the night.
I've also had luck with Prednisone as a preventive.
With the Prednisone, I almost avoid the entire
episode. I take 5 20 mg pills for 2 days, then 4
for 2 days, etc., down to 1,1, and 0,1,0,1. Then
I start the course once more. As many have posted
here, though, you have to be very careful with
Prednisone because of side effects. Imitrex is a
relatively new drug (available as an injection, nasal
spray, or tablet) that aborts attacks. Also, for cutting edge stuff,
Ritalin may be effective (see Dr. Mellick's posts).
So, there's a lot of options, and each person reacts
differently to these drugs. The important thing is
that your doctor is helpful and understanding.
Best of luck,
Jackie