Posted by Mike on October 23, 1998 at 15:00:47:
In Reply to: I NNNNNEEEEEEEDDDDDD A Break posted by Jonathan Poulter on October 22, 1998 at 09:17:14:
J,
my heart goes out to you. I can't say that I have been in your desperate position but I'd like to share my recent experience with you. I have been getting CH for about 15 years. I started an episode this past August and, following past patterns, got a prednisone prescription and several Imitrex doses. Normally the prednisone breaks the episode in a few days. I use the Imitrex to handle individual HA until the prednisone takes effect. Unlike the past epsiodes the prednisone therapy did not work; it didn't even put a dent nto the frequency or the intensity. The CHs were getting worse and more frequent. My doc prescribed more Imitrex and more prednisone but still the HA kept coming. I am thankful that the Imitrex always works. It had become my best friend. I went through about 30 doses in 30 days. Well anyhow, the 2nd round of prednisone didn't work and the CHs kept coming. I went back to the pharmacy to get another prescrition of Imitrex and the pharmacist told me that my insurance company was not going to pay for the Imitrex any more. They were putting a limit of 6 doses per 30 days. I panicked like I've never panicked before!!! That night I had the longest lasting CH that I have ever had. I did not use Imitrex because i only had 2 doses left and 25 more days to go before I could get more. While I was laying on the couch late that night I prayed and prayed and finally admitted that there was nothing that I could do and nothing the drugs that previously worked could do. Only God could do something about this. I am a Christian and during the peak of the pain, while lying on the couch alone and terrified, I found myself smiling because I knew that this pain was temporary and that eventually I was going to a place that is pain free. It was also during this time of intense pain that I gave up with the hopes that the drugs could keep the CH away. I prayed and acknowledged that the CH would go away only if God wanted them to go away. God wants us to rely on him for everything that we need. That headache finally subsided after about 6 hours. I went HA free for about 5 days after that and then had a somewhat mild HA. While my faith is in God I also realize that He makes medicine available to us to help us so I contacted my doctor and asked for another prednisone prescription. I started taking that 15 days ago and have been HA free since. I'm not a very good conveyor of ideas but I am convinced that my healing happened because I took my trust from the drugs and put it in God. He does not promise us a pain free life but he does promise us that He will always be with us. I am praying for you now.