Posted by Dave on January 15, 1999 at 01:22:52:
In Reply to: Caclium Channel Blockers posted by Jim H. on January 14, 1999 at 23:36:03:
Jim,
my dear wife is a physician and after watching me suffer through these terrible things she finally heard about this therapy using a family of blood pressure meds called calcium chanel blockers. I think that it works by blocking some sort of chemical component to nerve transmissions, but I am not sure. For me they have been a life saver. When I first started them I had a peaceful night, but the next night I had my worst ever. A real head banger that lasted until way into the morning. I was told to expect this or I would have quit them right then. After that I would wake up at the usual time with a red eye and blocked sinus on the same side, but guess what? The pain was managable with advil and an OTC decongestant. Then after several weeks the cluster ended and after about another month I got my courage up and quit taking the blockers.
The side effects that I noticed was that I felt jittery when I was sitting down and relaxed and that it was difficult to maintain an errection, (but not impossible). I think that it was a small price to pay for manageable symptoms.
I had been free for seven years but just started again, but this time they are the mildest ever. I am only taking the CCB's in order to get quality sleep as I mentioned before. (Well and also I remember how the pain can get and want to be sure and nip it in the bud!)
I am currently using Dilacor XR (diltiazem HCL)180 mg capsules, but I split open the capsules and only take one of the 3 tablets inside, (thus I am only taking 60 mg per day). It doesn't make you sleepy or any thing, but for me it improves my sleep because I can enter REM sleep without triggering the pain of a severe CH.
Occaisionally my wife sees another CH sufferer in her clinic, so far they have all reponded to the same therapy. But you have got to get through the first few nights of pure pain to see the benefits.
One last note. I am suspect that these things are caused by viruses. (My first one was following a smallpox booster -live cowpox virus). I also suffer from shingles (herpes zoster)and have recently been taking daily lysine in order to suppress the severity of pain in one nerve branch. I am wondering if the lysine is the reason that this has been the least painful bout I have ever had. The stuff is cheap and it can't hurt you. Try it.
Hope you have success and that God will bless you with a cure or at least a benign treatment regimen.
Best wishes, keep up the fight!
Dave