Posted by Enrique Geiger (209.246.101.218) on August 03, 2000 at 08:04:54:
In Reply to: I have read it...several times posted by Todd on August 02, 2000 at 17:03:35:
The solution is to research well and go well prepared to the "prescription writer" of your choice, and derive the most benefit from that visit.
My take on this is that anesthesiologists are less affraid to prescribe narcotics, and their experience may be very valuable if you choose to try narcotics.
I personally find Stadol NS (nasal spray) to be unfailing, and my opinion of the triptans and the ergots for CH is very low, because of the huge price, and because you can't use them more than 3-5 times a week, according to the MDs' that prescribed them to me, and according to manufacturer's warnings in the packages inserts and in the PDR. Since CH can be like Old Faithful geiser, with a frequency of perhaps 3-15, or perhaps more per night, and sometimes around the clock, what do you do after you have used the drug 3-5 times that week? In essence the math just doesn't seem to work in favor of ergots and triptans, if used for CH. Also, the price is prohibitive.
Narcotics are really pain blockers, much less expensive, and the limitation are less severe; Stadol NS can be applied twice in metered doses every four hours, but if used in the first 15 minutes, it does seem to prevent the rest of the episodes due that same night.