Posted by Jon Hoskins (207.108.63.146) on October 02, 2000 at 20:31:28:
I'm 33, and until five years ago, I was plagued by chronic cluster migraine headaches. They started around my 21 birthday. Some present, eh?
My headaches came four or five times a week, 90% of the time waking me from sound sleep, usually between 3 and 4 AM (before sunrise anyway), a feeling akin to what I imagine having an eight penny nail driven into your temple must feel like.
100 asprin a week (on average) became part of my diet. I almost accidently overdosed on ibuprofen in a quest to find something more effective, but several asprin always seemed to provide the best results.
Precluding CCMH in waking hours was a building pressure and pain, always accompanied by hypersensitivity to light, a drastically shortening temper, and occasional nausea. Once, in the threshhold of an "am" headache, I tried to light a cigarette (nicotine seemed to help a little). The light produced by my bic lighter created tremendous pain followed by a wave of nausea so extreme that it made me vomit!
Needless to say, my headaches rendered me entirely helpless, and quite miserable too.
Finally, I read/overheard/dreamnt? that someone mentioned studies in England about the herb Feverfew. I purchased a bottle of "nature-crafted" Feverfew and developed a self-treatment plan that I have since proscribed to two other sufferers with fantastic results:
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor or any other sort of professional in the fields of medicine, nutrition, herbs, or anything similiar! Don't take ANYTHING without first checking with your family doctor or specialist.
First week, take three in morning with LOTS of water, two or three with food (for lunch) and three more before bed.
Second week, reduce dosage by 1/3rd (2 capsules three times daily), and maintain that dosage until headaches begin to go away. For me, this point was approximately 20 into treatment. My CCMH frequency was reduced from 4-5 times a week to 1 or 2.
Once headaches are mostly gone, reduce to 1 capsule three times a day and maintain for at least one month.
The important thing is to take the herb adamantly!!! The first friend I shared this with quit after trying it for a week... I reassured her that it takes time to work. She started feverfew again, and following the basic instructions above, was off of imitrex(sp?) a month later and off of feverfew two months after that.
Interesting to note is that while I have not taken any feverfew in the last two years, my headaches have not returned.
Haven't tried feverfew yet? Talk to your doctor and go for it!
Best wishes!