Posted by Dave H (199.111.148.233) on October 29, 2000 at 01:32:24:
Being new to CH, my first cycle struck me entirely off guard. When
I first started getting clusters last spring, I would panic, and get very
worked up and worried. It did not help that through most of that cycle I
did not know what was causing the pain.
I have had two cycles since that first one. Neither has lasted for longer
than 2 weeks (my first cycles was somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks long).
Additionally, no one bout of HAs has lasted for longer than 45 min (in my first
cycle, there was a point when I didn't drop below 7 Kipp for 8 hours).
What I have found is that immediate response is the most important thing.
Whatever you do to treat an individual HA, and whatever you do to try to end a
cycle, needs to be done AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. For example, I have had a few
shadows where I felt like I could go back into cycle. Instead of waiting to
see if the beast actually came to pay a visit, I went ahead and rested and took my
abortive meds. Those shadows were all the closer I came to a cycle.
Recognizing that this is a disease, and there is a way to help control it (for many of
us) we cannot just sit back and take a "wait and see" attitude. My advice, as soon as
you feel shadows relax, take a break, take your meds, and don't wait for the actual HA.
Just my thoughts on the subject, I'm sure others have had experiences that this doesn't
help for them, but I am also sure that there are those out there for whom this is the
advice they need.
God Bless
Dave