Posted by Luke (208.236.74.188) on December 10, 2000 at 14:22:01:
I'm currently on 300mgs of Lithium 2X a day as a preventative. It's the only thing I've been able to find that works(with the exception of Prednisone, but you guys know the deal with that) since Verapamil. I used Verapamil for a year, but eventually it gave out. I started off with 240 mgs a day. That worked for 6 months. Then I moved onto 480 a day. Then also worked for approx.(a little less than) 6 months. I tried Topomax(which made me absolutely retarded, couldn't remember my name at times, I won't even get into it...makes me angry to think about it) but it didn't work. So now I'm on the above-mentioned Lith dosage.
Now my question. I'm 20 years old and in college(have had clusters since 17 years old). I'm also in a rock band. When you mix those two things, the drinking of alcohol becomes at times...inevitable. =) When I took Verapamil, it stopped ALL attacks. I could drink all I wanted, and there were was no pain. Ever. With Lith however, it's different. The medication works great. I don't usually get headaches unless I a)drink alcohol(2 hours later it hits), or b)throw my biorhythm off a lot(for example stay up for 24 hours, or something like that).
Would upping my Lith dosage perhaps allow me to have the occasional beer with my buds? (Not that it stops me now...I just make sure to have an Imitrex injection w/ me...but they're expensive and right now I'm too much of a wuss to try the Imitrex Tip.) Has anyone experienced anything similar?
Of course...one Kip 9 and I'll swear to never drink again, like I always do when that happens. But...right now I'm fairly pain-free(maybe one or two attacks per week), so I've gathered up enough courage to experiment w/ alcohol. BTW, I've been chronic for a year and a half now.
KTSSU,
Luke.