Posted by Russell on March 13, 1999 at 13:08:28:
It has been reported that the medicine in the cluster headache study is capsaicin. Well, that medicine is available without a prescription. It's a creme which has the ingredient from hot peppers. I used it in the past and the doctor's instructions were to put a TINY bit in the nostril of the headache side twice a day (with a swab). As you might imagine this causes a burning sensation, and I found it was very important to be careful not to use too much. The point is that repeated use makes the nerve less sensitive to pain; it usually takes a week or two. I don't know for sure if that's how they're using it in the study.