Posted by Laurence on June 20, 1998 at 10:40:41:
Regular readers of my comments will know that I am currently using Lithium Carbonate (400 mg three times a day), together with a very high dose Paracetamol combination (2 tablets three times a day) which is called Co-proxamol or Distalgesic on this side of the Atlantic and is I think probably some form of rocket fuel Tylenol in the US of A.
The warning on the Co-proxamol is amusing in the circumstances, positively "no alcohol". Given the effect alcohol would have my on head at the present time, it's a warning with which I don't really need any encourgement to comply.
As the beast is this time beating the pharmacologic combination, usually at night time, I take long walks around the garden and fields, with much deep breathing, to try and stave off attacks. The walks are better when accompanied by animals (unlike Dr Dolittle I can't talk to them only walk with them) but they can sometimes help a little to distract pain.
The last week has seen some ups and downs in this cycle. Unfortunately too many downs as the beast has got hold of me on too many occassions in the middle of the night. Without going into all the gruesome stuff, I've already got that off my chest once, I thought some of you might like to know how I got on with some of the suggestions for relief mentioned on this web site.
These comments are not in order of performance or efficacy, just roughly the order in which I tried them.
1. Someone commented about turning up the air conditioning on his car to full blast. I don't think my car's a/c is that strong but opening the windows and driving pretty fast seems to produce much the same effect - some relief. I suspect a/c is necessary in Summer in the US of A. In the UK - El Nino or no El Nino - summers are usually not much to write home about and so you get cold air rushing through the car whatever the time of the year. As our speed limits are higher we can probably get a faster rush (of air that is). Any way it's a good 'un to clear the head when the pain ain't too bad.
2. Taking a shower. I tried this almost as a last resort in 3 hour plus doozy (that was a word I think I read here - a good description I thought). It certainly helped a little but my wife had to coax me out at 3.30 in the morning as by that time I had become a heap on the floor of the shower. The plumbing of our showers however leaves a lot to be desired. You basically get a fast trickle of water here rather than the jets which will take the skin off your back in the States.
3. Crawling on the floor with head pressed up hard against something very hard. I don't think I read that here, it's my own concotion for late-stage desperation. Pressing one's head against something seems to me to be preferable to putting the head in motion and banging it against something. I know a lot of clusterers resort to it, but it must leave a bit of a mess to clear up in the morning.
4.Melatonin. On the two nights I took it I threw up. I think I'll try again when things are a little easier.
5. More deep breathing. Fine but watch out for the chills and the shakes which apparently indicate hyperventilation. That happened to me this week for the first time. I guess I'm learning all the skills, be a veteran soon.
6. Oxygen. After two awful nights in a row, I went back to my GP, gave him all the grisly details and said I didn't think I was going to be in much shape by the time I got to see the neurologist on Monday. Bless him, the GP prescribed Oxygen and it saved me going through hell again on Thursday night.
Now my request for advice. I'm new to this oxygen thing and so was my GP. There ain't after all much call for welding experience with gas cylinders in my job. The cylinder came with a "giving set", which was basically a valve, a meter, a bit plastic tubing and a face mask. I read somewhere that the pressure needs to be a particular level and the mask tight fitting. As this giving set only has two settings and the face mask has two holes in it, I am wondering if its the wrong "set".
My other reason for thinking it may not be quite right is that the oxygen seems to be really irritating my right nostril (I have my attacks on the right side of my head and it's that nostril which usually goes through several hankerchiefs each night).
The flow also seems to be a gentle breeze. I don't want to complain too much because two 10 minute or so sessions stopped the beast on Thursday. Last night was a little different. The O2 seemed to hold back the attack, but then it returned, or a new one started, I don't know which, every 20 minutes or so. After 4 or 5 10 minute or so sessions over 3 hours on the tank, I tried other things: shower, walking, driving fast with windows down, drinking coffee, reading this web site, surfing the net and so on.
While the pain never really broke through strongly it was more than enough to stop me sleeping and certainly enough to stop me lying down. This irritation (well a bit more than that really) went on until almost 5.30 in the morning. Sort of enforced insomnia really.
As there are a lot of O2 user visitors to this site, can you give me any advice on usuage?
A big thanks to all who made contributions to this site. As you can see, I've now tried a number of the things mentioned with some degree of success.
Bye for now
Laurence