Posted by jeff glickman on March 26, 1999 at 14:58:32:
In Reply to: Re: imitrex, lithium & verapamil posted by Allie on March 24, 1999 at 12:48:33:
Allie - I've tried improving my diet to include even more raw and cooked
vegetables to aid with any constipation problem. I've only been on lithium
for about three weeks. When I hit 1200mg/day, I had five nights/days without
any headaches; however, they returned. I then started verapamil at 180mg and
noticed a change in both frequency and intensity of the CHs, and also had
whole days in the Shadow, that state of weirdness surrounding my cluster
area, and every now and then a CH would manifest out of the Shadow. Still,
compared to the living hell I was experiencing just the week before, this
is an improvement for me. I went up to 240mg Verapamil today: so far, so
good.
I'm curious: you say, "I want to be armed to the gills
with info before I have to convince my dr. to refer me on to
a neuro." Why do you *have to convince* your doc for a referal?
Does the doc really understand the quality of your suffering
and that as a CH-er, you are trying to get what you can from
where ever you can? How up on CH, or headaches in general, is
your doc? My personal opinion is that we have to really be
activists in our own behalf. One of my docs seemed reluctant
to give me a referal to this specific guy at the pain mgt.
center here, thinking the guy would not be able to offer me
anything new. I countered with "I'm trying to get what I
can from where ever I can, and I want to have a dialogue with
this guy" (who is tauted as being on top of the latest in
chronic pain, including CH). So she relented and said she
would give me a referal to anyone I wanted. So I urge you
to press for any outlet you think might offer you info and/or
pain relief. Good luck in your endeavor.