Posted by Laurence on June 23, 1998 at 09:45:16:
In Reply to: Sansert and Zomig - Anyone?? posted by DonnaM on June 23, 1998 at 08:29:58:
Donna,
I'm afraid I can't offer you any comments on your pills but you might like to know that I too had my appointment with a neurologist yesterday. He checked me out (vision, reflexes etc.) to make sure again it wasn't something worse (these things are all relative)and confirmed the cluster headache diagonosis.
My pills are going to be a course of Prednisone (steroid) for a week or two (I'll probably find out later today when I pick up the prescription) and then if need be for this cycle, continue with Lithium plus Verapmil.
Oxygen is my fall back for when and if it breaks through. As it has been breaking through rather regularly this cycle, the Oxygen has been a life-saver. While it might only be fully effective if you beat the attack to the draw, it certainly still seems to me at least to be surprisingly helpful even if an attack is under way. Some pain with oxygen is definitely more bearable than the pain without oxygen. The attack also seems to be of a much shorter duration with oxygen.
I don't really understand why medicinal abortives (Imitrex et al) are favoured over pure oxygen, if oxygen is available and convenient e.g. in your home. Like many visitors to this website, I am not all happy with the thought of what the various pills I am having to take during a c/h cycle are doing to my liver, kindneys etc. Oxygen, by contrast, seems to be without side effects (provided you don't overdose/ hyperventilate). But then what do I know?
Good luck with your pills. If you strike out I think you might ask again about O2.