Posted by donna p on March 31, 1999 at 23:57:52:
In Reply to: Re: A rambling first post to this site. posted by marty s on March 16, 1999 at 08:08:39:
I started geting them at age 18. was diagnosed early BUT, no one knew how to treat them....so they sent me to the shrinks...absolutely no help. After 6 years they finally went away on their own. I almost overdosed on aspirin and/or Inderal during that time. 6 years later they return...the best thing was that I was employed as a nurse at Parkland hospital and I happened to know some neurosurgeons who told me to see the "headache doc". I did...He prescribed Bellergal-s which is effective in letting u sleep and prevention...but the dose was high, [over 2X what is recommended]. I still use the Bellergal and each attack is different and the dosage required always changes. Currently on 3 tabs at bedtime with O2 for the breakthroughs. Imitrex has worked but expensive. Prednisone has never worked for me and in fact seems to make them worse and last longer. The 1st few weeks of them are the worse while I adjust dosage. Still alot of side effects but it does work, and, Im not gonna try anything else since this always seems to do it. My sister gets them and she has had luck with Verapamil. I find they are more difficult to tolerate as I get older, those cluster free periods really spoil me I think, or I just forget after 3 years just how bad they were. This site is a god send, [and Im an athiest], but, no one can comprehend the pain and what CH does to your life unless they have been there and done that. Bless us all, and if one doc wont give you what u need, go shop.