Posted by Flash on April 09, 1999 at 09:34:35:
In Reply to: Nothing Works posted by Todd on April 05, 1999 at 16:25:32:
Hi Todd,
I don't stop by these pages all that often these days, my headaches are pretty much under control now.
I used to smoke pot and my impression was that it had no beneficial effect and probably triggered a few headaches...
If you look through the archives you'll find a more detailed description on what I'm about to summarize:
Two drugs a predominantly used to treat CH, Ergotamine and Methysergide. Ergotamine works as a headache abortive and Methysergide as a preventative.
These two drugs are closely related. They are both extracts of Ergot a mould that grows on grain. Ergot poisened a few people in the middle ages!
Ergotamine and Methysergide are seperated by one other substance on the chemical tree, it is also an extract of Ergot. It's LSD.
Yes no shit, just look up Ergot Alkaloids in a text book.
LSD was first extracted by a scientist looking for a migraine cure. Again tht's no big secret.
I find that taking a single small dose (1/4 - 1/2 tab) will prevent CH bouts for six months at a time. Take it during a bout and instant relief - in fact the entire episode will abort within 48 hours.
Better still, and I can find no evidence for why this works, but the active ingrediant in Liberty Cap mushrooms (Psilocybin) does exactly the same job although it's only a distant relative. Since LSD is illegal in this country I now take 10-12 Liberty Cap mushrooms twice a year (I preserve a small stock in honey).
I've been doing this on and off since 1992 (at first accidentally) and now deliberately. I've tried skipping a year but then the bastard headaches come back!
How you use this information is up to you, but I'd welcome feedback from anyone who has tried similar, cos this has to be the smallest (un)clinical trial in history.
Sleep Well.
Flash