Posted by pinksharkmark (64.32.116.32) on July 29, 2001 at 01:02:19:
In Reply to: HELP - ok i'm ready for the lsd or shrooms posted by mike r on July 29, 2001 at 00:25:39:
First of all, ditch the propanolol. While it helps quite a few migraineurs, it does almost nothing for the majority of clusterheads.
I don't THINK that Vioxx would have any blocking effect on hallucinogens, since it is an anti-inflammatory, not something that messes about with serotonin uptake, but I couldn't swear to it. If it is not working anyway, might as well quit it, just in case I am wrong.
Stay on O2 and Imitrex, but if at all possible try not to take any Imitrex for 24 hours before you dose with your hallucinogen of choice. Easy to say, tough to do, I know. Just try to handle that last 24 hours on O2 alone.
Your neuro doesn't sound too well-informed to me. If he was up to date, he would know that propanolol is useless for the vast majority of clusterheads. However, it doesn't surprise me that he is unaware of the clinical studies done in the Fifties and Sixties with LSD and migraineurs... there's probably quite a few neuros who are unaware of that research.
As for having to take a week off work... no way. The effects of a small dose of mushrooms last maybe 4 hours... LSD maybe 6 or 8 hours. If you choose LSD, remember that it will be pretty much impossible to sleep for at least 8 hours after taking it, so you might want to take it fairly early in the day. In any event, you will be perfectly fine the next morning... maybe a little fatigued. Mushrooms tend to tire you out more than LSD does, for some reason.
It is a REALLY good idea to have a second (even a third) dose handy so you can take a second dose five days or more later if the first dose does not give you complete relief. Sometimes the first dose only REDUCES the headaches, it doesn't eliminate them entirely. In that case you want to take a second dose as soon it is feasible (five days later) to knock the Beast down for the count before he has time to recover. It is CRITICAL not to let him regain a toehold... hit him hard, then hit him again if he is still breathing.
pinky