Posted by Mike (208.225.145.131) on October 11, 2001 at 18:27:33:
Before I ask my question, I just want to say again how wonderful it is to have this site here during a cluster period. The best therapy I know is to read the posts and guestbook on this site.
I've suffered with CH for almost 8 years, since age 19. I'm one of the lucky ones--I respond very well to O2 and Imitrex shots--the Imitrex completely aborts a headache 99% of the time. But I've had trouble finding an effective preventative--been through the usual list. The past two years I've started to have great success with Verapmil 80/mg 3 or 4 times a day. Seems to shorten the length of a cluster and decrease the intensity of an attack (sometimes so much that I can conitnue working, pop half a Zomig, and actually wait a half an hour).
I just moved and got in with a neurologist that I like so far. He says that he has patients go up to 9 pills per day of Verapamil. I discounted that I would ever need that much (i.e. the Verapamil would either work at 4/day or not at all). The past few nights I've worken with a CH (I'm usually an afternoon sufferer), even though I'm on the Verapamil. I'm considering ratcheting up my Verapamil dose (with the doc's blessing of course).
So for those of you who have had success with Verapamil--did you find meaningful improvement moving to such a high dose?