Posted by Victor on November 03, 2001 at 09:38:58:
In Reply to: My stupidity bit me on the ass... posted by Jim R on November 03, 2001 at 06:30:29:
You posted that your neuro was more knowledgable than I, I don't doubt this, but feel my neuro is far more knowledgable than yours.
Briefly, and from my neuro, your body is chemistry that has an imbalance, the purpose of drugs is to restore that balance and the trick is learn not only which drug works, but also the correct dosage. Too much of even the correct drug can upset this balance and make your headaches worse. I was tested for many key levels, but the final drug and dosage due to the limited state of the art is unfortunately experimental.
You just can't jam down this pill or that pill like you and both I at one time were doing and you won't find a miracle pill. I been screwed around with neuros like yours for 20 years and got nowhere, my newest neuro after reviewing my long medical records stated that I was treated by idiots.
He firmly believes in a dry out period before starting a new medication, to augment this fact, a friend with an incurable disease wanted to try a university study for a new drug and was forced to go dry for 90 days before being accepted. There are areas in the medical field where people know what they are doing, Very fortunate for my friend, this new drug worked, has met FDA approval and is doing better than he has ever done in his life. But dosages are very carefully monitored with periodic blood tests.
You can take sufficient amounts of lithium so that even if you were having a CH, you wouldn't even know it. Lithium is delivered to a local mental health hospital by the semi load, the patients in there walk around like zombies. Hell of a way to live.
The approach my neuro used was a three week dry out period than to try very small dosages of a new drug that could have improved, did nothing, or even make my headaches worse. If some improvement was made, than ease up the dosage where a an optima dosage could be determined. Of course, you are the judge and what you report can change everything.
This is about the greatest method I have ever ran across and changed my entire life, from all your posts, you are suffering more from classic rebound than anything else. Ha, your post on taking lithium with ergostats, that was a complete disaster for me, worked fine for a week than all hell broke loose, not even O2 would work.
By jumping around from drug to drug or worse yet, taking multiple drugs, this is a pure shot gun approach that leads to more disaster than anything else, have no idea where you are, what's helping, nor what's hurting. Had some of the longest worse CH's with this approach and it just went on for years. It's your life, do what you want to do. I enjoyed a large glass of wine with my steak the other night, no CH's, no problems, good medicine management is the answer, should mention, not taking anything at all right now, don't need to.