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lets all hope she is without cluster,i suspect she is in a denial and ignorance stage of this disorder,if she does have it!!lets hope not.. my personal experience with prednisalone was horrendous!althrough at a very high dose it did eventually break my cycles ,the side effects were terrible,going from 13 half stone to 20 stone in six months,brittle bones ,the list goes on far to long,my specialist took me off them 3 years ago,so with my only line of defence apart from oxygen and imatrex , knowing of what i had to face without prednisalone was so scary,words can not explain how scared i was" with that defence gone"!but can only say if i had not of discovered mm treatment,i do not know where i would be today!,also big thanks to you guys here,"i respect appreciated you all"!

I'd also like to chime in here about my experience with prednisone. 2 seasons ago, my doctor put me on,and they cleared up... until it wore off completely, a few days later the beast was back. He gave me a second prescription, I did not finish it, as the side effects were not worth the limited hope it gave me. I rode it out and a week later they were gone. That's pretty much my last, last resort. The following season (last year) I busted w/mm before the cycle started, which was nothing short of amazing(THANKYOU, CB's). Unfortunately, this season they started 6-7 weeks early, so I was not prepared and now trying to bust them after the fact. Anyway, I digress, but wanted to give my experience with that nasty pred.

Hey John, I should have jumped on your post a couple days ago. Off hand, I'd say you're off to a good start with the anti-inflammatory regimen with respect to your response so far. A reduction in the frequency, intensity and duration of CH is always a welcome. As far as what to do next, I'd start by adding just the magnesium. There are good reasons for doing this. For starers, 95% of CHers with active bouts of CH had a 25(OH)D serum concentration of ≤ 40 ng/mL before starting the anti-inflammatory regimen... In short they're vitamin D3 deficient... The odds are equally high they're also magnesium deficient. The two deficiencies go hand-in-hand. The second reason magnesium is such an important part of this regimen is the process of hydroxylating (metabolizing) vitamin D3 to 25(OH)D3, the first vitamin D3 metabolite, consumes magnesium at a high rate. Taking ≥10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 without taking magnesium supplements will lead to a magnesium deficiency... When that happens, the magnesium-calcium ratio tanks and this will result in cramps, usually feet, legs and hands at first... While that may seem annoying and easily dismissed, when it happens to your heart and you feel a galloping sensation in your chest... It gets your attention big time. All the supplements in the anti-inflammatory regimen play an important role in preventing your CH and staying healthy. It's not a pick list. While you may be able to skip one or two of these supplements for a few weeks without any problems, unless you're obtaining them from dietary sources, you'll face trouble down the road. When you do encounter problems with this regimen, use the process of elimination to determine which of the supplements is causing the problem then look for alternatives... a different brand, a lower dose, splitting the dose am/pm or adding a dietary source. The bottom line... This regimen is not like a prescription antibiotic you take for a few days as directed then quit. If you want to remain CH free... and stay healthy in the process... stay on this regimen year round. Look at this regimen as a way of life (a long and healthy life) like many of us who take it do. 'Hope this helps. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

I read this article and thought it had some really good tips on how to get yourself in the right state of mind for a psychedelic trip. http://psychedelictimes.com/psychedelic-integration/achieving-set-in-set-and-setting-4-principles-make-most-of-your-psychedelic-experience/ Any other tips or ideas on how to increase the likelihood of a good trip? -Ricardo

I believe O'Leary's book should be mandatory reading for folks and their sitters considering alternative therapies. It is concise and pleasant to read. In few areas does the philosophy of "knowledge is power" apply more. At the end of the day being prepared to manage side effects and have a personally powerful experience while taming the beast knowledge and understanding always wins out. There is much written about the medicinal value of the alternative treatments we consider but O'Leary's primer is by far the best and most accessible. In real life the guy ran a muck by a very strong in your face approach but the core message was correct. It is wonderful traditional research is underway and perhaps in my children's lifetimes these therapies will be readily available, accepted and proven efficacious.

I wish I read this sooner than later....My bet is, when they come back....she will be back begging for help...may be she is not experiencing cluster's at all. Anyone can tell you that, any information is useful information. VD worked for my hubby, and I thank God for this board!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to make a bet she will be back in a few years...

Kelly, I'm at a bit of a loss for words. Lots of people gave you some really great advice here that you chose not to take. yet you sorta back hand them? We're still glad you're getting some pain free time. Seriously. As for the steroids. They can and sometimes do terminate cycles. Other times the CH comes back shortly after stopping the steroids. I didn't see in your post but hope you didn't use the imitrex? That stuff can wreck a healthy person. I couldn't imagine what it would do to an unborn child. Any doctor that says it's ok for someone pregnant is a crack pot...!!! The Vitamin D regimen has helped thousands of people with CH reduce their attacks and pain level. That's a fact. If you really have CH and it comes back, you're always welcome here. (And the alternative treatments are SIGNIFICANTLY better on both your body and alleviating our CH than ANYTHING the doctor can script).. That's also a fact that thousands of us with recurring or chronic CH will swear by. PFW, J

Glad your cycle has ended. Wishing you the best. No point in correcting your misstatements -- the thread is here for anyone to read.