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I need some advice. My last cycle was over 2 years ago. That was when I actually found out what I was having and found a doctor who would at least listen. She prescribed amlodipine and sumatriptan. I also discovered that O2 helped break up a bad CH. It seemed to work enough so I could work and sleep a little during the 6 weeks I had the CH's. During that cycle and all my previous cycles, always in Jan. or Feb. , my CH's were always at night about 30 minutes after I went to sleep. I would have 2 or 3 a night and that's it. I handled it by pacing, screaming, and pounding on my head. I could still cope. Then I started with the meds and O2 and then my cycle got really weird for a couple of days then stopped. after my last cycle I did 2 things, started stocking up on the sumatriptan and amlodipine and I learned how to grow mushrooms. I dosed with mushrooms several times over the next few months and really did not enjoy the feeling much but I kept taking lower doses of a gram at a time every month or two just to ward off a CH cycle. I had no idea how to take them , just that they were reported to work. Then due to work and home life I just stopped taking them for 7 months I also stopped seeing my doctor and felt I had enough meds and I was tired of paying her all the time... ( no appointments, no blood draws = no more prescriptions) I am quite healthy and other than CH's I don't need a doctor. I had almost 3 years cluster free. I thought I would never have another CH. 3 weeks ago, Pow! I am in full blown cluster hell. I cannot pinpoint anything that would have brought it on except that I stopped the mushrooms. On this cycle I get the CH's all the time, day and night. Immediately started taking the sumatriptan (oral 100mg) which does work but now I am running out. I refilled O2 and bought spare tanks, I tried the mushrooms to break the cycle but they don't work either now, then reading on this website I see why they probably are not working. Melatonin did not help either. The sumatriptan is starting to not work as long now, two doses will not take me through 24 hours anymore. The sumatriptan is not good for your body and it is very expensive and I will be lucky to get a walk-in clinic to prescribe it. My question is: Should I try to get more Sumatriptan and try to wait out the cycle? O2 helps but I'm going through tons of it, should I try to make it 5 days without the sumatriptan and try the mushrooms again? I don't know how I will do it. I would use LSD if I thought I could find the real thing but the chance of that is very remote. Without a trusted source I may wind up with some other chemical. I started the D3 today but do not know if that will work mid cycle. Thanks for any advice!

Of course, step one with a doctor "who doesn't believe in" O2 is to try to educate him. You could print this out and show it to him -- http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/185035-- or you could tell him to look in any damn medical book. But real quick, I would jump to step 2, and fire any so-called "doctor" that "doesn't believe in" O2 for CH. There's a list here of recommended doctors, which might help: https://clusterbusters.org/cluster-resources/ And of course you can do what many do and set up your own O2 system using welding oxygen. It's completely crazy for you not to have it. It's a game changer (though it won't prevent a cycle). Yes, you might up your verap. You don't say how much you are taking. Some people have to get up in the 900 mgs in cycle for it to be fully effective. Similarly, you don't say how much melatonin at night. Some people get into the upper 20 mgs before it takes effect for them. When you say you're on the D3 regimen, are you following it completely? Have you been on it long enough for it to take effect? Have you done any "loading" to get your D level up faster?

First, thanks to all who replied. As Newbie pointed out, oxygen in Florida is a hassle. Had to have a specific script from Doctor before insurance would cover the mask. While waiting on it, stuck the nasal tube in my mouth, took deep breaths and plugged my nose. It helped tremendously - not as good as the mask which I finally got - but I was able to get relief within 10 minutes. Separated the d3 regiment and verapamil by at least 6 hours and it seems to have helped as well. Have been tapering of prednisone with only occasional minor headaches. Last thing I have done is started taking 15mg of melatonin nightly before I go to sleep, since overnight was when the majority of my headaches occurred.