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This study has been opened to everyone in the US, not just residents of NY and CA.

Hey Greeneyes, With a baseline 25(OH)D serum concentration of 28 ng/mL, I would start the 12-day vitamin D3 loading schedule at 50,000 IU/day. After 12 days you can drop back to an initial maintenance dose of 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3. This loading schedule speeds up the time it takes to elevate your serum 25(OH)D concentration to a therapeutic level around 80 ng/mL. Doing this should also reduce the time to a favorable response to this regimen with a significant reduction in the frequency, severity and duration of your CH. You can speed up this process even more by taking the vitamin D3 loading dose sublingual. I do this frequently by popping the vitamin D3 softgel capsules between my back teeth then swirl the contents under my tongue and hold them there for 4 to 5 minutes without swallowing. The vitamin D3 tastes slightly sweet and the gelcaps turn into a gummy bear consistency after 4 to 5 minutes so I chew them up and swallow. This method of taking vitamin D3 gets it directly into the bloodstream and bypasses the GI tract where absorption is slower. It is not uncommon for CHers to have allergic reactions that slow or stop vitamin D3 from preventing CH. These allergic reactions can be sub-clinical with no outward or obvious symptoms, but the allergic reaction is still there pumping out a flood of histamine that makes nearly every CH intervention less effective. Accordingly, if you haven't responded with a reduction in the frequency of your CH after 10 days on the vitamin D3 loading schedule, I would also start a 5-day to one week course of Children's Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL) liquid allergy medicine. 12.5 mg (5 mL in the measuring cap) once or twice a day. The only word of caution is even at a low dose like this, Diphenhydramine will make you drowsy so don't drive if at all possible. If you need to drive during the day, take it when you're home and done driving for the day. Diphenhydramine is a first-generation antihistamine that crosses the blood brain barrier to block H1 histamine receptors on neurons throughout the brain and in particular, the trigeminal ganglia, where histamines trigger the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Second- and third-generation (non-drowsy) antihistamines cannot readily cross the blood brain barrier so will be less effective. CGRP in turn, triggers neurogenic inflammation and the pain we know as cluster headache. Hold the liquid Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL) in your mouth swirling it under the tongue and between cheeks and gums for 3 to 4 minutes. Like the sublingual vitamin D3, this gets the Diphenhydramine into the bloodstream at a higher concentration and much faster than swallowing and this helps vitamin D3 to do its thing with genetic expression to prevent your CH. I realize this may be confusing, but give it a try. The sooner you do, the sooner you'll find you finally have control of the CH beast that's been controlling you... Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Spiny: Thanks my CH friend. I think I might have found the issue that "may" have triggered my CH after 13 years. I'm still a smoker (I know I need to stop) It dawned on me that I changed from Parliament Lights to Marboro "Red Label" about the time my CH started again (one week later) I decided I really need to stop outright. I had a serious case of Bronchitis about 2-3 years ago & my doctor gave me Predisone & it worked within hours! It's done the same for me with my CH (day 5 now) I'll ask for a couple of refills when I visit my neruo. in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping that I go dormant again. From what I gather Predisone isn't the best for your body in general, hence the tapper. But...I'll take it if it get's me out of pain. Be well Spiny.