Leaderboard

Yo AZ Yes, my CH is diagnosed/confirmed. My doctor prescribed me Diclofenac Sodium / Misoprostol along with Zolmitriptan when there is full CH attack, took both at once. It worked a little but i had no other options. Now i take Diclofenac Sodium / Misoprostol for headaches apart from CH. Well...that's GOOD...ya know what you are dealing with. Why no OXYGEN is a puzzlement tho! At least a try. If Doc says no...or DOESN'T know...get another Doc. It is the first line, first choice, most medically accepted (for decades now) abortive that works near miracles for many. Easy to use, relatively cheap, fast, NO SIDE EFFECTS. Without O2 I would have feared for my sanity and perhaps my life. The first time you use and feel the hit drain away like water you will know... and regret any delay... See these links: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/O2/index.html https://clusterbusters.org/forums/topic/1433-10-oxygen-information/ Re Zolmitriptin. Is it a tablet or the nasal spray? I had wonderful abortive results with the spray (5 mg)....5-8 min effectiveness....18 hr "free period"..99% effective for break throughs after O2, energy drinks, sometimes verapamil failed. Very expensive...just like Sumatriptan. I mighta paid ANYTHING at times tho...……… Me too mostly depressed. As i felt positive to SSRIs, took them for a few months 2 years back. Seems a clinically-depressed case But a physician Doc not a psychiatrist prescribed me SSRIs. SSRIs are good to certain point after that no! their side effects i didn’t like. Now thinking to take Magic Mushrooms to fix my mood and to stop Shadows. Interesting enough there are several antidepressants that have been used for preventive CH treatment. Not much success from what I gather. Amitriptyline was the one I tried...totally ineffective and life altering side effects (getting out of bed was my major accomplishment for the day) YMMV...…. Re MM...you are in EXACTLY the right place...check out the "Files" section. I have no personal experience with that method..... I was introduced to Verapamil after my last CH pain, however, i took them as a try and a preventive med. But very bad constipation problem and leave them. So, i didn’t know much about Verapamil effects What dosage? Did you do a prednisone or methylprednisolone taper first (to break the cycle while the verapamil kicks in...10-14 days). The reported "sweet spot' for clusterheads is 480 mg/dy in divided doses. I used (depending on cycle) 480-1040 mg dy of the immediate release type (the extended release version works for some but fewer than immediate release). Also known as "concrete dust" it definitely can cause constipation. I always made sure to drink LOTS of water and increase fiber intake (Metamucil works too) and did not have any problems...but we're all different... On Verapamil packet it is written Calcium-Channel blocker and Beef contains high amount of Calcium, it can be any connection between CH and Calcium?? Beef is actually relatively low in calcium (tho high in protein) compared to many foods like dairy, some leafy green veggies, soy products, nuts, seeds, beans, canned bone in fish, fortified cereals and juices, et al….see: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-calcium-rich-foods Verapamil does not play well with calcium….should separate intake by several hours… No i have not tested myself for Lyme disease. Might want to think about that if you have other symptoms besides CH trigger after beef intake…or even just that as inflammation from an allergic reaction is DEFINITELY a Ch trigger… Diclofenac Sodium / Misoprostol narrows nerves. In my expirence blood thinner things like Garlic make me down: mood and body. Taking blood thinner myself for another purpose….have noticed no effect on CH or mood….would be interested in others experience. There have been reports of Coumadin being effective for CH for some…so go figure Want to know more from you good-people The D3 info from Batch above is PRICELESS….I’d go for it…. Boring life i am living. With CH…aint nothing boring… Best Jon

Jimmy, What you're describing is very common. There's nothing in the official Dr literature, but those of us with CH know them very well. We call them Shadows. They come in many different forms and variations. They can be a weird, or bad feeling with nothing else associated. They can be mild headaches in the area of our CH, but not the same pain. Some people get sore and stiff necks or shoulders. Sometimes we just feel Off, with no real description. For the most part these are all called shadows, and most of us get one type or another before our CH starts. I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, so sorry, but it's good you might be able to arm yourself early. Those of us that bust often take a preventative dose when the shadows start. During shadows I use the chant, Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo sometimes. PFW, J