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Not that long ago Forbes posted an article about cannabis for migraine prevention. It got ignored by all the headache advocacy groups (for SOME reason that I will let you all figure out on your own) but I am posting it here because it did include some cluster sufferers. It was a small study but it found that half of the cluster sufferers had better luck using a THC/CBD combo than using verapamil. It was a whopper dose, from what I can tell it looks like 100 mg THC and 100 mg CBD combined. One interesting thing that was noted was that the cluster sufferers who got relief were the ones who had migraine as a child. The study was done by Dr. Maria Nicolodi, an Italian researcher that I have been following for a while. I have a lot of respect for her and have seen a number of valuable studies done by her. Here's the link- https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2017/06/29/marijuana-treats-migraine-pain-better-than-prescription-medication-study-finds/#73190af53700 And here is some more info on the study- https://www.ean.org/amsterdam2017/fileadmin/user_upload/E-EAN_2017_-_Cannabinoids_in_migraine_-_FINAL.pdf In regards to anecdotal experiences, I know one person that has had multiple brain surgeries that were not very successful but he has now gotten relief by vaping CBD as a preventative. On the other side of the fence is me, if I take CBD it is one of the worst cluster triggers I have. High dose THC works pretty well for me at times but I stay the hell away from CBD at this point. I am pretty sure that in this regard I am just (once again) the oddball. I have not met anyone else that has ever said that CBD triggers their clusters. Hope this helps. -Ricardo

Batch you’ve got a solution for everything w the D regime. I think it’s time I start

Hey Virrr, Thank you for the feedback. Having CH return after an initial pain free response to the anti-inflammatory regimen is not uncommon and easily fixed. It happens to roughly 5% of CHers starting this regimen. What has likely happened is you've burned up available cellular concentrations of magnesium that's needed to hydroxylate (metabolize) vitamin D3 to its genetically active metabolite 1,25(OH)2D3. The simple fix is stop taking vitamin D3 loading dose for a day or two and double the magnesium dose to 800 mg/day split 400 mg in the morning with breakfast and 400 mg with the evening meal. When you restart the loading schedule, continue taking 800 mg/day magnesium through the 12th day of the loading schedule, after which you drop the Vitamin D3 dose to an initial 10,000 IU/day maintenance dose and the magnesium back to 400 mg/day. Doubling the Omega-3 fish oil can also help while on the 12-Day accelerated vitamin D3 loading schedule. VocTeacher is spot on... Vitamin K2 also helps. If this doesn't get you back CH pain free, add 500 mg/day Quercetin. It helps activate the vitamin D receptors (VDR) that are needed to continue the genetic expression that prevents CH. If that doen't work, you may have picked up an allergy to something in your environment or diet. Allergies release histamine in such large quantities, they make nearly all forms of CH prophylaxis ineffective. In this case, see your local chemist for a first-generation antihistamine like Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and take at 25 mg every 4 hours for a week to ten days. Second- and third-generation "non drowsy" antihistamines don't work as well as they cannot pass through the blood brain barrier to block histamine H1 receptors at the genetic layer. Just be careful and not drive as this much Diphenhydramine will make you drowsy. If you need to drive or be sharp as a tack during the day, wait until you're home for the day then take 50 mg Diphenhydramine as you walk through the door and another 50 mg at bedtime. Regarding the placebo effect... it happens with all forms of cluster headache prophylaxis not just vitamin D3. As the raw efficacy of the anti-inflammatory regimen is 52% for a sustained pain free end point response and 80% for a significant reduction in CH frequency (an average of 3 CH/day down to 3 or 4 CH/week), both are well beyond the highest reported placebo response in CH of 14% to 43%, the lowest value was reported using the strict endpoint; cessation of headache attacks. (Nilsson Remahl AI, Laudon Meyer E, Cordonnier C, Goadsby PJ. Placebo response in cluster headache trials: a review. Cephalalgia. 2003 Sep;23(7):504-10.) Even if it was a placebo effect... you're still pain free so who cares... If you're the curious type and want to know for sure if this regimen is effective in preventing your CH or if it's the placebo effect... wait until you've been CH pain free for at least 2 weeks then stop taking this regimen... If you're like me and many other CHers, your CH will return in 3 to 4 days and could take as long as a week. When the CH returns (and it will), restart this regimen with a couple days at a 50,000 IU loading dose then drop back to your maintenance dose of 10,000 IU/day. This will get you back CH pain free in a day... two days tops. I realize this sounds like a silly thing to do, but it will accomplish two things. (1) It lowers the probability it was a placebo effect and (2) more importantly, it will give you confidence this regimen is actually working to prevent your CH. When you've completed 30 days on this regimen see your PCP or neurologist for lab tests of your serum 25(OH)D, calcium and PTH. If there are any questions about these lab tests, give your PCP/neurologist a copy of the anti-inflammatory regimen CH (and Migraine) preventative treatment protocol from the following link: http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 When you have these lab results in hand, please find the time to take the online survey of CHers taking this regimen to prevent their CH. To start this survey, click on the following link. We need results from CHers like you to convince neurologists this regimen is a safe and effective CH prophylaxis. http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=fb8a2415-629f-4ebc-907c-c5ce971022f6 Thanks again, take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch