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Hey Dehabel. You're not annoying. You've received some great answers about Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL). Diphenhydramine is classified as an anticholinergic - a chemical that blocks the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) at synapses in the central and the peripheral nervous systems. Accordingly, it should only be taken for a week to 10 days dosing at 25 mg every 3 to 4 hours during the day and at bedtime. As Diphenhydramine a also classified as a first-generation antihistamine, it's antcholinergic properties will make you drowsy so you should avoid driving while taking this much. If you do need to drive during the day, wait until you're home for the day then take 50 mg as you walk through the door and another 50 mg at bedtime. If an allergic reaction is contributing to the frequency, severity and duration of your CH, Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL) should start providing relief in a few days. If there's been no change in your CH patterns, after a week, discontinue.' The Diphenhydramine mechanism of action is relatively simple. As a first-generation antihistamine, it crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB) into the brain and blocks histamine H1 receptors at the genetic layer in neurons throughout the brain and in particular, the trigeminal ganglia where histamine released as a result of an allergic reaction, triggers the expression of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) and Substance P (SP) another neuroactive peptide. These are two of the four neuropeptides responsible for the neurogenic inflammation and pain we know as cluster and migraine headache. It is also important to note that second- and third-generation (non-drowsy) type antihistamines cannot cross the BBB to block histamine H1 receptors in neurons throughout the brain and CNS so will be less effective. I look at Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL) as a diagnostic tool. If it works to reduce the frequency, severity and duration of your CH, histamine is the likely culprit. If it doesn't work, the odds are higher histamine is not your problem. Many of us have found adjusting the vitamin D3 intake to be a more effective and much safer method of controlling and preventing CH than taking Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL). The following photo illustrates the supplements by brand in the basic anti-inflammatory regimen CH and MH preventative treatment protocol. All are taken daily with the largest meal of the day at the doses shown for the first 12 days. After that, you reduce the vitamin D3 dose (Bio-Tech D3-50) to one capsule a week and continue taking everything else daily. There's a lot more to this regimen and you'll need to discuss it with your PCP/GP before starting it, when asking for labs of your serum 25(OH)D3, calcium and PTH (Parathyroid Hormone). CHers who stick with the brands illustrated below tend to have higher favorable response rates. With the exception of the Bio-Tech D3-50 50,000 IU water soluble vitamin D3 that I added in place of the 5,000 IU oil-based liquid softgel vitamin D3 formulations in July of 2018 and the Methyl Folate + I added in place of the vitamin B 50/100 complex in January of 2019, the rest of these supplements have remained unchanged since 16 December, 2011. The rationale for these changes is due to the higher bioequivalence and improved efficacy in controlling and preventing CH and MH these two supplements offer. Readers of my webpage at vitaminDwiki.com at the following link have downloaded 51,216 copies of the anti-inflammatory regimen CH and MH preventative treatment protocol since I posted it in January of 2017. https://vitamindwiki.com/Cluster+headaches+substantially+reduced+by+10%2C000+IU+of+Vitamin+D+in+80+percent+of+people You will also find a copy of this protocol at the above link. If you're interested in starting this CH and MH preventative treatment protocol please take a copy to your PCP/GP to discuss and ask for lab tests of your serum 25(OH)D3, calcium and PTH before starting this treatment protocol. You can also download a copy of this treatment protocol by clicking on the following link. http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 I've sent you a PM with more information about this CH and MH preventative treatment protocol. That you experienced an 8-year haitus, free of CH tells me you're a good candidate for the anti-inflammatory regimen. It's likely something changed in your diet or there was a decrease amount of summer sun you were getting that caused your CH to return. This bring us to the burning questions you may have... Will this treatment protocol be effective for me and is it safe? The best answer I can provide comes from data compiled from the online survey of 313 CHers who have started this treatment protocol since 16 December, 2011 when I placed this survey on the Internet. The year over year efficacy of this treatment protocol between December of 2011 and December 2018, finds 80% of CHers experiencing a significant reduction in the frequency of their CH from 21 CH/week down to 4 CH/week in the first 30 days after starting it. 53% of CHers starting this regimen experience a lasting cessation of CH in the first 30 days. It's important to understand that this regimen needs to be taken daily in order to experience results like this. Most of us who take this regimen daily, consider it a way of life that keeps us CH pain free. Moreover, the health benefits that come from taking this regimen are hard to ignore. The exciting news comes from CHers who started this survey during 2019 after I changed the suggested form of vitamin D3 to the Bio-Tech D3-50. The efficacy of this protocol during 2019 finds over 90% of CHers experiencing a favorable response with a significant reduction in the frequency of their CH in the first 30 days from 21 CH/week down to 4 CH/week and 67% of CHers experiencing a complete and lasting cessation of their CH in the first 30 days. I've tracked results from all open source RCTs of CH prophylaxis and none of them come even close to this level of efficacy. Moreover, since this treatment protocol went online, there have been no reports of hypercalcemia, a.k.a., vitamin D3 intoxication/toxicity nor have there been any adverse events reported that required medical attention. The following charts illustrate data from 313 CHers who started this treatment protocol since December of 2011, then took this survey ≥ 30 days later. The following chart illustrates the normal distribution (green curve) and cumulative probability (blue curve) of lab results for serum 25(OH)D concentrations after ≥ 30 days on this regimen. The following two charts illustrate the time to respond after starting this regimen. Taken in concert with the efficacy data, the above charts make a clear case that an inverse relationship exists between the frequency of CH and 25(OH)D3 serum concentration. In simple terms, when the frequency of CH is high, the 25(OH)D3 serum concentration is low around a mean of 24 ng/mL and when the CH frequency is low or the CHer is CH pain free, mean 25(OH)D3 serum concentration is higher around 80 ng/mL. This is why it's important to obtain lab tests of your serum 25(OH)D3, calcium and PTH before starting this regimen and again 30 days after starting it. You can thank the 313 CHers who took the time to take this survey. They came from 35 countries around the world. Take care and please keep us posted should you decide to start this treatment protocol. V/R, Batch

Hi dehabel. When you read the link I suggest that you print out a copy if you can. That way you will know what needs to be prescribed and can show a new doctor. Insurance can be a fight, but that O2 is life saving! CHF - Does your link contain that page? Usually you have that too. The D3 Regimen is several vitamins that you take to hopefully bring down the intensity of your hits and to slow the ramp up down so that you can get to your O2. Many people have gotten Pain Free doing that. Mid cycle? Likely not. Help prevent the next cycle? Yeppers. After such a nice long break, it can be freaky when they begin again! I feel your pain there.

This action is supported by all admin personnel. Each of us have responded numerous times to pm's and 'alerts' from this person. The fact that less than a handful of members have been banned in over a decade shows that we strive to help people. That is our only agenda. Please keep in mind that this is a safe place for people to discuss and work on pain relief and having a 'normal' life. We all have Ch. Every Admin strives to provide a safe place for our friends who suffer the same disease or similar. We are walking the same path as our members. Family clashes can and do occur on occasion. They are generally short lived and everyone moves forward, closer to the goal post, rather than creating divisiveness and discord in the group for personal reasons. The discord is not helpful nor does it benefit anyone. Sad as it is, it is necessary.

fillzeros, You're correct. It's not something I ever look forward to. Thankfully it's a very rare necessity to ban someone. I know everyone of us with CH have days our fuse is short. I try to temper any action with the understanding that I don't know what that person is going through right now. They might just be having a moment. So I try to assume the person will come around if approached from a different angle. The vast majority of the time those of us here on the board can have an argument, but all the while we know the person at the other end is a friend. At the end of the day I want to see that person at a conference and give them a hug, even if we disagree on something. When attacks go from the subject matter to personal, it interferes with the ability to reconcile. Cheers All, J