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Along with the O2 for aborting attacks I think you'll find busting and the D3 regimen for prevention are the most commonly and enthusiastically advised CH killing treatments here. Note none of those are actual meds. Count me as another headbanger who absolutely prefers to avoid the meds if at all possible (and it can be very possible with those powerful approaches), but who is not above resorting to them as a fall back in a real pinch. So even with my general anti-pharma viewpoint I still like to have a headache specialist lined up for prescriptions beyond O2 if necessary, and I figure it could be good for you to be able to consult with one. Glad to see you got a referral here from Racer1, I hope it works out!

Hi fern, Sorry you had a bad hit. Do you have anything to help you through an attack? 02? If you have been diagnosed with CH and sometimes even migraine, seems that you should be able to talk your Dr. into a script for oxygen. A little searching around on here about o2 and the proper mask types will prove helpful as well.

Glad to see you're at least getting some truly stellar advice @BoscoPiko, and I know a lot of us fully endorse this sentiment: And this is about as chock full of irony as it gets :

...ditto...for me 70 percent reduction in hits and intensity (of some hits)... Oxygen/energy drinks for the blow bys. Zomig ns absolute last resort. Weened off when I got tired of always being tired

Also... Thank you Spiny!!

Bosco, I didn't see where you are taking the Vit K. Am I missing something? You have dang high D3 levels. So, that does need to come down. I'm sure that @xxx will check back in soon and provide info there. My first cycle starting the D3 it lowered the intensity of my hits and lengthened the ramp up time a bit, so I could hit the O2 earlier. I did not get to PF status that year. The next year, after staying on the D Regimen for the year, I had no cycle. Fluke? Hmm. Leave off the vitamins for 2-3 days and there came the hits! Back onto the regimen I went. Cycle went away 2 days later. Time came for the next cycle, no cycle. Did I test that one too? Oh yes I did. I wanted to be sure it was the regimen, not just a missing cycle. So, don't loose hope on it! I still test it every year too. The wonder of 'aging out' has NOT occurred. Is your Verap ER or SA? The short acting works better for CH than the extended release for some dumb reason. It does mean taking them 3 times a day, but hey, help is help, right? Have you tried taking Benadryl yet? I don't recall. It helps me a good bit with allergy inflammation and the head. I understand your reluctance to abandon the Dopamax, since you feel that it is helping. This is rather heart breaking at the moment, but answers will be found I bet. Please be sure to take in adequate good fat on Keto! It is what your body will be running on.

Number 1 is the O2. Along with that are the D3 and busting that Bejeeber mentioned. You can also down a 5hr drink, strong coffee or any other energy type drink with a lot of taurine and caffeine in it when you first feel a cluster hitting. You can try some Ginger candy tea or just chew on a piece of fresh stuff from the market. Welcome back to the site, poke around and reacquaint yourself with all the information and you will be just fine. We are all still hanging around to help each other out.

Ok. I have to ask, is Bosco an Abyssinian? Appears to be at least partly, if not full!! So pretty. I lost my Tonkinese last September. Age 20! If you can bring yourself to ditch the Dopamax, I think that you will feel better. One thing comes to mind: Is It stopping the hits? NO? Then perhaps it is not for you. Many of us come to that realization after suffering for too long with a medication we thought was helping. I have tried some things for too long thinking 'Well, it is not as bad as it was.' But did I really know that? Nope. Verap worked for me, until I went off one summer due to prodding from my dentist. Guess what? It never worked again!! I could only take 240mg/day due to low BP. So, upping it was not a option for me. As angry as I was , I later figured out that it would have soon failed anyway. And I felt like garbage. I was truly better off in the end without it. Well, we aren't 'putting up with you', we have all been there and understand you and where you are!! Not the average person you meet on the street in that one respect. CH family.

Would make sense as I have no evidence that it has ever kept me from a cycle, I do however believe it has cut down the amount of bangers per cycle. No real proof just speculation at this point. I've been desperate a few times an upped the verapamil while in cycle and it has never helped so maybe I need to talk to my neurologist about switching. I have a bad habit of holding on to fear, hence I have not let the stupid Topamax go. I am sure many have noticed my double words (one of my worst side effects from it) even when I go back and try and catch them, they slip by me. I suppose it's time to ween off the dummy drug... Thanks John

...to second what Spiny said. ER verap was totally useless for me at any dosage. many report similar. the pharmacy subbed it in for SA one time and panic ensued as "it doesn't work any more!". my dosage needed for low cycle was 480, 960+ for high cycle. found that timing doses to expected hit times was somewhat helpful. ...Topamax was useless and just made me dumb......some folks have reported that taking before bed reduces side effects during day and side effects lessen over time.

I did talk to ××× and it turns out that it's not all gloom. I am taking vitamin k and all other Co factors I can't take benadryl as oddly enough I'm allergic to it... I am taking quercetin instead. My verapamil is the ER and I do often think of weenie off the toprimax as no one likes constantly double typing words etc...I need to get more labs done for calcium levels etc.. I'm going full keto and drinking tons of water to flush the extra D out for now ..

Hey Spiny Yes! Mr. Bosco is indeed an Abby. He says thank you for the compliment You are so correct (again) I already know that the Topamax is not helping so I just need to stop it already. Just caught on to why you were spelling it that way LOL. Thank you for once again being awesome! (Sorry about your kitty passing)! 20 Wow!

...my favorite online clusterhead sayings: ..."take what ya need and leave the rest"... ...."if you're not sure if the med is working...it's NOT!" ...."fuckit".....

As you probably already know, O2 is a great abortive for many. I looked at the old recommended Doctor list for SLC.....one still appears to be practicing there: L. DANA DEWITT, MD Imaging & Neurosciences Center, 729 Arapeen Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 Phone: (801) 585-7575

Was at Shroomfest today... Very good turnout and looks to be getting legislative support. Keep your fingers crossed!!!!