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Thanks for this update, charles'. So glad that combo is working for you! Do you also have oxygen? Have you considered the D3 regimen? It would take a very long time to answer this question about those three meds individually, let alone in combination (I don't recall anyone who has taken that specific combo and only those three, but it could have happened, I suppose). Leaving side effects aside for the sake of discussion (but they can be significant), each of them has had successes and disappointments for people reporting here. If you want to see more, you could use the search bar at the top right of each page. There are not a whole lot of entries about cyproheptadine (Periactin) and not a huge number about amitriptyline (Elavil), but Verapamil is a whole other topic. Lots of people have tried it, some with very good results (often at doses that are considerably higher than what is typically prescribed). The Periactin is an antihistamine, and in the last few years, thanks mostly to Batch, it has been recognized that allergic reactions (even without symptoms) can fire up CH. Like I say, really too complex to try to discuss all this here. Have you talked to your doctor about this stop/start approach to taking the meds? I feel pretty confident that that is not really a good idea, at least with the Verapamil and probably also with the Elavil.

Suffering from Clusters gives us a first hand understanding of what the term practicing medicine means. Most of us on here have been wrongly diagnosed for years and have been through a hand full of doctors. Best advise I can give is keep pushing on, if your doc does is not willing to work with you find another doc. The fact that you found this site is a huge plus as there are so many great people here that can help you in many ways. As for O2 you can go the way I did and rent an O2 welding tank purchase a regulator from Amazon or Ebay and purchase a mask through Clusterbusters.

THIS!.......please.......

Ah ha! This sounds to me like one highly plausible theory from our light years ahead CHfather. Like your doc could have gotten his CH and his HC transposed.

It occurs to me, FWIW, that your doctor might have CH confused with the hemicranias (continua, paroxysmal), which have symptoms like CH and, indeed, most of the time do not respond to triptans.

EDIT TO ADD,.....SEE ABOVE, posted at same time....CHfather is, as usual, so far ahead of me i don't even see his dust... ...nice suggestion.....believe only for drug info tho. before the internet i used to ask med school libraries or my docs office for last years copy. over 20 scripts used in my CH career....it helped to know more than what was on the script bottle. now patient insert sheets cover way more than most folks will ever need.... .....believe what i was referring to is this (never seen myself): UpToDate: Industry-leading clinical decision support When you care for patients, the stakes are high and every decision counts. You need the best evidence and clinical guidance at your fingertips to answer even the most complex questions with confidence. ....subscription service for medical professionals.....this physician should have access either personally or through his practice network. website fwiw: Evidence-Based Clinical Decision Support System| UpToDate | Wolters Kluwer

[Edit: I see that jon has just posted this same info about UpToDate .. .. ..] am not recalling the name of standard reference that physicians use...hoping another clusterhead will come along and provide. Physician's Desk Reference (PDF) perhaps? This, as all have said, is one crazy doctor. PDR, as suggested by Jeebs, might have the info that jon' mentioned (and as jon' said, any sane site will list triptans and oxygen). The most commonly used online reference/app by doctors is called UpToDate. Says here (https://nhcps.com/top-12-online-resources-for-medical-professionals/): "UpToDate is considered the go-to source for about 90% of US-based medical centers. A 118-facility study published on PubMed.gov found that most doctors and residents turned to UpToDate before any other resource."

Wow, that is one terrifically misinformed PCP - what a nightmare.

23 years later and I am still self diagnosed. These jokers have no way to tell except to listen to the patients words.