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Hey KonaGuy, You Kamaina? 129 nmol/L = 129/2.5 = 51 ng/mL. If you are an episodic CHer, your target 25(OH)D serum concentration is 80 ng/mL (200 nmol/L)... If you are a chronic CHer... your target 25(OH)D serum concentration is 100 ng/mL (250 nmol/L). Either way, if the CH beast is still jumping ugly... I would take 50,000 IU/day for another week then drop back to an initial maintenance dose of 10,000 IU/day. If the CH beast continues to jump ugly after taking the first dose of 50,000 IU/day... I would start chewing/popping the 50,000 IU worth of vitamin D3 liquid soft gel capsules between my back teeth then swirl the contents under my tongue and between my cheeks and gums (sublingula and buccal) for 4 to 5 minutes without swallowing for another six days... I would also take 25 mg of Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL) at bed time for the next six nights. You can also download the latest version of the anti-inflammatory regimen CH preventative treatment protocol at the following link. Be sure to share a copy with your PCP or neurologist. That way you’re both singing from the same sheet music. Henry Lahore, the brains and brawn behind the VitaminDWiki website posted this treatment protocol for me on 21 January, 2017. As of 7 September, readers of this post had downloaded 3129 copies. http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 If you scan the following QR code with your smart phone, it will download a pdf copy of the treatment protocol to your phone. The QR Scanner app is free. It takes less than 10 seconds to download and install. If the above doesn't have you CH pain free in three days, please let me know... Take care, V/R, Batch

Hey ClusterSpouse, Sorry for the delay in responding... Just got back from a 10-day fishing trip in Alaska... Great question and thank you for being a super CH supporter. The fastest and most effective way of elevating serum concentrations of vitamin D3 and its first metabolite 25(OH)D is by taking it sublingual (under the tongue) or buccal (inside the cheeks and lower lip). This is where Vitamin D3 sprays and liquid formulations are king as they bypass the GI tract passing directly into the bloodstream through the mucosal membranes in the mouth and this results in better absorption. You can find an excellent study on liquid and spray vitamin D3 at the following link. https://betteryou.com/health-matters/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/DLux-Cardiff-University-trial.pdf As the anti-inflammatory regimen is essentially "a way of life" for CHers that's taken daily year round, my only issue with the liquid and spray vitamin D3 formulations is cost. The most effective liquid/spray vitamin D3 are microemulsion preparations that cost considerably more than the liquid gel caps @ 6 cents/5000 IU. I've found that popping/chewing 25,000 to 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 liquid soft gel capsules and swirling the contents under my tongue and between my cheeks and gums without swallowing for 4 to 5 minutes works effectively to get my CH under control during my "25(OH)D burn down" tests to see how long it takes for my CH to return after stopping my vitamin D3 intake. Hope this helps. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Jerry, Many thanks... My second best birthday present came from my wife when she said "Go buy a new spinning reel" after looking at the reel I've taken to Alaska for the last 6 years... I've washed it daily with fresh water while fishing and kept it well oiled... but the elements and continued use have still taken their toll... so I ordered one of the best with a stainless steel body and internals. It will last a lot longer than me.... (I didn't tell her what it cost). My best birthday present came from my daughter on 22 August... Orrin Gustav... 7 lb 8 oz... Our 8th grandchild. My daughter has been taking the complete anti-inflammatory regimen with 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 for five years, so Master Orrin, like his big sister, Fred (Winefred), was bathed in maternal vitamin D3 since conception... A flawless pregnancy, flawless delivery, a very happy healthy mother and a very healthy baby boy... It doesn't get any better... Take care and thanks again. V/R, Batch

Hey Greeneyes, With a baseline 25(OH)D serum concentration of 28 ng/mL, I would start the 12-day vitamin D3 loading schedule at 50,000 IU/day. After 12 days you can drop back to an initial maintenance dose of 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3. This loading schedule speeds up the time it takes to elevate your serum 25(OH)D concentration to a therapeutic level around 80 ng/mL. Doing this should also reduce the time to a favorable response to this regimen with a significant reduction in the frequency, severity and duration of your CH. You can speed up this process even more by taking the vitamin D3 loading dose sublingual. I do this frequently by popping the vitamin D3 softgel capsules between my back teeth then swirl the contents under my tongue and hold them there for 4 to 5 minutes without swallowing. The vitamin D3 tastes slightly sweet and the gelcaps turn into a gummy bear consistency after 4 to 5 minutes so I chew them up and swallow. This method of taking vitamin D3 gets it directly into the bloodstream and bypasses the GI tract where absorption is slower. It is not uncommon for CHers to have allergic reactions that slow or stop vitamin D3 from preventing CH. These allergic reactions can be sub-clinical with no outward or obvious symptoms, but the allergic reaction is still there pumping out a flood of histamine that makes nearly every CH intervention less effective. Accordingly, if you haven't responded with a reduction in the frequency of your CH after 10 days on the vitamin D3 loading schedule, I would also start a 5-day to one week course of Children's Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL) liquid allergy medicine. 12.5 mg (5 mL in the measuring cap) once or twice a day. The only word of caution is even at a low dose like this, Diphenhydramine will make you drowsy so don't drive if at all possible. If you need to drive during the day, take it when you're home and done driving for the day. Diphenhydramine is a first-generation antihistamine that crosses the blood brain barrier to block H1 histamine receptors on neurons throughout the brain and in particular, the trigeminal ganglia, where histamines trigger the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Second- and third-generation (non-drowsy) antihistamines cannot readily cross the blood brain barrier so will be less effective. CGRP in turn, triggers neurogenic inflammation and the pain we know as cluster headache. Hold the liquid Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL) in your mouth swirling it under the tongue and between cheeks and gums for 3 to 4 minutes. Like the sublingual vitamin D3, this gets the Diphenhydramine into the bloodstream at a higher concentration and much faster than swallowing and this helps vitamin D3 to do its thing with genetic expression to prevent your CH. I realize this may be confusing, but give it a try. The sooner you do, the sooner you'll find you finally have control of the CH beast that's been controlling you... Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Tim, Look for vitamin B 100 complex... If you can't find it, any good B complex should work just fine. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Hey Tim, You need the rest of the anti-inflammatory regimen supplements that go along with vitamin D3. The following photo illustrates what I've been taking for more than 4 years and they work just fine for me in preventing my CH. The vitamin D3 cofactors: magnesium, zinc, boron, vitamin A (retinol), vitamin B complex and vitamin K2 complex are all very important in metabolizing vitamin D3 to gain the optimum CH preventative capacity. Omega-3 fish oil is another important anti-inflammatory that helps prevent CH. If you take the above supplements by brand you'll be getting what is shown in the following table/ Try to see your PCP for the 25(OH)D lab test. It will help let us know if you've elevated your serum 25(OH)D up to a therapeutic level around 80 ng/mL for most CHers. That usually requires 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3. Accordingly, at some point, you may need to taper your vitamin D3 back down a bit. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Greeneyes, 2,000 IU/day of vitamin D3 is not enough! If your doctor said your vitamin D3 a.k.a., serum 25(OH)D was low, it was likely less than 30 ng/mL... Ask to be sure. If it is that low, you need to start a vitamin D3 loading schedule of 50,000 IU/day for 12 days, then drop back to an initial vitamin D3 maintenance dose of 10,000 IU/day. Try to pick up some 10,000 IU vitamin D3 liquid softgel capsules and take five (5) of them a day for 12 days along with 400 mg/day magnesium, 1000 to 2000 mg Omega-3 fish oil and the Kirkland brand Mature Multi... You can order the Super K once you've got the CH beast under control. Here's what I take. The 12-day/2-Week accelerated vitamin D3 loading schedule will elevate your serum 25(OH)D up to 80 ng/mL per the following chart. I suspect you'll be mostly CH pain free by the end of the first week on this loading schedule... Read the treatment protocol and give a copy to your neurologist. Instead of the 5 hour energy drinks, try sucking Ice Cold Water from a straw or suck on a fudge sickle. Chilling the roof of your mouth with ice water or ice cream is just as effective as a 5 hour energy drink and a lot better for you. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Hey Greeneyes, Have you asked your PCP for the 25(OH)D lab test? I suspect you're vitamin D3 deficient and that deficiency is contributing to the frequency, intensity and duration of your headaches. You can download a copy of the anti-inflammatory regimen by going to the VitaminDWiki.com web site in the headache section. You can also scan the following QR code with your smart phone and it will download a copy of this regimen. The QR code app is free. It takes less than 15 seconds to download and install. You can also past the following link in your browser to download this treatment protocol. Replace the "•" with a period "." there are three of them. http://www•vitamindwiki•com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment•php?attId=7708 Be sure to share a copy of this treatment protocol with your PCP and neurologist when you see one. I also suggest you let your husband read it as well. It will help him understand more about CH and what you're going through. The following chart illustrates the favorable response times of 83% of 215 CHers taking this treatment protocol. It will give you an idea of what to expect after starting it. By favorable we're talking a reduction in the frequency of CH from an average of 3 CH/day down to 3 CH/week in the first 30 days. Better than 54% of CHers starting this regimen experienced a complete and lasting cessation of CH symptoms. There's one word of caution... Vitamin D3 helps the entire endocrine system function more effectively... That can easily result in an increase in fertility... Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Hey JBH, I suspect you're vitamin D3 deficient (<30 ng/mL) and that deficiency is contributing to the frequency, duration and intensity of your headaches like it has for over 75% of 600 CHers taking the anti-inflammatory regimen. Baseline 25(OH)D lab results for 25(OH)D from the online survey of 215 cluster headache sufferers (CHers) taking the anti-inflammatory regimen to prevent their CH are illustrated in the following normal distribution curve. 25(OH)D is the serum level metabolite of vitamin D3 that's used to measure its status... The 25(OH)D normal reference range is 30 to 100 ng/mL (75 to 250 nmol/L). Most vitamin D3 experts contend anything less than 50 ng/mL is vitamin D3 deficiency. Better than 80% of CHers who have started this vitamin D3 regimen since December of 2010 have experienced a significant reduction in the frequency, intensity and duration of their CH from an average of 3 CH/day down to 3 CH/week. Better than 50% of CHers starting this regimen experience a complete cessation of CH symptoms as long as they remain on this regimen. I'm also confident the anti-inflammatory regimen CH preventative treatment protocol will work to prevent HC just like it does for CH... Accordingly, either way, this regimen should help prevent your headaches. You can pull down a copy of the latest version of the treatment protocol from the following link at VitaminDWiki: http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 Be sure to take a copy of this treatment protocol to your PCP when you ask for the lab test of your 25(OH)D. You can also scan the following QR code with your smart phone and it will download a pdf copy of the treatment protocol to your phone as a ready reference. The QR Code scanner app is free. It takes less than 10 seconds to download and install. Take care and please keep us posted if you decide to give this regimen a try. V/R, Batch

Kimbrit, Welcome to Clusterbusters. We know what you've been going through and the good news is it doesn't need to be that way... There are many "old hands" experienced in controlling CH here to help you. Your concerns about taking Carbamazepine are valid...Why neurologists prescribe antiepileptics for cluster headache is baffling... It is not among the Standards of Care recommended interventions (prophylaxis) for cluster headache (CH). The odds are very high you are vitamin D3 deficient and that deficiency is contributing to the frequency, severity and duration of your episodic CH. I have an online survey that's been running since December of 2011 of CHers taking the anti-inflammatory regimen to prevent their CH. This regimen contains 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3, Omega-3 Fish Oil and the vitamin D3 conutrients: magnesium, zinc, boron, vitamin A (retinol), vitamin B complex and vitamin K2 complex. The first part of this survey requests CHers to see their PCP or neurologist to get the lab test of their 25(OH)D, the first metabolite of vitamin D3 that's used to measure its status. The normal reference range for 25(OH)D is 30 to 100 ng/mL. As of last March, 2017, 215 CHers have completed and submitted their surveys. The following normal distribution chart illustrates their baseline 25(OH)D serum concentrations. Better than 80% of CHers taking the anti-inflammatory regimen experienced a significant reduction in the frequency of their CH from an average of 3 CH/day down to 3 CH/week in the first 30 days. Better than 50% of CHers taking this regimen experienced a complete and lasting cessation of CH symptoms as long as they remain on this regimen. You can download the latest version of the anti-inflammatory regimen CH preventative treatment protocol at the following link. Be sure to share a copy with your PCP or neurologist. That way you’ll both singing from the same sheet music when you ask for the 25(OH)D lab test. http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 Henry Lahore, the brains and brawn behind the VitaminDWiki website posted this link for me on 21 January, 2017. As of 21 July, readers have downloaded 2440 copies of this treatment protocol... You can also scan the following QR code with your smart phone and it will download a pdf copy of the treatment protocol to your phone. The QR Scanner app is free. It takes less than 10 seconds to download and install. This is a very safe regimen of vitamins and minerals. There have not been any adverse reactions reported that required medical attention. On the contrary, there's a long list of health benefits from taking this regimen over and above preventing your CH. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Hey Can't Be Witty. Good on you for starting the anti-inflammatory regimen... and thanks for the feedback. Are you taking the 2-Week vitamin D3 loading schedule plus all the co-nutrients? After 6 years working with CHers taking this regimen to prevent their CH, the 2-Week vitamin D3 loading schedule is the fastest way to a pain free response... The latest data from the online survey of CHers taking this regimen as of March 2017, indicate a mean response time of 10 days for both episodic and chronic CHers. Accordingly, if you haven't experienced a significant reduction in the frequency of your CH by day 10, start the week to 10 day course of Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL) at 25 mg/day... (Significant = Reduction in CH from an average of 3 CH/day down to 3 CH/week). I've found the Children's Liquid Benadryl works just as well as the tablet form at a much lower dose. Take Care, V/R, Batch

Hey Greeneyes, Welcome to Clusterbusters... I've sent you a message. Check the envelop icon in the upper right corner of this window. Take care, V/R, Batch

Urs, What the earlier photo of my fillet of the King salmon didn't show is what I do next. I take a tablespoon and scrape the meat from above and below the backbone on both sides. As you can see, when I'm done, there's very little meat left... "Spooning" the 40 lb King shown in this photo yielded nearly two pounds of very delightful sashimi and California roll makings... as did the fresh salmon roe... The tips, tail and belly meat were already in a brine when I took this photo. They went in the smoker a little over two hours later... Virtually nothing goes to waste with salmon the way we do it... What was left of the salmon in this photo went into a shrimp pot we dropped to 450 feet in Stag Bay, 25 minutes from the house in Pelican... Two days later we pulled the shrimp pot and this was the result. A half 5-Gal pail of 4-Spot Shrimp ~ 10 lbs of tails... And I took the anti-inflammatory regimen with ~ 15,000 IU of vitamin D3 every night... That made the entire 24-day fishing trip to Pelican, CH pain free. Four of us ate a third of the 4-Spot Shrimp along with some nice Lamb Loin Chops later that evening. It all went down great with frosty mugs of Alaskan Amber... I prepared a shrimp, mushroom and cheese omelet for breakfast the next morning... That still left enough shrimp to top our salads the next night to go with the grilled King salmon. Oh yes... That wasn't a sole... It was actually a 45 lb halibut... You can see why I can't wait to get back up to Pelican, AK... I'll make another trip towards the end of August for the Silver/Coho Salmon run... then we pull the boat out of the water, scrub the hull, service the outboards and winterize the house before flying back to Bremeton, WA. I'll spend the last half of September through late May of 2018 preparing for the next fishing trip to Pelican... Take care, V/R, Batch

This may sound off the wall, but pick up some Nature's Bounty 5,000 IU vitamin D3 softgels, some Nature Made 400 mg magnesium softgels and a bottle of Children's liquid Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL) allergy medicine. Rationale... If your son has CH, he is very likely vitamin D3 deficient and that deficiency is contributing to the frequency, severity and duration of his CH. You can download the latest version of the anti-inflammatory regimen CH preventative treatment protocol at the following link. Be sure to share a copy with your son's PCP or neurologist if time permits. That way you’re all singing from the same sheet music. I posted this treatment protocol on 21 January, 2017. As of the 14th of July, 2270 copies have been downloaded. http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 The anti-inflammatory regimen CH preventative treatment protocol will explain the need for vitamin D3, magnesium and the Diphenhydrmine (Benadryl) in detail. You can also scan the following QR code with a smart phone QR code reader and it will download the same pdf treatment protocol to your smart phone for reference. The QR code reader app is free to download and use. It takes less than a minute to download and install. I fish Pelican, AK twice a year for a total of a month and another week at Ketchikan for the family salmon derby. As a chronic CHer, I always take the anti-inflammatory regimen supplements and Benadry (Diphenhydramine) as even in Alaska, there are different types of pollen that can trigger a CH. I never let a CH even get close to spoiling good fishing... I'd start your son on the anti-inflammatory regimen as soon as possible before the flight as even the flight to AK can trigger CH. This regimen is so healthy for us I have my entire family taking it and I'm the only one with CH. That includes my seven grand kids... The young ones get 50 IU of vitamin D3 per pound of body weight per day... The two over 17 get the full 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Aloha Kay, You Kama'aina or Kanaka? I know what you, the kids and your husband are going through and the good news is it doesn't need to be that way. Your husband is very likely vitamin D3 deficient and that deficiency is contributing to his CH. My name is Pete Batcheller a.k.a., "Batch" here at Clusterbusters. I'm a 71 year old retired Navy fighter pilot, a long time CHer and I don't put out bum gouge... Even though I still have CH, I no longer suffer from the terribly painful and debilitating CH attacks. Download the latest version of the anti-inflammatory regimen CH preventative treatment protocol at the following link. Be sure to have your husband share a copy with his civilian PCP or neurologist. Military doctors may decide CH is grounds for a medical discharge... and none of us want that. That way you'll all be singing from the same sheet music. http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 You can also also scan the following QR code with your smart phone and it will download a pdf copy of the treatment protocol to your phone. The QR Scanner app is free. It takes less than 10 seconds to download and install. I'm also sending you a PM with additional information that will help prevent your husband's CH if the two of you follow the suggestions... If you do, the odds are in your favor you'll get back the guy you married... without CH... Take care and check you PM inbox. V/R, Batch

Hey John, Sorry you're having problems with the anti-inflammatory regimen. Roughly 1% of CHers experience an increase in the frequency of their CH after starting this regimen. Why this happens is still unknown, but I suspect it involves two possible mechanisms of action. The first is an obvious reaction to one or more of the supplements. The second is an imbalance in the enzymes and/or nutrients needed to hydroxylate vitamin D3 (adds an [OH-] radical at the 25th position on the vitamin D3 molecule) to form 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D3, a.k.a., 25(OH)D3 and a second enzyme that hydroxylates 25(OH)D3 at the first position to form 1,25(OH)2D3 the genetically active vitamin D3 metabolite. If these enzymes are not being produced at the cellular level where vitamin D3 does its magic through genetic expression, we don't get a CH preventative effect. Even worse, a third enzyme may be generating 24,25(OH)2D3 which is genetically inactive and this consumes available 25(OH)D so it can't be hydroxylated to 1,25(OH)2D3. The nutrients needed to support these enzymatic processes are magnesium, zinc and boron. What has worked for the few CHers with this problem who wanted to continue with this regimen is to use the process of elimination to fined the offending supplement. I'd suggest stop taking the entire regimen for at least a day then restart at one supplement at a time on a 24 hour interval to find the culprit responsible for the spike in CH frequency. 95% of CHers have a low vitamin D3 status, i.e., a 25(OH)D serum concentration < 46 ng/mL and 80% of CHers have a 25(OH)D serum concentration < 30 ng/mL so this would suggest adding vitamin D3 back first. However, CHers also tend to be deficient in magnesium so this would suggest adding magnesium back first. What is important here is to drink at least 2 liters of water a day and to maintain an accurate headache log. The supplements you're presently taking may contain irritants/triggers. Accordingly, I suggest the supplements shown in the following photo as they carry the USP logo indicating they've been tested by an independent lab for purity and strength. I've taken the supplements shown below for over 5 years. I'd suggest starting with the magnesium followed 24 hours later by the Matrure Multi as this will cover the nutrients needed to support the enzymatic processes. I would follow 24 hours later with 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 followed 24 hours later with 10,000 IU of vitamin D3. If you get that far without a spike in CH frequency, you're almost home... Moreover, you've got the basics needed to prevent your CH. Next, I'd add the Omega-3 Fish Oil then the Super K. Again, be sure to drink at least 2 liters of water a day... Obviously, if you have a reaction (spike in CH frequency) to any one of the supplements, don't take it and move on to the next supplement. Take care and please keep me posted with your problems an/or questions. That's the only way I can help. V/R, Batch

Hey John, Oxygen therapy is just an abortive... not a preventative... That said you should get at least an hour or more relief after an abort with oxygen therapy... Try hyperventilating with room air for 30 seconds breathing at forced vital capacity tidal volumes, i.e., exhaling with an abdominal crunch at the end of each exhale cycle until your exhaled breath makes a wheezing sound then inhale rapidly and fully then repeat ten times (~30 seconds), then inhale a lungful of 100% oxygen and hold it for 30 seconds. Repeat this entire sequence until the CH pain is completely gone. If you want a lasting pain free existence, you need to start the anti-inflammatory regimen with 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 plus Omega-3 fish Oil and the vitamin D3 cofactors. You can download the latest version of the anti-inflammatory regimen CH preventative treatment protocol at the following link. Be sure to share a copy with your PCP or neurologist. That way you're both singing from the same sheet music when you ask for the suggested lab test of your serum 25(OH)D, total calcium and PTH (Parethyroid Hormone). http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 You can also scan the following QR code with your smart phone and it will download a pdf copy of the treatment protocol to your phone as a ready reference. If you don't have the QR Code Reader App, it's free and It takes less than 10 seconds to download and install. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Hey JenniDawn, Thank you for the reply. I know this topic sounds too good to be true, but it really is that good and all of it is true. Six years ago no one thought taking vitamin D3 and the cofactors would prevent cluster headache... It just couldn't be that simple... In January of 2011, when the first few CHers tried the anti-inflammatory regimen with 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 and the cofactors, they were amazed it prevented their CH, some in less than 24 hours, Many of their posts at CH.com basically said "It can't be that simple," yet it was and still is. The same goes for preventing RRMS with even larger doses of vitamin D3. I've exchanged several emails with Dr. Coimbra and he is the real thing... as is the Coimbra protocol. If you're interested in this protocol, there are two doctors trained in the application of the Coimbra protocol here in the US, Dr. Barrett Ginsberg, MD or his wife. Both are ophthalmologists in Naples, FL. Barrett's wife's sister was diagnosed with RRMS so she flew to São Paulo, Brazil to study under Prof. Dr. Cicero Golli Coimbra MD, Ph.D. Barrett is up on this protocol as well. I've spoken with Barrett several times and he accepts new MS patients even though he and his wife are ophthalmologist. His contact data follows: Website: http://www.ginsbergeye.com/contact-us.html Email: Dr. Barrett Ginsberg, MD <vitamind@ginsbergeye.com> Barrett Ross Ginsberg, M.D. 77 8th Street South, Suite B Naples, Florida 34102 Phone: (239) 325-2015 Fax: (239) 325-2014 As if Dr. Ginsberg's email address wasn't a giveaway he's a vitamin D3 believer... There's another vitamin D3 website you might want to browse.... The following two links will get you started at VitaminDWiki... The webmeister at VitaminDWiki is Henry Lahore and his website is a cornucopia of all things vitamin D3. I've known Henry for several years and visit with him frequently as he lives less than an hour's drive north of me in Port Townsend WA. This first link will cover 80 medical conditions either successfully treated or prevented with vitamin D3 citing RCTs as medical evidence. It's a jaw dropper... https://www.vitamindwiki.com/Proof+that+Vitamin+D+Works The second link covers all the studies of vitamin D3 treating MS. https://www.vitamindwiki.com/Multiple+Sclerosis So here;s the bottom line... The relationship between cluster headache and MS is not a coincidence. Both share a very common link... a vitamin D3 deficiency. Moreover, both conditions respond to treatment with vitamin D3 and the cofactors if the vitamin D3 dose is high enough... Sooo... when you see your neurologist, be sure to ask for lab tests of your serum 25(OH)D. It will help if you take along a copy of the anti-inflammatory regimen. If you don't want to wait until July, you can see your PCP for this same lab test and discuss the anti-inflammatory regimen. I developed this treatment protocol for neurologists and headache specialists treating CHers and migraineurs so it's worded accordingly. 25(OH)D is the serum level metabolite of vitamin D3 that's used to measure its status. The normal reference range for this lab test is 30 to 100 ng/mL (75 to 250 nmol/L). As CHers, we need to have our 25(OH)D up around 80 ng.mL in order to experience a lasting cessation of CH symptoms. Unfortunately, too many physicians will interpret a 25(OH)D serum concentration of 31 ng/mL as "Normal." Nothing could be further from the truth... I've had a online survey of CHers taking the anti-inflammatory regimen to prevent their CH running since December of 2011. As of 15 April, 2016, 187 CHers have completed and submitted their surveys. The following normal distribution curve illustrates their 25(OH)D serum concentrations before starting this protocol. As you can see, over 80% of them were vitamin D3 insufficient/deficient with a mean value of 22.8 ng/mL and all had a 25(OH)D serum concentration < 47 ng/mL. I'm very confident most MS sufferers will fall into this same category unless they're taking supplemental vitamin D3. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Hey Mle and JenniDawn, There is sufficient evidence to say cluster headache (CH) is an autoimmune disorder just like MS. It also interesting to note that both disorders are highest among people who are vitamin D3 deficient... When was the last time you had your serum 25(OH)D tested? 25(OH)D is the serum level metabolite of vitamin D3 that's used to measure its status... The normal reference range for this lab test is 30 to 100 ng/mL... Unfortunately, too many physicians will interpret 31 ng/mL as "Normal." The real vitamin D3 experts say anything less than 50 ng/mL is insufficient and that 50 to 70 ng/mL is optimum for otherwise healthy adults... As a CHer, we need 80 to 100 ng/mL and some need even higher levels. Both CH and MS respond to a regimen of vitamin D3 and the vitamin D3 cofactors/conutrients if the vitamin D3 dose is high enough. I've been working with cluster headache sufferers (CHers) for over six years and have roughly 600 of them taking what I call the anti-inflammatory regimen with 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3, Omega-3 Fish Oil and the vitamin D3 cofactors/conutrients that include 400 mg/day magnesium 12 mg/day zinc, 1-3 mg/day boron, Vitamin B 100 complex, vitamin A (retinol) at RDA and vitamin K2 at 100 mcg/day. I also have a close friend and Vietnam buddy who's wife has RRMS. She's been taking the anti-inflammatory regimen with 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 for over 4 years and has remained in remission the entire time. You can download the latest version of the anti-inflammatory regimen CH preventative treatment protocol at the following link. Be sure to share a copy with your PCP or neurologist. That way you're both singing from the same sheet music when you ask for the suggested lab test of your serum 25(OH)D, total calcium and PTH (Parethyroid Hormone). http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 You can also scan the following QR code with your smart phone and it will download a pdf copy of the treatment protocol to your phone as a ready reference. If you don't have the QR Code Reader App, it's free and It takes less than 10 seconds to download and install. The really important news for you deals with the Coimbra Protocol for MS developed by Dr. Cicero Coimbra, MD PhD, a neurologist in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His treatment protocol calls for much higher doses of vitamin D3 plus the cofactors. Where the anti-inflammatory regimen with 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 works out to 100 IU of vitamin D3 per Kg of body weight per day, the Coimbra Protocol calls for upwards of 1000 IU of vitamin D3 per Kg of body weight per day... For a sleek rascal like me weighing in at 95 Kg, that works out to 95,000 IU/day of vitamin D3! What is also exciting is none of his MS patients on this protocol suffer from vitamin D3 intoxication/toxicity... There's a good reason for this... When MS patients start on this protocol, they need to avoid taking any calcium supplements and avoid calcium rich foods, i.e., dairy products... They also need to drink 2.5 liters of water a day to help their kidneys flush excess calcium from their systems. Nearly all of his MS patients find this a very acceptable trade off. You can read about Dr. Coimbra's work with his MS patients at the following links. He and his team of neurologists have treated over 3000 MS patients over the last 10 years and 95% of them are in complete remission. Many have reported their existing MS lesions are shrinking or have disappeared completely. https://www.vitamindwiki.com/Interview+of+Dr.+Coimbra+-+Vitamin+D+protocol+for+Autoimmune+diseases+–+2016 https://www.vitamindwiki.com/Multiple+Sclerosis+and+(lots+of)+Vitamin+D+-+book+by+patient+on+Coimbra+protocol+-+Feb+2016 There's also a very exciting study done by Dr. Jody Burton, MD et al. University of Toronto where she had 25 RRMS patients start an escalating dose of vitamin D3 from 4000 IU/day up to 40,000 IU/day and back down to zero on 6 week intervals for one year. This trial concluded with an averaged a vitamin D3 doses ~14,000 IU/day/year and 32/52 weeks spent at doses ≥ 10,000 IU/day: · • There was no hypercalciuria, hypercalcemia or parathyroid dysfunction o No radiological evidence of calcification o No clinical or biochemical adverse events o Significant reduction in RR and EDSS o Significant reduction in T-cell reactivity/proliferation · • Vitamin D3 intake up to 40,000 IU/day and prolonged intake of ~ 10,000 IU/day appears safe and is associated with improvement in clinical disease activity and T-cell reactivity. http://www.vitamindandms.org/researchers/burton/index.html Take care and please let me know if this information is of interest. V/R, Batch

Hey Spiny, Glad to hear your neurologist finally wanted some information on the anti-inflammatory regimen and its capacity to prevent CH. Since posting the following link at VitaminDWiki that downloads the latest version of this regimen on 21 January, 600 copies have been downloaded. Accordingly, the word is getting out. http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 I've also translated the above link into the following QR Code. If you have the free QR Code reader/scanner app on your smart phone, scanning the following QR Code will download a pdf copy of this regimen to your smart phone. If the CH beast is still jumping ugly, there are a few more things to try like adding 1000 mg vitamin C tablet every two hours throughout the day and a 500 mg tablet/day Curcumin. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Hey Spiny, Click on the following link. It will pull down a pdf copy of the anti-inflammatory regimen. Discuss it with your PCP or neurologist when you ask for the suggested labs. Once you;ve had the blood draw, get started... It will minimize then eliminate your daze on oxygen. http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 Take care and keep us posted, V/R, Batch

The improved efficacy of oxygen therapy in aborting CH is based on lowering the partial pressure of arterial CO2 (PaCO2) through hyperventilation either with 100% oxygen or with room air for at least 30 seconds followed by a lung full of 100% oxygen that's held for 30 seconds. Breathing 100% oxygen at 7 to 9 liters/minute will actually make cluster headache worse if the user is animated by the CH pain. The extra physical activity coupled with a restricted level of lung ventilation causes PaCO2 to rise and systemic pH to drop (more acidic). This stimulates vasodilation further aggravating CH. Blowing off CO2 faster than the body generates it through normal metabolism by intentionally hyperventilating drives the cardiovascular system into respiratory alkalosis... (Remember the Andromeda Strain)? During respiratory alkalosis several things happen. As the PaCO2 levels drop, the blood becomes less acid so pH rises. This drop in PaCO2 and elevated pH are sensed by chemical receptors in the Aortic and Carotid bodies and the brain stem. They in turn signal the breathing center to slow the rate of respiration, the heart to beat slower and the circulatory system's arteries and capillaries to constrict. This response is part of what's called pH homeostasis, a feedback control mechanism the body uses that tries to maintain optimum levels of PaCO2 and PaO2. However as we are intentionally hyperventilating, this increases the vasoconstriction. The elevated pH (more alkaline) also causes blood hemoglobin to have a greater affinity for oxygen so each molecule of hemoglobin becomes capable of attracting and holding more molecules of oxygen... up to 12% more oxygen than during normal respiration. This results in a super-oxygenated flow of blood to the brain. When the increased level of vasoconstriction caused by a low PaCO2 and elevated pH is coupled with super-oxygenated blood flow, we experience rapid and reliable CH aborts. Bottom line... If you want fast and reliable CH aborts, ya gotta be huffing and puffing like a big bad wolf trying to blow down the pig's houses of straw and sticks... It's hard work... but well worth the extra effort. One word of caution. Do not hold the lungful of 100% oxygen longer than 30 seconds. The reason for this is simple. Our bodies are running like a car's engine producing exhaust... in our case, CO2. Although there's sufficient oxygen in the lungful of 100% oxygen to hold your breath for over a minute... the level of CO2 or PaCO2 starts climbing as soon as you stop hyperventilating and hold your breath. If you hold your breath for more than 30 seconds, the level of CO2 rises above normal and this triggers vasodilation... In the scheme of Good and Bad things... That's Bad for CHers as vasodilation increases CH pain and prolongs the abort process. Take care, V/R, Batch

It don't get much better... The first half started slow then got ugly... At Half-Time, Lady Gaga turned a page on Cirque du Soleil with a high flying act that will not be surpassed !!! (Tough nuggies all you libs who though she was going to jump ugly on President Trump...) During the 2nd Half, Brady opened a big old can of Whoop-Ass... and the rest is history... It don't get much better than that... Expect the entire Patriot organization at the White House next week. BTW... The latest version of the Anti-Inflammatory Regimen CH preventative Treatment Protocol is available for download at the following VitaminDWiki link: http://www.vitamindwiki.com/Cluster+headaches+substantially+reduced+by+10%2C000+... In case you're wondering, I posted it at VitaminDWiki so I could track the number of downloads... Take care and keep the faith... V/R, Batch

Hey Michfan, All, Some great comments so far... Regarding a very effective method of oxygen therapy that aborts CH in an average of 7 minutes. In researching why oxygen regulators with flow rates high enough to support hyperventilation (25 to 40 liters/minute) and oxygen demand valves were more effective with shorter CH abort times than a constant flow regulator at 15 liters/minute, I found that lowering the partial pressure of arterial CO2 (PACO2) was a key component in obtaining fast and reliable CH aborts. A lower PACO2 elevates the arterial pH (makes the blood more alkaline) and this is a more powerful vasoconstrictor than inhaled oxygen even at 100% purity. The elevated alveolar pH enables blood hemoglobin to upload roughly 12-15% more oxygen so this super-oxygenates the blood flow to the brain to help make the abort even faster and more reliable. Around 2010, I developed a new method of oxygen therapy called Hyperventilation and Oxygen Therapy that has proven to be just as effective as a 40 liter/minute oxygen regulator or an oxygen demand valve in delivering rapid and reliable CH aborts. This method of oxygen therapy essentially calls for hyperventilating at forced vital capacity tidal volumes with room air for 30 seconds followed by the inhalation of a lungful of 100% oxygen that's held for 30 seconds before exhaling into the room and repeating the hyperventilation with room air. You keep repeating this complete sequence until the CH pain is gone... usually in 4 to 7 sequences (Minutes). Hyperventilating with room air accomplishes the same thing as hyperventilating with an oxygen regulator set at 40 liters/minute or an oxygen demand valve except it uses no oxygen. The only oxygen consumed with this method of oxygen therapy is the inhaled lungful ~ 4 liters, that's held for 30 seconds. Accordingly, this method of oxygen therapy consumes roughly 4 liters of oxygen a minute and results in an average abort time of 7 minutes for a total of 28 liters of oxygen per abort. That's roughly a tenth the amount of oxygen consumed with each abort with an oxygen demand valve or high flow regulator set at 40 liters/minute. The key to the effectiveness of this method of oxygen therapy as a CH abortive is the breathing technique during exhalation. It's best to stand. This gives the diaphragm full range of motion and jaw dropped like saying the word "Haw." This allows for unrestricted flow of breath from the mouth. Start by exhaling forcibly and rapidly until it feels like your lungs are empty... They're not... At that point you do an abdominal crunch like doing sit ups and hold the squeeze until the exhaled breath makes a wheezing sound for at least a second then inhale rapidly with shoulders back and repeat the exhalation. 10 such exhalation - inhalation cycles should take 30 seconds. On the 10th exhalation, hold the squeeze until the exhaled breath makes a wheezing sound for 2 to 3 seconds... This squeezes out an additional half to full liter of exhaled breath highest in CO2 content. At that point you nhale a lungful of oxygen and hold it for 30 seconds. If you're hyperventilating properly, you will have pushed your system into respiratory alkalosis. This will be accompanied by paresthesia, a very slight tingling/prickling sensation of the lower legs, feet, hands and lips. Paresthesia is the best indication you've hyperventilated effectively and cast off the most CO2. At the completion of holding the oxygen for 30 seconds, keep repeating the entire sequence until the CH pain is completely gone. This typically takes 4 to 7 complete cycles but could take longer at higher pain levels. The process of intentionally hyperventilating into respiratory alkalosis is very safe as the symptoms of respiratory alkalosis clear in one to two minutes breathing room air at a normal respiration rate. It is possible to feel a slight dizziness using this method of oxygen therapy so if you feel dizzy, lean against a wall. If you feel too dizzy to stand, sit erect in a chair. I also invented what I call the Red Neck Oxygen Reservoir Bag made out of a clean 40 gal trash bag or 16 gal kitchen garbage bag. I use a plastic Coke or Tea bottle with its cap and the bottom cut off as the mouthpiece, the tubing from an old disposable non-rebreathing oxygen mask (your cannula tubing), some electrician's tap and some Duck tape. After the Coke bottle mouthpiece has been inserted through one corner of the bag's bottom and the oxygen tubing through the other corner, I seal both with electrician's tape for an air tight seal then close the open end of the bag with a strip of Duck tape as illustrated in the following photos. It turns out my Red Neck Reservoir bag works exceptionally well with with low flow rate regulators and even oxygen concentrators. You make sure the cap is secure on the Coke bottle then plug the oxygen tubing into the barb fitting on the oxygen regulator and turn it on. When the Red Neck Reservoir is filled completely, turn off the oxygen supply The Red Neck Reservoir is now ready for use to abort a CH using the method described above. All you need to do is unscrew the Coke bottle cap to inhale the lungful of oxygen then replace the cap. Other than the cost at less than $1, there's one more benefit of this contraption... There is no inhalation resistance. Regarding changes in frequency of your CH after starting the anti-inflammatory regimen. This happens to roughly 20% of CHers. What typically happens is the CHer experiences a favorable (pain free) response for a day or two then the CH beast starts jumping ugly again. Fortunately, after a week to 10 days, particularly if the CHer started the 2-Week vitamin D3 loading schedule, the CH frequency drops rapidly towards zero. I suspect this particular phenomenon is related to an imbalance in the enzymes needed at the cellular level, to hydroxylate (metabolize) vitamin D3 to 25(OH)D and 25(OH)D to 1,25(OH)2D3, the genetically active vitamin D3 metabolite we think is responsible for preventing CH. Most neurons in and around the trigeminal ganglia have the genetic resources to generate these enzymes and like most biochemical processes, it takes time to ramp up production as long as the needed resources are present. By needed resources, I'm referring to the vitamin D3 cofactors, in particular, magnesium, zinc, boron and vitamin A (retinol) as these supplements are essential in the enzymatic processes needed in vitamin D3 hydroxylation, and in the process of genetic expression. If they are not present at the cellular level, little or no 1,25(OH)2D3 is produced... with little or no CH preventative effect. Hope this helps... Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Hey John, Thanks for the reply... I'm confident this regimen is an effective migraine preventative... and yes, I've made a similar post on Migraine.com... but no response as yet. What's also interesting is oxygen therapy with hyperventilation is also an effective migraine abortive... There have been several studies done using oxygen therapy as a migraine abortive and all failed to produce meaningful/significant results... The reason these studies failed is they used an oxygen flow rate of 7 to 9 liters/minute per Dr. Kudrow. Huffing and puffing 100% oxygen at 25 to 40 liters/minute stops a migraine about as fast as it stops a cluster headache... The down-side of this method of oxygen therapy is the migraine will return after the effects of hyperventilation wear off (30 minutes to an hour) unless the migraineur is also taking vitamin D3 plus the cofactors... Take care and please keep me posted. V/R, Batch