Bejeeber

Hi Josh, What the ultra knowledgeable lay experts just said. I'd like to emphasize the fact that CH can often be treated effectively. You've happened upon the right place for info about that, and for a lot us there's no reason to have to be experiencing unrelenting, full force attack after attack. "Busting", an alternative treatment discussed in the closed boards Spiny mentioned, can be an an impressively effective preventive......

Hi Shoog, Sorry I don't have much time for elaboration right now, I'll try to get to the point with my thoughts: Triptan spray: If you're tasting it you're probably "sniffing" while using it, a mistake most of us make unless instructed otherwise. I recommend researching the instructions for it. Last time I checked, it's just supposed to go up into your shnoz, with no sniffing, not used like an actual inhaler. Injections are widely known to work quicker, plus there's the major advantage of being able to use partial (but still very effective) doses, and stretch your supply / reduce your side effect risk dramatically 100% O2, as you'll be instructed on the use of here, aborts attacks well without side effect risk or blocking other treatments. Verapamil can work for some. More effective is "busting". It will sound crazy at first (well it did to me), but see the Harvard and (currently underway) Yale studies, etc., plus tremendous amounts of CH'ers who've found long lasting prevention relief with it, sometimes from a single dose, and you'll start seeing what a breakthrough it can be. There's a "D3 regimen" that some find relief from, and it shouldn't interfere with anything else you're throwing at the CH. You were discriminated against due to your gender, denied proper care, and left in unspeakable pain. That's horrible. Not that it was done intentionally, it was due to an old, stubbornly lingering misconception, but that kinda %&^$ has really gotta stop! -Jeebs (not female, but still outraged. My dear mama taught me about gender discrimination )

One of the absolute worst cases of chronic CH I've known of, via a forum member here, "Bonkers", involved head injury induced CH where where the pain level would sky rocket so high, passing out from it was was actually routine. So my take on passing out from CH pain is it is very rare, but not unheard of, and there's no hard rule that it can't happen to some individuals.

What they said. And as far as diagnosis is concerned I'll just re-emphasize the part about getting to a genuine headache specialist. Lots of CH'ers, especially females, have been done wrong by non headache specialist types, and been denied a CH diagnosis with disastrous results. If you do have CH, well on one hand that sucks, but on the other hand you've found a place where you can get some super helpful input, and potentially beat this thing back dramatically, which lotsa CH'ers have done.

Vitamin L - I personally went the .75 tab route, 3 times to knock it out. Not sure if there is even any consistency of potency with tabs from various batches though? I know at one point some busters were doing a thing when familiarizing themselves with new tabs where they'd try a half, and if they weren't feeling it enough an hour later, up it another half. And there's a long history of course with macro doses, where it's considered most effective to wait days (some say 5) between doses. Understood how with work and kid, etc. it can be genuinely challenging to find a time for a macro dose. I'm not kidding you, I've been toying with the idea of putting in a semi all nighter vitamin L bust tonight with my last remaining paper, as the 'ol beast suddenly is making some loud noises about wanting to come barging back onto the scene unfashionably early.

Bigtime, very sorry to hear the CH came back, but glad at least you got an encouraging break with the PF night and morning - hoping that can continue! There's always the temptation to read your own experience into someone else's - well it's tempting for me to do so anyway, but I can say I had a good number of successes preventing entire cycles with the same vitamin m, only to find at one point it was no longer busting my CH as expected. The next time a cycle reared up I was fortunate to be able to try vitamin L, and it did work, a successful CH bust. For what it's worth.... Also, along with switching up the busting substance, I imagine I might consider a re-think of the daily micro dosing approach in favor of more macro-level doses with several days in-between.

Spiny no no NOOOooOOO NOT THE BOMBA SHACK WITHOUT ME, aughhhhhhhhh!! Oh Lordy I bet the Fusterclucks performed and everything. And CHf they don't call you CH "hipster" father for nuthin'. Sorry to say I don't know if I can tolerate non-HD. Spoiled to the core.

OK, so if those screenshots are showing up for ya, I clicked the "Link" button pointed to with the red arrow, then in the resulting pop up, text I had selected from my message (in this case the word "here"), was automatically inserted into the Link text box, and I pasted the URL I had copied from the hyperventilation redneck bag page into the URL box. For all I know you may have tried this same approach, but you have some browser non-cooperation going on or some such......

Hey Bob! Thanks for the kindness, and for tolerating the faux trolling. And CHf, that freekin does it, we're just going to have to "splurge" for Netflix here, because everyone and their dog has been going on and on about this Mystery Science Theater 3000, and I fear some seriously funny stuff is being missed out on. I think for my next experiment, maybe pushing my luck this time, I'll see if I can attach files and insert them (they'll be screenshots of my link adding escapade above, for inspection and discussion). If it doesn't work, I'll come back for a strictly text description of my link adding process.

WooDAWGY, that was fantastically comprehensive - THANKS CHf!! My initial reactions to some of the numbered entries above: 2) I've saved the new O2 guidelines for critical reference, sorry to learn links aren't working. I'm testing a link to the O2 info here and expecting failure. 5) Super glad to hear Moxie is doing better!! 7) I recall seeing discussion of putting hands or feet into hot water as a treatment long ago, probably among migraineurs. It included one gal who would try to take her mind off the attack by doing some dishes, only to discover having her hands immersed in hot water would relieve her attack. The theory at that time was it worked because it drained some blood outa yer head. 13) I'm gonna check out Regisrate's app! 14) haven't been able to get to this one yet, distracted by a sudden giant corkscrew-like pain, but it's not localized anywhere near the eye this time.

Ha, OK maybe the info doesn't have to be condensed and dispensed before you finish your sip of coffee CHf, but immediately after! Dang, here I am supposed to be apologizing, and this is all I can come up with . But putting aside my irritating and troll-like manner of query above for the moment, I would be interested in getting caught up on wassup. So far I've seen: 1) there's a Jesus Shot 2) One feller on Facebook is using CBD drops with success 3) Lotsa people continuing to receive good excellent advice here

Kelly, the after pain you speak of sounds to me like what is often referred to as shadows, which are common. Headbangers have found ways to suppress shadows, such as ......ginger. As a person who is willing to listen to anyone, it sure is fortunate that you ran right into people who are long, long LONG time studiers of everything that can relieve CH, and constant observers of how well things work among the CH populace. IMO they are without exaggeration some of the world's foremost lay experts on the practical realities of fighting CH!

Another quick thought: I strongly endorse the expert commentary DD and CHf just dished out! You REALLY came to the right place Kelly.

Hi SunJ, Just a couple quick initial thoughts: Permanent spot? NO! Well at least not a constant spot, since so many CH'ers have had impressive success preventing entire cycles, our prevention tools will only continue to get better and better, and it's not like you're a chronic CH'er anyway. Sounds to me like you started at exactly the right place for an abortive, O2 (hopefully high flow 100% O2 with advanced breathing techniques). Typically, next up for the most effective, and thankfully non-toxic, preventives would be the D3 regimen and consideration of busting. One of our pals here, Dan, was featured in a National Geographic segment on busting: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/drugs-inc/videos/magic-mushroom-medicine/

Hi Ditko, Agreed with the input from CHf. And since you're looking into anything that can help you fight back the monster, I would suggest prioritizing looking into what so many of us have found to be the most effective preventive, bar none: Busting (warning: pharma can block the therapeutic effects of busting). I'm saying this especially since it is 100% legal there in Amsterdam where psilocybin truffles are sold in shops. You could try searching this forum to see reports from others in The Netherlands.

For my first couple of CH cycles the attacks were spaced out, as in I might go a few days between attacks, if that is what we're talking about. The only instances where I recall seeing imitrex pills reported as effective for CH have been when someone knows exactly when to expect an attack and will take the pill an hour or so before, or if someone has an important event during which they can't afford to suffer a CH attack, so they take the pill before, just to ensure they'll remain PF. If imitrex pills only cost 1/3 as much as the injections (which I agree are just crazy expensive), well you could potentially still get as may aborts per $ with the injections, following the Extending Your Imitrex method. Glad you're pursuing the O2 since it is the nice non-toxic, side effect free way to abort attacks.

Thanks for that encouraging story Dan! CHf, I know you asked Dan, not me, about the 5 hr Energies and sleep, but for the record I've been deploying a couple per night lately for wake up hits and soon afterwards I've been doing that same strange and unexpected thing other CH'ers have reported being able to do - going back to sleep. Dan if cold showers can work for ya, well for future reference, one of the many other ideas would be this simultaneous combo of 3 abort techniques that has worked for me recently: 1) 5 hr energy shot 2) ice cube(s) pressed against back roof of mouth on CH side 3) blast car air conditioner on coldest setting, highest fan, put nose right up to the vent and forcefully breathe the super cold air in through the nose, out through the mouth, at a pace on the verge of hyperventilation. Each one of these alone has worked for a CH'er at some point, so I figure why not go for a combo platter? Taking off in a sprint around the block for an all out blast of vigorous exercise can substitute for the cold air when health and circumstances permit, and there can be a bit of a refreshing novelty to it the first couple times or so.

Thank you for the up to date insights CHf, I wasn't remembering about the demand valve prescription thing. I do get plenty with the Flotec, but I also burn through tanks like a futhermucker, so I think of the demand valve as a way to help conserve O2 supply, cutting down on the frequency of O2 deliveries required.....ya think that is a realistic assumption, or is this just me engaging in my wishful wishing again?

Hi Spiny, what I have is a Flotec regulator that goes up to...I think 65 LPM(!) and an on old non-rebreather "ClusterMasx" which is retrofitted with a 33 gallon redneck reservoir bag. Haven't been able to use the Flotec yet since the O2 people won't be delivering the right tanks (M) until later today. So far they've only been able to show up with E tanks, which of course my regulator no workee with. I tell ya, if this cycle keeps trucking (which I'm still hoping it won't) I seriously may put money where my mouth has been for so many years and spring for one of those snazzy Demand Masks!

I hear ya Razor, I've pretty much always pretended to go along with some lame arse low flow rebreather prescription just in order to get my paws on some o2. I did encounter an issue with Apria last time though - some busy body gal there called me up when I was in high cycle and she went right into interrogation mode on why I was using lotsa O2, at which point I instantly found myself LYING about my doctor approving it, at which point she started talking about needing an updated prescription. It was dicey. This time the doc said OK to a 15 LPM, non-rebreather prescription, and the result was the O2 supplier holding the O2 hostage an extra day, while they tried to figure out whether a 15 LPM regulator exists. Nobody really wants to go an extra day without O2, right? Well they did eventually show up with the 15 regulator, and a......canula.... .

Ooh that's some good, expert info, and nicely specific, thanks CHf.

Here on a Sunday I'm requesting an O2 prescription via my online "patient portal" with my GP doctor's medical group, in hopes of them seeing the request first thing Monday morning, and my being able to fill it on Monday. I had asked the doctor for a prescription weeks ago when I suspected a cycle could be starting up, and now that I know one is indeed getting in gear, I've learned no prescription was called in. Maybe because as a GP he'll have no experience with CH and not know what to write. So I think I'll offer an example of exactly what he could write, and although maybe I should be an activist about educating him on high flow 100% O2 just in case he ever encounters another CH patient, I'm a little more about the most pragmatic way to ensure he'll write a prescription at all right now. It has been my habit in the past to work the system by getting whatever sort of prescription, then yanking the whimpy low flow regulator off the M tanks delivered from Apria and throwing out their joke of a rebreather mask practically before the door even hits them on the way out, while fastening my hot rod high flow regulator on there in order to get down to some real business. So who here knows exactly what a GP would be likely to automatically and unquestioningly agree to write for a CH O2 prescription (that I could then do my own thing with)? Welding O2 will be my backup plan, and I'll be seeing if per chance there is a local headache specialist that doesn't engage in the standard and grossly negligent practice of making CH patients wait for months for an appointment. Also I'm busting, on the D3 regimen with benadryl, know about all the pharma, blah blah.

The only successful preventive use I can recall at the moment was the continuous 4 LPM via canula (NOT MASK!!!) while sleeping at night, as used by one of our real O2 expert CH'er pals. Bev, an unfortunately very high percentage of CH'ers find O2 ceasing to work for them because it hasn't been prescribed effectively. O2 can suddenly become very effective again with a non-rebreather mask (100% O2), and a high enough liter flow.

I'm glad you're getting lots of good input here. And glad you're not on any extended prescriptions of high dose prednisone, as surgeonasim and some others of us have been on in the past in desperation and paid a dear, permanent price (it's SUPER dangerous at high doses when not prescribed in a short taper).

Here's a National Geographic segment which covers busting and features one of our forum members: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/drugs-inc/videos/magic-mushroom-medicine/