Bejeeber

I'm going to re-ask CHf's question (below): ..since your neuro sounds so lousy. Usually when it is reported imitrex doesn't work for a CH attack we learn that the slow acting tablets have been prescribed, not the fast acting injections.

I read the FAQs, and have downloaded them for future reference. Color me intrigued and appreciative.

Just adding to Spiny's idea about caffeine pills - taurine pills are available also, and could be taken at the same time (I haven't tried this). I can imagine a CH'er holding some caffeine/taurine powder under the tongue for fastest absorption (I haven't tried that either, maybe I should only throw ideas out there that I or someone has actually tried. ) With your temperatures there, if you're inside when an attack hits, I would definitely be set up to be outside within seconds and hyperventilating that freezing air in through the nose, as DM has suggested. This cold air therapy has been shown to be an abortive for some of us some of the time.

The beer test is when a daring CH'er will have some beer to confirm whether they've completely busted a cycle. If not they'll likely be in for a monster hit because alcohol is probably THE NUMBER 1 most common trigger. I learned this the hard and uninformed way. Doctors unfortunately generally don't know that they should prescribe high flow, 100% O2, which tends to be much more effective. My guess is that you received low flow, rebreather O2. Kudos to your doc though both for diagnosing and for whipping out the O2 right away. That reflects an uncommonly high level of competency. You're on the right track, absorbing the critical knowledge now, and you'll want to continue to hang around here aplenty, because there's plenty to learn.

Hi Rudy - I know there are all manner of ins and outs of drug testing, such as what types of substances are tested for, which are not, strategies for timing a bust in order to have a substance cleared from the system, etc. I hope you can get some good info on that, maybe right here. Meantime I doubt (but don't know for sure) you'd be risking anything with a weekend Rivea Corymbosa (RC) seeds bust. Info on that can be found at the following link, although when a starting dose of as low as 8 seeds is mentioned, ignore it, 40 RC seeds would be a more reasonable, and IMO still conservative enough, starting dose: https://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290128974

Cool cool cool (and inspiring) CHF, thanks. 8-)

I see you're keeping the link handy now DD. 8-) ;D

Sorry to hear of your chronic headache gartozi, but glad to see you are able to still look on the positive sides in Bonnie Scotland. I'm just going to offer my personal interpretation of what constitutes a CH shadow: It is localized in the exact same spot as a full on CH attack would be (for me that is right behind the right eye), but is relatively low intensity and can linger for a long time. If I were to have pain in another area of the head I wouldn't consider it to be a CH shadow. But hey what does it matter what I call it when the only thing that really matters is just getting rid of it, and I hope you find an effective way to do so toot sweet. 8-)

Hi ssi, Glad to hear your cycle is history, and I'm in agreement with the comments of CHf and DiamondM. For prevention of CH, this internationally airing National Geographic segment, featuring our friend Dan/Hipshot, gives insight into one treatment discussed here a lot ("busting"), which a large and constantly growing number of CH'ers have been successfully adopting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFuL7pcShDk

You guys ROCK! Sorry. [smiley=happy.gif]

2 of the immediate things that come to mind from your post are: 1) You have come to the right place. 8-) 2) That sounds like the worst specialist neurologist I've ever heard of. I knew that garden variety neurologists are commonly uninformed/misinformed about CH and the like, but for a specialist to be that that arrogant and/or ignorant...?! Topomax is absolutely notorious for it's debilitating brain pudding side effect.Â

Hi TxBust, when I first read your report I thought you had just had the 2mg xanax last night, no busting, and were wondering whether last night's xanax would interfere with a bust tonight, but now that I see Domino interpreting it as you had actually busted last night, I'm not sure. Well anyhoo, from what I'd heard so far, I'd believed xanax didn't interfere, but now J's account throws that into question a lil' don't it? Dam. Well I'll still guess a xanax last night wouldn't affect a bust tonight, but um yeah, I don't seem to playing with a full deck of cards at the moment. Dam.Â

Toni you have officially joined the image posting CB elite now! ;D This talk of the attributes of brain freeze reminds me of how some headbangers do find holding ice cubes in the mouth, pressed up against roof of mouth, to be helpful. 8-)

At this juncture I'd like to note the unadulterated awesomeness of that report. Plus for you, '61mom, A PF summer must have been an incredibly welcome experience!Â

Ha HAAAA!! Watch out ClusterWorld, we have some advanced image posting cybergeeks on the loose now.Â

That picture is worth a thousand blabs Spiny - thank you. Is that a historical moment/first image ever posted on this message board by Spiny?Â

I figured YOU for also being one of those hoity-toity Apple types CHf. To think of you as always having strictly been a windows guy has completely blown my mind. I think I'm going to have to go lie down, try to recover, and re-think my place in the world now

Thankfully there is an alternate quick and simple option for posting images, but will I be able to describe how to do it in an understandable manner? Hmmm that's not what I'm known for but I'll give it a shot anyway. OK class, let's all learn by trying to post ToniEvo's avatar pic into our messages: 1) Right click on the Toni pic and select "Copy image URL" or the equivalent for your OS/browser. 2) Paste what you've just copied into your message window, it should read like this - https://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/yabbfiles/avatars/UserAvatars/ToniEvo.jpg (but not colored blue like this one) 3) Highlight that URL you just pasted in 4) Click on this third from top left "Insert Image" icon in your message composing window: 5) Notice how it places img and /img code at the beginning and end of the URL you pasted in? You're done now. Preview your message and either the image will show up like it is for me below, or I just wasted your time and I am an arse.Â

I think what I'd be doing in your situation is I'd always wear clothing with pockets at work. And if enough supply was available I'd ALWAYS have a sumatriptan spray in one pocket, an energy shot in the other. At first sign of an attack the spray, then the energy shot would be be whipped out and deployed faster than the fastest western gunfighter drawing his six shooters at high noon, whether you're in a meeting or whatever. 8-) I'd have the injections on hand too, for times when they would be do-able. Sorry you got hit like that, and had to endure the "lie down, paracetamol", etc. addition of insults to injury.

A year and 3? NICE. [smiley=thumbup.gif] We're all pullin' for ya to see a winter solstice come and go PF too. Shouldn't there be a law or something that all CH'ers will be provided with expense free stays in the Caribbean or Hawaii during the months surrounding the winter solstice? ;D Oh screw that, the law should actually provide YEAR ROUND lodgings. You bums in San Diego and Florida can ignore the above paragraph because you'll just be thinking "what's the big deal"?Â

Man that stuff is all SO GOOD TO READ ABOUT. You (and your family) are a revolutionary force of positivity Fabac, and those good vibes are highly contagious. I think I'll go be nice to someone or a dog right now just because I read this.[smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]

Thanks J - now those kind of side effects aren't half shabby. 8-)

Also Paul, I admire how you're taking care of your dog, certainly some good karma should be earned from that? 34 years you say.....that would mean your CH started in the year 1980. Well JOIN THE CLUB , that happens to be a common year of onset for many a headbanger I've met.

Hi Paul, 1g sounds like a reasonable first dosage level to me, especially if this is your first mm experience. For those already familiar and comfy with mm, or in a particularly "desperate times call for desperate measures" situation, 1.5 to 2g is a common dosage level, one that l should note could induce some moderate to fairly strong tripping. From what other CH'ers have reported, it appears to me verapamil may hamper but not necessarily block mm effectiveness. Some have successfully busted while still on verapamil, enough that they could then go completely off the verapamil and finish knocking their cycle out with follow up bust(s).

Can't blame y'all at all for wanting to discontinue the topomax Renee - having to attempt to do a job requiring lots of detail work while on the notorious "dope-o-max" and it's infamous side effects of dumbing of the brain and killing of the memory sounds like a major, extremely unwelcome addition to the horror show. I can imagine your doc may be just trying the indo in order to rule out any hemicrania action..... People here have been able to bust while on Verap, including our pal Dan featured in this National Geographic segment airing internationally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFuL7pcShDk Good one, Fabac, and of course 100% agreed, even if I'm not personally as Star Wars-centric as the average bear. Hmmmm I think I may have just outed myself as having been Jellystone Park-centric as a child though.Â