Bejeeber

I think I too would be looking to the experts in natural treatments related to cortisol production. We've seen how the pharmaceutical based medical establishment can fail us in the CH prevention department, while the natural busting substances can aid us so powerfully. I would hope there may be some similar results to be found in nature vs meds for adrenal/cortisol recovery. So sorry to hear how the meds approach has completely failed Mika. :'(

To me the study CHf links to involving the 5 US test subjects is quite impressive, ESPECIALLY since they were intractable cases, mostly chronic, that nothing else was working for, and "all but one patient (S1) had experienced symptoms for more than 10 years". I think that is a big deal since these sound like exactly the types least likely to succeed with our currently available busting substances, yet they had remarkable results with BOL-148 (less remarkable for the one guy who chose to keep boozing it unabated). My thinking is YES, it would be reasonable to hope for top notch results. I hope I'm not just being overly optimistic. :-? If you could find a BOL-148 prescribing doc, you'd be blazing a trail and reporting back invaluable info regarding what could be expected from such a venture.

That is incredibly sick about Chris Hanna's facebook site. I went off in an obscure topic here about spineless, cowering OUCH UK's refusal to support a UK study on BOL-148 (by the UK's most prominent researcher in the field) because "it's illegal" (which it probably isn't). I thought that was about the most despicably gutless and shameful display I've witnessed in CH-ville. In the starkest of contrast, there's the Texan individual who risked it all on not just national, but international TV to discuss and demonstrate what works (mushrooms) for so many of us, despite the fact that he could be promptly arrested and incarcerated for doing so. That daring act and powerful Nat Geo segment continues to lead untold but definitely large numbers of CH'ers around the globe to some potent relief they wouldn't have known of otherwise. Now here's the Hanna facebook site luring in CH'ers in crisis, then going all out to make sure they don't get accurate, potentially life saving answers to their questions about busting. Is it delusion, extreme sadism, pitiful cowardice, pathetic willful ignorance, or all of the above that's behind that atrocity of a facebook site? The world's gone CUCKOOÂ . Is this the same pariah facebook site that has actually banned our Bob Wold and Kaboom?

I remember ya Whooligun! Thank gawsh about the AVM shrinkage! [smiley=thumbup.gif] But wait a minute...that sux'n bloze about the CH. I bet you'll knock the CH down and quite possibly even knock it out with the fungi. Pullin' for ya. Several headbangers around here who benefit from fungi have been keeping a tranquilizer such as a valium or xanax on hand just in case of any trip induced anxieties.

Yep, youbetcha, so I wouldn't be surprised if the doc's diagnosis there is right on. Heck if anything could bring on ye olde panic attack, I would think it would be the CH ordeal you were experiencing! Well I and some others who've had 'em for 30+ years have noticed increased severity, plus longer lasting attacks and cycles, but some of us have been lucky enough to have also benefitted from longer remissions. This can become a moot point when the busting is preventing entire cycles (plus even those who haven't yet gone into full remission via their busting efforts tend to report lessened severity). 8-) Sounds like you just wrote yerself a prescription for an O2 rig at home, and toot sweet! 8-) (whether it be thru a doctor, or welding O2 without prescription). Regarding Argentine dosage: Let's let some more knowledgeable headbanger(s) around here answer that one definitively. I think, but am not positive, I've heard it said that the strain, whether it be Agentine or whatever doesn't make that much difference, in which case 1.5g to 2g powder dry per busting session could be your ticket. Someone in high cycle as you are now often needs to do multiple busts 5 days apart to completely extinguish our pesky McBeast O'Buddy.

Yeah thanks MG - I've saved that info and chart to my cluster files where I go first if I need to try something different.Â

It doesn't sound like CH to me either, but regardless, there's something valuable to be learned from veteran CH'ers here, and that is don't just see "a neurologist", as in a garden variety neurologist. Definitely hold out for a headache specialist type neurologist, as the garden variety sort typically have woefully inadequate training regarding headache disorders, and misdiagnosis sux.

I like what CHf has said - but hey I always like what CHF has said. 8-) Conversely I HATE hearing about your current O2 situation Vickie so I'll pipe in too. I'm afraid I have historically been the same way, 25 LPM isn't enough. I also learned that this need for flows above 25 LPM is fairly common. If I had my last cycle (back before I was busting) to do over O2-wise I would've gotten a demand valve system. When you get into the high flows, sucking the O2 tank dry can be a serious, recurring issue indeed, but the demand valve only releases the O2 on inhale, shuts completely off on exhale, conserving the O2 in a major way. Plus it'll simply supply as much O2 as you can inhale, period, with no need to mess around with LPM settings and krap. If for some reason you can't get the demand valve and have to keep investing in cruder regulator/mask systems, well with advice from other CH'ers I was able to cobble together a rig using a 60 LPM flotec regulator (which I would often set to 45 LPM), and I replaced the reservoir bag on my mask with (I'm not kidding here) a 32 gallon trash bag that could handle my intentional hyperventilation. Crude, a hassle, inefficient and unsightly as hell, yes, but it got me plenty of O2.

I think it's a little Cindy. Good to see ya back here Mr. McDanBerry USA. 8-)

Dammit. And to make things even more complicated, it is commonly recommended to wait 5 eternally long, frustrating, stinking lousy days between doses! Something about the doors to the receptors slamming shut and it takes time for them to reopen. But hey they say the only rule in biology is variation, so maybe in your particular case 3 or so days could be enough? I sure hope so – an occasional individual has reported successfully pulling off the short 3 day thingy.

All I can think to say about that is WTF??!!, you've just described the worst of the worst case scenarios that I didn't even know was possible (or maybe I've seen this reported before but blocked it out of my mind).Â

Yeah that's a familiar quandary - I know when I've been in an all out assault mode on a stubbornly behaving beast I've gone for a "throw everything at it and sort out what worked later" attitude. In your currently PF state though, I think I might want to stick to trying one thing at a time. Oh Lordy. That could be the MOTHERLODE alright. :o  [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=thumbup.gif] [smiley=thumbup.gif] [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]

Whose baby are you burping in this photo??!!

Tryto, that's one cool story. 8-) Isn't this just pure societal lunacy that we typically endure decades of damaging and ultimately ineffective meds before learning that nature has supplied us with incredible healing plants, right under our noses, and sometimes right out in the yard (or neighbor's yard)??!! Healing plants that indigenous peoples have been aware of for millenia. One guy on here had cattle on his property and upon learning of psilocybin's busting capabilities for CH, was able to just get up from the computer, walk a few steps outside his door, and pick some mushrooms for busting his CH. 8-) Speaking of vit M, a hyper-vigilant, ultra prepared approach could be to acquire a back up for your back up by starting to grow some vit M now.

Hello Joe, What they said. 8-) Busting (with substances such as Psilocybin or Rivea Corymbosa) absolutely works and can be said to be the most effective long term preventive option currently out there bar none. From my own case and what I've observed our fellow headbangers report over the years, I think it's safe to say episodic CH'ers tend to have the highest success rate with it. In fact it is generally SUPER EFFECTIVE for episodics, with the knocking out of entire cycles being commonplace. It often takes more effort (meaning more busts) for an episodic who is right in the midst of a high cycle, or for a chronic. The chronics have it the roughest dammit, and while some get beautifully longggg extended remissions via busting, others here such as Moxy, Ricardo, et al haven't had that level of success so far. :'( My money is on you finding much better results with the natural treatments than with what the docs have on tap. That's an easy bet.Â

Thanks b.g.! Man it's great to see the photos (but NOT great to know you were having to hit the O2 tank). This group shot that appears to be an "everyone hug Bob!" event is FANTASTIC - what a moment in time captured - and I think it should seriously be considered for prominent display front and center right on the CB home page:

Yeah thanks for the pics and captions Racer1, I just love the way Joe says hello, especially when it's posted on the internet. ;D Supporters tend to accompany their CH'ers to these conferences, so that can account for some of the boozin'.Â

That sort of thing does prove to be very difficult and expensive when trying to do larger scale trials to get a drug approved, with BOL-148 being a major case in point. This Bromo-LSD has been shown in small trials to be much more effective than the already very powerful regular old LSD for CH. Doses an order of magnitude higher can be administered, due to it's non-hallucinogenic nature. Nobody here has ever reported being able to actually get their hands on some for private use though as far as I know. I guess there'd be no reason for it to be on the RC market since there is no high associated with it..... In fact, I think any MINUTE now the latest updates on the so far frustrating attempts to get BOL-148 FDA approved are being delivered at the CB conference, which is underway this weekend in Chicago. The many million$ required for funding have been a real obstacle.

That sounds like a good new abortive plan C-Town, and if you can't get it prescribed for some reason, in the USA at least you can just get the same stuff from a welding supply without prescription. I think it'd be worth your while to get a high flow 100% O2 set up - I know that's what I need when I get to the point where the "weaker" abortives like Red Bulls plus vigorous exercise such as push ups aren't working. Also agreed with CHF's ideas for preventatives such as busting and D3.

Ooh super interesting stuff Libertas - to think these are currently legal in the UK (!!). AL-LAD and LSM-775 sure got my attention, especially this bit about LSM-775:

Y'all are absolutely going to be glad ya went. I just had to cancel my fights and hotel reservation for this conference - dumb things came up that prevent my attendance - but I sure was glad I was able to make it last year.

That jumps right out at me as something that could make for a particularly snazzy full on slogan.;D 8-) It at least makes for a great quote. [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]

That's what I'm seeing too! YAY. Doug you are a total wizard of cyberspace. 8-) ;D

Interesting stuff, thanks Jorge. I found some of the statistics such as these pretty encouraging:

Alternatives To Drugs And Surgery "R" Us! OK I don't actually speak for the website or anyone else on the message board here, but I thought that would sound like a snappy slogan, because last time I checked, it is the primary focus of this message board indeed. 8-) Regarding the non invasive device - I imagine you've seen something about Gammacore. There is a ClusterBusters conference coming up real soon, would be so cool if you could attend, check this part of the agenda out: "Clusterbusters is pleased to announce the participation of ElectroCore Medical, the manufacturers of GammaCore. GammaCore is a non-invasive treatment therapy of vagus nerve stimulation. This treatment shows considerable promise for those with primary headaches such migraines or CH. Trials are currently underway in other countries and will be starting in the USA shortly. Mr. Eric Liebler and Ms. Jennifer Berman of ElectroCore Medical will make a presentation at the conference. Their web site is http://www.electrocoremedical.com" More conference details: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1377961953 This forum is also highly populated with folks such as myself who have gained tremendous CH relief from "busting", which involves ingesting plants well known to indigenous peoples for their therapeutic properties for thousands of years. These plants are easily more effective preventatives than any synthetic drug, as shown in research at Harvard Medical, et al, and have been tried and tested by a huge number of Ch'ers in recent years. Here's the catch: Some of them could induce a psychedelic trip. Certainly the ultra powerful CH killer psylocybin can, but the more recently adopted Rivea Corymbosa (RC) seeds do no such thing (well for me at least). Check out this Newsweek article on the subject for starters - I think it's a very good introduction, although it doesn't touch on the mild acting RC seeds: http://www.newsweek.com/2009/10/14/the-psychedelic-solution.html Also one of our members was featured in a National Geographic segment on this same busting subject. Unfortunately my link to a video of that is now broken, so maybe someone else will have a working link.