Bejeeber

Hi Cristy, I can tell you that there are some chronic forum members here who have been helped by mushrooms so much that they are basically no longer chronic. They've gone into remission! There's no absolute guarantee this will be the case for every chronic, but certainly worth pursuing IMO. The bad reactions to mushrooms that I've seen reported are basically 'bad trips'. I've had a couple of them myself, but at a busting dosage level, they were more like feelings of anxiety regarding very real issues affecting me and others around me, not a big delusional freak out or anything. It was so unquestionably worth that temporary unpleasantness a thousand time over to be able to stay in remission. Taking the herb skullcap with the mushrooms is reported to ease anxiety, and set and setting is important. I think as long as you read the warnings: http://www.clusterbusters.com/warning.htm and don't have any of the issues mentioned you'll likely be fine. Many CH'ers very much enjoy the experience, and in fact my first bust was an enjoyable one.Â

Hey Thoro, What CHfather said, only LOUDER! ;D And are you administering your O2 in the most effective high flow rate/non rebreather mask way as outlined here?: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/O2/index.html Asking because even the supposed top notch specialists can be dumb about this and prescribe the much less effective old antiquated low flow/rebreather O2.

CHfather makes a very good point about how at least some CH'ers find RC to actually be a stronger busting agent - my previous commentary is colored by my personal experience and what I've seen a couple others report, but we all react differently. I guess I should just say if you try one busting approach without results, don't get too discouraged, the next one you try may do the trick. And since the head in the freezer trick helped some, you might still wanna try the car A/C thing - I find it provides a stronger, more effective stream of cold air than the freezer. I doubt exercising between hits will help all that much - it's more of the sort of thing where at the very first twinge of an attack you BOLT, and if it works, you will have aborted the attack before it has gotten very strong. Cool that razorPP lives by you!Â

Hey Zenchow - well I bet the busting option could really help you, I hope you're able to get ahold of some busting materials ASAP. Although some of us find that Rivea Corymbosa seeds don't seem to be as strong acting as mushrooms for instance, at least the RC is legal to mail order and possess (it's relatively cheap too), so that could be something you can look into while awaiting the big busting guns. 8-) Also please do look into that welding O2 we were yakking about over at the ch.com board. Besides no prescription being required, from what I've heard it's also cheaper. 8-) But meanwhile, today, none of that is going to do you any good, granted, so FWIW here's what I do that can abort my hits when no meds/treatments are available (although it mainly just works for me during the first ramp up weeks of an episode): 1) At onset, run to the car and deep breathe freezing air from the blasting A/C vent through your nose. Combined with an energy drink and possibly ice cubes in your mouth this might abort an attack. 2) Ultra vigorous sprint til you drop type exercise at onset. (I'm not the only one who can potentially kill a hit with these techniques BTW, I've seen several others report some success) Hang in there Zen, it sounds like you're poised to be treating this stinking beast to a walloping counter punch or 3. 8-)

Hey Kaboom - so good to hear from ya. Admiration here for your ability to look at the glass as being half full, when your best week = 3 days PF during a really busy time with work and single mom-ing. Granted, 3 days in a week pain free beats the ever livin' heck outa 7 days painFUL, but with your weekly combo treatment, we're pulling for you big time to achieve that 7 days per week PF Nirvana.Â

Hi Skibo, Ron really dished out the good advice there, and I'd just like to say ditto to all of that. Some additional comments in response to your questions: 1) My personal experience with CH and (I know this is the same for many others) is that the pain is most intense right behind one eyeball, stronger than the other associated trigeminal nerve pathway pain that can hit the teeth etc. 2) About the calcium channel blocker (probably verapamil?), that's actually a tough call in your case, since some folks can bust effectively while still on it, and I don't know that there is wide agreement about how much it may interfere. 3) Other ways to keep things under control (besides the #1 abortive choice of O2 that Ron Mentioned) would be energy drinks with caffeine and taurine for possible help aborting attacks, and for prevention, the high dose vitamin D3 regimen that appears to be working for some CH'ers could be worth looking into -Â it is discussed here: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1291969416

Oh a sports drinky-ish version, interesting indeed. 8-) Funny how it even actually contains the lemonade and calcium ingredients of the D3 regimen (but it doesn't look like there'd be enough calcium really at 14 mg to officially qualify).

Man family probs SUCK! Sorry to hear that, but glad about the still kicking thing.Â

Ha, enjoyed that bit - classic stuff there Les. Although I hope to personally never touch Verapamil with a ten foot pole again, and am convinced the natural alternatives can be far superior, I am more on Brew's wavelength regarding it, as I've seen many a CH'er report that especially in higher doses it can be an effective preventative for awhile. And certainly the "chronic cocktail" of Verap and Lithium has shut down the attacks for some. For awhile. Then lets hope those CH'ers make their way over here! [Hey the spell checker didn't recognize your 'yippies' I quoted as being a word that exists, Les. Well I suppose yippies ceased to exist (1971?) 40 years or so ago, well before the average nerd spell checking programmer was born ]

Maybe (hoping optimistically) the solstice can be low cycle for some? There certainly has also been a quieting of the ch.com message board just lately. It's 'Getting To Know Ya' forum so often feels like a busy major metropolitan emergency room with several first time posters showing up per day, so I'm interpreting the quiet there as being a good, remissiony kinda thing.Â

Seems like we haven't heard from Bonkers (Ron), Hipshot, Kaboom and some of the other regulars for awhile around here and gee fecking willikers it's just kinda DEAD lately. Missin' Dallas Denny too. If you're reading this DD, I think it may be all your fault! ;D Ah well, message boards always have their own cycles and flurries of activity and inactivity. Looking forward to when things pick up again in the general yapping and blabbing dept. here, but of course definitely not in the CH activity dept.!Â

That's a valuable reminder CHfather chimed in with here, JC, it'll definitely be worth going back and reading replies to your original post and about D3. If you missed it to due to CH 'brain burn' (my term), well rest assured I know the feeling!Â

Oh man is there ever - big time! Your Verapamil dosage sounds low, and your pill form of the imitrex is an ineffective form (for most of us). Imitrex injections in 1/2 or 1/3 doses are much faster and more effective, but still stoopidly expensive. 6 LPM for O2 is just wayyyy to low of a flow rate, really you pretty much gotta start with a minimum of 15 LPM, and may need to go to 25 LPM or higher with a non rebreather mask. Your experience with your very uninformed sounding doctor certainly is typical, unfortunately. I think a good plan for you would be to bump that O2 flow rate up ASAP, using these guidelines: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/O2/index.html Then you really may want to consider "busting" with intent to get away from the toxic drugs entirely (as many here have successfully done). Here are some links to help bring you up to speed on busting ASAP (not mentioned in the first 2 links though, are "RC" seeds, which are legal to order and possess in the US, and easy to prepare and take). A Newsweek article on Clusterbusters: http://www.newsweek.com/2009/10/14/the-psychedelic-solution.html A good video talk by Bob: ttp://vimeo.com/10918637 Busting info and instructions: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1298051886 The replies here may be a little thin at first on this major US Independence Day holiday, but hang in there, and HANG OUT HERE.  So glad you found us - you will do a LOT better now that you'll become aware of much more effective treatments/dosages.

Me thinks you have ID'd a ginormous flaw in Goadsby's commentary there AO. All I can think is either he didn't know 5 were chronic when he was opining away, or he was misquoted (that is a very common occurrence) or there really is a more serious problem with Goadsby and how he could still be playing the role of the BOL naysayer with such a weak foundation for his remarks.Â

Oh yeah Jase you're officially inducted into the house band here, The Fuster Cluckers, now (as has been Joe along with many other notables). We have a nightly gig at the Bomba Shack. ;D 8-) http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1297450426

Yep if the beast is in town, when it rains it pours and when it pains it ROARS. > Stoopid jinx - almost every time someone dares to report a PF break, boy that just perks Mr. McBeasty's ears right up and he comes lunging back in. > :( :'( I'm trying to remember Jason whether you're taking the other components of the D3 regimen (of which I'm not really sure just how mandatory they are) - the calcium and oil and stuff?

No. A mother of SIX can't possibly! Whoa I missed or forgot that part of your profile! I hope this D3 thing continues to provide energy because you can undoubtedly use it!Â

Very interesting DG, thanks - good to hear that D3 is helping the whole family! Do you find that you're getting enough sleep, or are your 5:30 - 6:30 wake up calls actually earlier than planned/hoped for?

Oh boy DO we know of a better preventative "medicaton" or 3, you bet! I think a good place to start would be this video talk on the busting subject by forum founder Bob Wold: http://vimeo.com/10918637 Then there's a busting guide here: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1298051886 Glad you got the O2 - that's definitely a step in a good direction.Â

Tingeling these progress reports you leave are a tremendous encouragement - and therefore a real help - to others, and personally I find them really inspiring.

18 left brain Strictly right side CH Same exact thing as Hipshot. 8-) (several of the questions did seem like toss ups that I could've answered either way though)

A few tabs? ;D Jus' kiddin'. ;D

Man that is FANTASTIC news!!! [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] Yes yes yes YES!! [smiley=smiley.gif]

Gee fecking willikers the cat's outa the bag/Matt's outa the bag now.Â

That's sounds interesting indeed - gonna look for it, thanx. 8-)