Bejeeber

Cool. Unfortunately it can take a week to kick in, which admittedly sucks, because a week in high cycle tends to = an eternity.Â

During my last cycle before I was busting, I found that when aborting the wake up night hits with O2, they would basically come right back within an hour, or during really peak high cycle the O2 might not even abort the attack at all. So I threw my hands up and starting aborting them with 1/2 dose imitrex injections, which would buy me 3-4 hours before the next hit, then I'd try to stick strictly with O2 for the day hits. I may not have been optimizing my O2 use though - maybe I should've stayed on longer after a hit subsided, and I could've made more of an effort to balance my arterial PH (which is something that is likely automatically accomplished via the D3 regimen). As far as circadian/hypothalamus etc. is concerned, I think it's just because the beast likes to come out in the dark!  > I hope this doesn't seem like a *nag*, but if you haven't started on the melatonin before bed yet, that might be worth revisiting. I had tried 9 mg and it actually didn't work for me, but at that time I didn't realize that some people were taking it all the way up to 21 mg before they found relief.

And anudder thing or two - while you're getting your shrooms all in a row you could order some RC seeds right now (legal) - have 'em overnighted, and possibly dose with them by tomorrow night before bed. They shouldn't scare you at all, they are super mild acting in comparison to shrooms etc. and the most common side effect from ingesting before bed is a better than usual night's sleep. I should admit though that some nausea can be another side effect. 50 or more seeds could be a good starting dose IMO. Also, some people find that melatonin from 9 up to 21 mg before bed can prevent their night hits. I 'm sure you wouldn't mind something like that - maybe you could start on the D3 and melatonin today?

Hey Jason, That sounds like a bad episode you're in there alright - SUCKS!!! > Let's hope busting and high dose vitamin D3 regimen will put this thing to an end. This is the D3 topic at CH.com: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1291969416 It's clearly a bit late for this advice, but if you weren't aware of the imitrex tip that allows getting 2x to 3x as many aborts (and less side effect risk) from the injections, well I thought I'd mention it. Hopefully you won't need to use them again though: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/imitrex.html

What CHfather said about the imitrex tablets vs. the injections (or inhaler) and how your doctor appears to be some kind of lousy bonehead when it comes to CH (OK maybe he didn't word it exactly that way HA! ) and, well just everything CHfather said. Personally, I would go for the D3 regimen right now, as it's very low risk. Actually, personally I don't devour the fish oil since I'm vegetarian, but flax oil has a whole lot of the Omega 3 action goin' on. 8-)

Geisha I concur with Jeff that your dose may have been too low. Can you tell us what level of trip or effect you felt while under the influence of the LSD? I'm afraid I'm not exactly an expert re: busting either, but my impression is that when you're in the middle of a cycle, you may have to dose higher to get results. Are you currently using imitrex in the injection form? Asking because if you haven't seen this tip on how to stretch your doses, it's proven to be a critical tip for many: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/imitrex.html Also did you detox from the imitrex for at least 5 days before trying the LSD? Imitrex will interfere with the busting, but of course O2 won't, and that makes O2 all the more valuable for us. Jeff - there's already been one Nat Geo on the subject of LSD - and it was partly about LSD and BOL for CH. The one Hipshot will be starring in will be the second. 8-)

That's horrible. So sorry. This is probably a very obvious thing that I'm not sure whether it's even appropriate to mention, but since he was a witness and wasn't safe, I hope the police are really making sure he jumped, as opposed to being pushed.

That is just so freeking awesome. I'm getting a very hopeful feeling that you're going to make it out of this bind, and will be doing better than ever, Mike. And yep CHFather and Mike's dad Ron just plain RAWK.Â

What they said Michael! You've got people quitting all kinda bad stuff. The snowballing is picking up steam! Wait a minute if a snowball picked up steam it would start melting - that was a bad expression to use there.

Well yay for Goadsby then Now regretting I was gettin' on his case for outdated remarks.

Here it is - from the ch.com archives: Mark Honigsbaum The Guardian, Tuesday August 2 2005 . “Peter Goadsby, professor of neurology at the Institute of Neurology, University College London, and the world's leading expert on cluster headaches, is sceptical about the mushroom therapy. He argues that the relief reported by some patients may be a placebo effect or owing to natural remission. http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?action=print;num=1212882305

I would imagine that coordinating with OUCH could be fruitful, since it turns out that OUCH is really a good organization - the American wing at least - and on their site they even list busting as the most effective preventative out there. To give an idea of what OUCH has been doing, they also have a "family services" division that comes to the direct, concrete aid of CH'ers who are in crisis with limited or no funds/insurance, which is an incredible service, one that very well may have prevented some suicides. I had been afraid that the American OUCH might shun the busting concept, as I heard the UK version of OUCH was doing at one point, but the fact that they're featuring Bob alongside Goadsby says a LOT, and I salute (and am a member of) OUCH! <insert vigorous saluting emoticon here> I hope Dr. Goadsby - the supposed world's foremost authority on CH -Â who I'd earlier seen quoted as believing relief from psilocybin was likely a 'placebo' effect, will learn something at the OUCH conference if he still hasn't done his research. Actually, if that quote was accurate, I'm pretty much taken aback that he could even believe a placebo effect is possible with CH.

Please money fairy, do poop a HUGE pile of money into Mystina's hands.Â

Ha - I just saw this now. Kaboom you may have to step in and defend my honor here LOL. And if I can make it to the cornvention, yep I will actually find a photo o' meself to post here beforehand (brace yerselves! ) so folks'll recognize me in person. 8-) Would that be the cooooolest if both Ron'n Michael could both get to Chicago or what?

Michael look what you inspired Dan to do - this thing is snowballing. In a good snowballing kind of way. Dan I would imagine it'll be reasonable for you to hope for improved busting results too after getting all 'withdrawed' and such, which sounds like a ginormous bonus indeed. 8-) (and I figured I should start signing off with my real name at least occasionally here, because I hope to attend the clusterbuster conference and meet you buncha nut jobs in person).

Well put Matty.

Something's gotta work - please let it be Warfarin.Â

Michael I've been following your case since back when your dad first posted some background over at the CH message board, and I was stunned right then and there by the worst case of CH I'd ever heard of. I know it's been a rollercoaster with the incredibly extreme chronic CH you've had - induced coma even - followed by some relief with busting, and now back to square one. This transition you're having to make to be off of pain relievers right when the CH has come roaring back, well there's no candy coating it - it sounds like just a horrible trial to have to go through, we know you're running the gauntlet from hell, and it really concerns your family here who are reading about it. We do have a lot of hope though that you will break through the other side with the busting really unhampered and able to do it's thing 100% for you. Please try to keep your eye on the prize if you can (the other eye, not the one with the nuclear pinging behind it! :'(), and see yourself PF and back to your cool job (how COOL are they for holding it for you??!!). We're all pulling for you Michael, we're here for you as much as we can be in cyberspace during this trial of all trials, and we'll also be ready to celebrate when you come through the other side. -Matt

Hi Booj's mom, I don't have super informative, definitive answers for you, but I'll mention what I know about neurontin (AKA gabapentin). I've taken neurontin and at various times, many other boatloads of prescribed drugs for CH. From what I've seen, some CH'ers swear by it, some swear at it. I've seen some report complete prevention success with it, but probably a higher percentage who've tried it without success. I basically assume it will interfere with busting, although I'm not seeing it specifically in the med interactions list found here: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290130731 The last time I was on prescriptions for CH, I tried neurontin for the preventative, and thanked my lucky stars that it kicked in (it can take a couple weeks) just as my episode was about to spiral out of control with too many high kip hits to keep up with just using O2 and partial dose imitrex injections for aborts. It basically cut the amount of attacks down by around 50%, which brought the remaining couple months of the episode down to a manageable level. I felt a bit pleasantly drugged on it at first, but even on a high dose I found that side effect eventually went away. Sorry to hear of the struggles with getting Booj's Ch under control - here's hoping you find a breakthrough soon. :'( -Jeebs

Oh nonsense - you're only as old as you look! Wait a minute...is that how that expression goes? I hope not, because if so, I'm hosed!

Yes, the awesome best most! HAPPY B DAY!!!

It's extremely fecking cool!Â

Sounds like you're about to slam this beast with a crushing wallop that'll likely make him start thinking twice before he comes to visit again. And that's a good thing! Best of luck with the BRF! Will you be pretty much detoxed from the drugs for 5 days or more before you take your vitamin M?

After experiencing a concert with these guys in ideal surroundings last summer where they played a couple of these new songs ('Livin' In a World Gone Mad' and 'Meanwhile') I'm a genuine fan. http://www.myspace.com/dumpstaphunk So funky it may be illegal. Something unusual about their instrumentation: TWO bass players (!)

Well Kaboom, if anyone hands out any bonker awards at a conference, I think we should clearly rule this option out for the manner of presentation - even if some would find it could bring a temporary, welcome distraction from a CH attack: