Enitharmon

Ting, with a strong hit, I sometimes get blurry or double vision along with tingling, vibration, and involuntary muscle tightening in my face and hands. PFW

I'd accept something like that.

Great news, Jeff! Looks like you've found the right tools for the job. What kind of boots are you using to kick its nuts?? I may need to get some when I finish detoxing...

Thanks, Ting!

After two-plus years of PF days, I'm in no mood to jack around this time!

Thanks for the suggestions, Clustermom! I'm looking at dosing this weekend, since I have a few days off next week. If I dose on Friday, then again five days later on Wednesday, I *should* be in good shape for an all-day training I have at work on Thursday. I took a look at the youtube videos last night. The process seems pretty straightforward, and I already have a few of the jars they used for the cakes. I called the neuro this morning, and actually talked to a live triage nurse rather than leave a message (a first!). I told her I needed a large tank, a high-flow regulator at least 25 LPM, and a non-rebreather mask. She said she'd send an IM to the doc and get back to me once she had something. It's only been an hour, so I remain cautiously optimistic.

Glad to hear you're making progress! Keep it up!

Thanks, Ron! Getting hit after almost 2 1/2 years PF, I'm ready to do battle. The more I read here, the more it seems RC seeds are easier to work with, so I may go that route. As far as shrooms go, I'm not afraid of a little expense in terms of cash or time if it means beating the beast back into submission. I like the challenge of a little DIY project, as well. So far, the info here has been just short of overwhelming, and the people have been amazing!

Thanks, Jeffrey! Seeds on the way, non-rebreather mask on the way, and I'm calling the neuro first thing in the AM for 02 and a high-flow regulator. Weaning off Verapamil & ready to bust by next weekend. I really wouldn't know anything about those other contexts. Really. I mean it. :

My doc did the same thing about 2 1/2 years ago, but he wrote me a scrip for 4% lidocaine solution and told me to buy the cotton-tipped applicators at a med. supply store. I had better luck at the time with extra strength Orajel (20% benzocaine vs. 4% lidocaine), but that crap burned my nostrils like hell. Neither one's done much on my current cycle, and that's a big part of what's led me here.

Thanks CHFather! Downloaded and ready to go!

Thanks, Bejeeber! During the last cycle about 2 1/2 years ago, I asked the neuro for 02, but didn't know I needed a high-flow regulator or a non-rebreather mask. So she told me to try 1 L/min with the nasal cannula. Worthless. I cranked the regulator as high as it would go (8 L/min, IIRC), and still nothing. So I returned it when the cycle ended, and didn't think anything more about it. Until this week... I gotta tell you, even after a couple of days of reading, I'm a little overwhelmed by the way everyone here has taken the time to tell their stories, share their experiences, and support each other through this crap.

Thanks, Keith! I've spent a lot of time here since finding the site on Friday, and your assessment is bang-on! I'm really looking forward to becoming part of this community.

Thanks for the replies and the welcomes! CHFather, I didn't go straight up to 960 on the Verapamil - I stepped up from 240 to 480 yesterday before deciding to detox from it. I'm back down to 240 today & Monday, and then done. I've reviewed the oxygen pages, and plan to call my neuro first thing Monday AM. I could hold off busting for a couple of days if I need more time to get the proper equipment. I've ordered the o2ptimask from CH.com, and will push hard for large tanks and a high-flow regulator from my neuro. My neuro is generally willing to follow what I'm willing to try, so I don't see any huge problems here. If she's unwilling to give it a go, there's a Harbor Freight store about 25 minutes from my house so I can get a regulator. If the HBWR seeds don't work, I'll order both RC seeds and a fungus kit. Getting hit after more than 2 PF years, I'm ready to get aggressive about keeping this at bay. Here's one question: I'm on Lisinopril/HCTZ for hypertension (Verapamil was a logical add-on for the clusters since the doctors claimed it "plays well" with Lisinopril). Does anyone have any experience or information on whether ACE Inhibitors and/or diuretics interfere with busting? Or should I break that question into a different thread? I tried the search function, but didn't find anything. Thanks again for the warm welcome!

Hi all, I’m not sure how I never found this place before – I thought I had better Google-fu than that. That said, I am more than glad I’m here now. I’m male, 43, and married with three kids (14, 11, and 5). I had my first ECH cycle at 20, and have just begun the most recent cycle. I think I was 31 or 32 before I was finally diagnosed with CH, and I’ve had brief or nonexistent success with most of the traditional treatments, for both preventative and abortive therapies. My current cycle caught me off guard. With one exception in the last 15 years (and I’m pretty sure that exception was triggered by a neck injury), my generally annual cycle has started between late July and mid November. The hit on Thursday caught me off guard, big time. I had a few shadows in the ten days or so prior, but wrote them off as normal headaches, at least until Thursday morning. My regular course of treatment over the last six or seven years is to ramp up Verapamil to 720mg/day in July, and then back down in January. I had a vicious cycle in Nov. 2008 that lasted twice as long as normal (17 weeks instead of 8), with hits as frequent and intense as any cycle I’ve ever had. My neurologist upped the Verapamil to 960mg/day, with no effect. Near the end of that cycle, I did find relief using lidocaine drops in the nose as an abortive. In 2009 & 2010, I ramped the Verapamil up to 960 for the last half of the year, and was PF, with only a handful of shadows in that time. (Yay!) After tailing off the Verapamil last month, I thought I was in the clear for another six months or so, until Thursday. This cycle is atypical in a couple of ways – the time of year (Aside from the injury 8 years ago, I haven’t had a cycle this time of year since about 1994 or ’95), and the frequency of the hits. I normally have between 3 and 6 hits per day when in cycle, beginning in the wee hours of the morning before I wake, and usually including at least one in the afternoon or early evening. This cycle has given me one hit each morning, within 30 minutes of getting out of bed, and I was up at a different time each day. The lidocaine drops seemed to take care of the hit Thursday morning, but only after a second dose. Friday’s hit lasted two hours, and nothing could touch it. Saturday morning’s hit lasted almost an hour, and nothing touched it. At first sign this morning, I slammed an energy drink, and am OK so far (though I’ve been up less than an hour). I can’t be sure that this morning wasn’t just paranoia over the pattern I noticed over the previous 3 days, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I’ve had shadows nearly all day each day, as well. I’m here, and becoming part of the community, because I’m tired of the weight gain, water retention, lethargy, and dulled senses I get from high-dose Verapamil for half the flippin’ year. I also noticed yesterday, now that I’m in cycle again, I’m already looking for ways to avoid being caught out when a hit comes. Like many of you, I’ve felt guilty for “ruining” family events and plans either because I’ve had a hit in the middle of it, or for backing out rather than get stuck somewhere without any exit or relief options. After reading through a load of the info here and at CH.com, I’ve decided it’s time to bust. I started to ramp up the Verapamil on Thursday, but realized yesterday that every time I’ve been on high dose Verapamil and gone PF for the year, the higher dose was already in my system when the cycle would have begun. Whenever I’ve tried to play catch-up, it’s been futile. Screw the side effects. I’ve ordered HBRW seeds to try first, and am looking at Friday for my first dose – fortunately I telecommute two or three days a week (and Friday’s one of those days). Barring more frequent hits, I should be able to finish my real work before then, and only check e-mail in the afternoon. I used LSD recreationally in college, so I’m not terribly concerned about potential psychedelic effects. My wife also used psychedelics in college, and after seeing how CH affects me, she’s on board with anything that has a real chance to tackle the pain. I’m looking to live my life, and I gotta tell you, I find the stories here inspiring.