iPain

240 Verap 2 times per day, rc once, fungus 6 times since November. Also do the D3 regimen and take Melatonin nightly. This is why there are far too many variables for me to say the deer antler velvet helped or not. All I can say definitively is that it did not hurt and it was among the things I tried - some combination of which is working extremely well. This is the site I ordered from: http://www.tonictinctures.com/deerantlervelvet.html I have absolutely no affiliation with them, and I know this stuff can be ordered from a ton of places and can even be found in local health stores/vitamin shops. However, I used this stuff and liked it. I like things that show a tangible result. It tingles under the tongue, and you get a nice boost of energy within a few minutes. It also increases libido, and I found it to be a mood elevator. All of those things can be conducive, in my opinion, to helping stave off cluster attacks.

Just an update to anyone wondering. Results are inconclusive. I did find this stuff gave me a little energy boost, which was nice. There are just too many variables for me to say whether it helped with CH. I've been using every source available to get me through my bad time of year, and I happen to be doing pretty damn well. Bottom line, if you're looking to just give some other natural substance a shot, I can at least report it didn't make anything worse and it either did nothing or contributed to my calmest cycle in years.

Thanks Bejeeber, I do personally help keep Red Bull in business for cluster treatment (seriously, we clusterheads should buy stock in Red Bull), but I have never tried it or any other energy drink for a migraine. The biggest problem I foresee is the truly awful nausea I get during a migraine, which is something I do not get during a cluster. It is actually so strong that it is sometimes tough to even drink enough water to take an oral triptan. Nonetheless, if the major nausea hasn't kicked in yet, I will definitely strongly consider giving an energy shot a try. One other possible complication with that which I just realized is that usually my best migraine treatment is sleep. Energy drinks would make that a bit tougher. All advice is very very welcome though, and I may still give it a shot with my next migraine.....especially if I get it at work where sleep is not an option. Thanks!

Moxie, thanks for your detailed response with personal experience. Unfortunately, I have not had quite as much luck thus far with busting for my migraines. Your migraines sound much worse than mine, however. I get an extreme sensitivity to light and a ton of nausea that lasts from a few hours to up to 24 hours. However, an oral triptan usually does the trick. Definitely can't do the alcohol trick you use unfortunately. If I'm anywhere near a cluster cycle, even a sip of any alcohol can get me dancing within seconds to no more than a couple minutes. Given that I only get migraines 1-2 times every other month or so, and they are nowhere near as severe (at least in terms of length of time) as yours, I'm not going to complain. The effect busting has had on my CH is nothing short of a miracle, and that's what really matters. If anyone else gets migraines on occasion as well and has any other suggestions, I'd be interested to hear them. Thanks all.

Thanks Bejeeber! The migraines are an annoyance for sure but do not compare to CH in any way. Just would be nice to be free from all of it! I'm hopeful. Thanks again for the info.

So I am really not complaining here. This is my worst time of year (Nov-Feb) historically, and I haven't had anything above a kip 5 and have had strings of 2-3 weeks PF thanks to busting. However, I also get migraines from time to time. I happen to have had several over the past week (including a doosey today) in addition to some managable, but very annoying shadows. I plan to bust this weekend. Has anyone with migraines and CH noticed that busting helps with the former as well? Thanks!

Finding a way to live and appreciate our families in spite of our condition is the best way to win this fight. Good for you fighting back and making those pancakes. That being said, I am an episodic, and I can never fully empathize with a chronic. I have found that for me, I tend to feel a lot more guilt about my inability to always be there for my wife during a cluster period than is warranted. My wife is extremely understanding and fine with postponing things, but I still feel riddled with guilt. That being said, I do not have children yet....though that's something on the horizon. I do fear whether I can be the kind of father I want to be when cluster season comes around. I am most thankful going into this new year for this board and particularly the help and support from people like Bobb and Tuckerman who helped give me a life back (currently 2+ weeks PF during my worst time of the year). PFWDAN/365 in the coming year for all of you.

jimmys, glad it is working out. You are still welcome to contact me (that goes for the rest of you clusterheads) if I can ever be of service.

I owe my LIFE to this board. It's the least I can do. I just hope I am able to help.

jimmys, PM me. I am a South Florida attorney, and I'll be happy to speak with you about sending a strongly-worded letter on my firm letterhead to your employer and see where it goes from there. Just a disclaimer I must provide to protect myself: I am not yet creating an attorney-client relationship with you. I am agreeing to discuss your situation. I do not specialize in employment law, but I am an accomplished attorney from a very reputable Florida firm and thus may be able to help you in this situation and am otherwise willing to at least consult with you. I do recommend you try Dr. Steven Kobetz, a neuro from the OUCH list. He's all the way down in Kendall at Baptist, but he understands CH seemingly better than your doc. An attorney's letter can be very helpful, but nothing will compare to the word of a neurologist. In fact, attaching a medical record/letter from a neurologist to an attorney's letter is absolutely your best bet.

If no one else has given this a shot, I may make myself a guinea pig. I've dealt with back problems for a long time, and I was considering giving deer antler velvet a shot to help with the healing process. I have no idea if it will work for either condition, but I'm willing to give it a shot. I'll report back if I notice any difference. If any of you have ever tried it for CH or anything else, please let me know.

I know this is totally random, but has anyone ever tried deer antler velvet for CH? I was reading a webmd article on it and saw it has been used to treat migraines. Since CH is usually ignored in articles like these, I did not expect it to be listed. Anyone ever taken it? Notice any difference? http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-808-DEER%20VELVET.aspx?activeIngredientId=808&activeIngredientName=DEER%20VELVET

Weatherman, that was an absolutely brilliant and fascinating post from the shoes of a newbie. Thank you so much for taking that much time to write it. I will be taking the smallest effective dose possible now and in the future. Nonetheless, I am going to read your post before my next bust to to help get me in the right mindset. As I understand it, not all shrooms or even parts of the same shrooms are created equally. So I couldn't wind up in that situation again some day even on a much smaller dose. Thanks again!

How do you make sense of reality when you see something one minute, and the next minute it's gone? I think I would be too afraid to be away from people. I felt like I needed a babysitter to make sure I didn't accidentally hurt myself. Again, this is all really just fueling my curiosity. I fully intend to keep my doses at sub-hallucinogenic levels in the future as long as it does the trick.

TimeBandit, that was very detailed, informative, and exactly what I was interested to know from the standpoint of someone who has had good experiences. Thank you!