CHfather

sledge, you won't learn much about whether mushrooms work for you if you just take 'em without a plan. 1 - 1.5 grams dried (that's 1/10 of the non-dried weight) is the generally recommended dose. They won't help you much, if at all, if you are taking other CH meds -- you have to "detox" from those meds for about five days (maybe a little less for verapamil). And doses less than five days apart generally won't help. Read these files (and the other ones in the "ClusterBuster Files" section that have numbers: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290127865 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1319290654 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290130731 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290128444 You have oxygen? http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1356823258 Tried D3? http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804 Lots of great people here to help you. Lots of success stories. Please read and ask questions.

What Dan (Hipshot) said. Read back over the posts in this thread. You can get seeds from tranceplants in a couple of days, and you can prepare them and take them right away (if you're detoxed). But oxygen should be priority #1. Up above you say "waiting to see a neuro." That might or might not be good enough to get you oxygen. It should be -- all doctors should know about and prescribe O2 to people with CH, but often they don't. Go back to whatever doc is prescribing all these meds with the article about O2 for cluster headaches that's in the oxygen file for which there's a link in a previous post. Educate him/her. Demand. A whole lot of hearts and minds have been opened to you here Donnie. The "big shining star" you asked about has been provided: oxygen, and, if you choose it, busting. Time for you to act.

Pulling this one in here from another thread, also. Maybe that was HBWR seeds, donnie? Most people here don't "trip" at all from 50 or more RC seeds. Maybe a "two-beer buzz" for some people. You can start with a relatively small number (let's say 20) and see what happens -- but the problem is that if you take too small of a dose, you're not sure whether you got enough LSA to start fighting your CH, but you still have to wait 4 or 5 days before your next dose. Donnie -- Do you have oxygen???? Have you tried injectable imitrex???? Energy drinks????

Donnie, it's generally better to keep your questions in one thread, or start a new one. That's why I'm copying this post of yours from today at another thread to here: >>i think i can buy the seeds in canada. any info on how many seeds per dosage and stuff like that. also looks like this company will ship to the u.s<< yes. in addition to www.urbanshaman.net in vancouver (where i don't think you can order online(??), many people here buy from www.tranceplants.net, which is also in canada and probably closer to you. if, after reading the warnings and other information, you decide to bust, you should have enough seeds for at least four doses. as i remember it, tranceplants sells a pack of 100 and a pack of 250, and they're not very expensive, so if you buy from there, i'd recommend getting the 250. in the past, they have offered a 20% discount to members of ClusterBusters, but i never was sure how to ask for that when ordering, you could give it a try. MoxieGirl created a file about how to extract LSA, and you night want to follow that if you decide to bust: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1357378289 how many? i'm pretty sure most people here would say you could start with 30 or so, without having any psychedelic effects but still getting benefit. for most people, they increase the number as they become more comfortable taking the seeds.

your wish . . .

Busting general (also read the other numbered files at the top of the "ClusterBuster Files" section, including "Warnings,"Â Playing Well Together," and "LSA"; then ask questions): http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290127865 Oxygen (which should be your #1 priority): http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1356823258 D3: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804 Energy drinks such as Red Bull or Monster (there are dozens of brands) seem effective for many. Down them quickly at the first sign of attack. These drinks typically contain caffeine and taurine, with a number of other additives, including B vitamins and ginseng and other fashionable herbs.

Sam, this is the good mask (celui-ci est le bon masque, according to google translate) -- http://headachemasters.com/product.asp?product=3Â Â Much more effective than regular mask -- designed for people with CH.

Sam, if I'm reading your message right, your wife is going to detox now (she is detoxing now), but you're not going to do any busting for at least 10 days. I think most people here would recommend starting sooner than that with seeds. You can always switch to psilo when you have it. Seeds info here (although we would recommend starting with more seeds): http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290128974 A source in Europe for the seeds is at http://www.allsalvia.co.uk/cluster_headaches.htm For most people, seeds work very well. For some, seeds work better than psilo; for others, it's the other way around.

She will have to detox before using LSD, too. Yes, LSD is probably the best busting agent (but the others also work). If she has oxygen, the detox is much easier. She should have oxygen, no matter what she does: http://clusterbusters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/OXYGEN-12-2012.pdf There are other ways to help make it through the detox period. Many people here have done it, and are glad they did. If she's willing to try, we will help her. Oxygen first. Then such things as energy drinks, vitamin D3, and melatonin. I'm not quite sure what you are saying about BOL. As far as we know, BOL cannot be obtained anywhere yet. Some have heard that the BOL clinical trials might start soon in Europe.

Sounds like a classic rebound/post-dose/slapback -- odd time, more severe than usual. That suggests to me that your seeds are still good, although they're on the edge of the six-month period that many people here would consider the outer limit. How many did you take? As for you actual question -- did the trex "unbust" you? -- I can only say that I've read a bunch of threads about that here and opinions seem to vary greatly. Some people would say yes, especially since you took it so soon after a dose, but others say that one trex pill won't unbust you but several trex doses probably will. We'll hope that the people in that second category are right.

Just to reinforce what Jeebs says, there are quite a few discussions over at ch.com in which people talk about successfully using expired trex. Here's one of them: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290744579 I'm still successfully using some pain meds that expired 12 years ago. You don't need this additional insight about the drug-expiration scam, but here's some: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/health/drugs-may-outlast-label-date-584901/

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kk, some basics: Does your mask look like this? [/img] Is the bag attached to the mask filling up with oxygen, and then going down as you breathe in the oxygen, and then refilling so you can breathe in again? That's what should be happening, and the refilling should be happening quite quickly if you're at 15 lpm. Have you checked the setting on your regulator to be sure it's at 15, or at least 12 lpm? The settings for cannula usually are much lower. The white dots on this mask in the picture (and probably on your mask) are the "little breather holes" that b.g. was talking about. Block them off as you breathe in. If you're not doing it now, try swigging an "energy drink" (RedBull, Monster, etc.) or at least some coffee just before you start on the oxygen. Be sure you get on the oxygen at the very first sign of an attack. Hope this helps!

Welcome, MLE. Thanks for the thorough report. Here's my broken-record spiel: There are a very small number of people for whom O2 doesn't work. In case after case here, when people say their O2 didn't work, it often does work when they either (a) have the right system, which they usually didn't have in the past (15 or more LPM of flow, a non-rebreather mask); or ( upgrade their system in any of a variety of ways. You can read about that here, and I urge you to do so: http://clusterbusters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/OXYGEN-12-2012.pdf Many people here use LSA from seeds to treat CH very successfully. If you don't have a reliable source of psilo, you can grow it, but that takes a while. I'm sure that most folks here would tell you that if you're seriously wanting to try busting and you don't have psilo, LSA is definitely worth a try. Read more about that here, and read the other numbered files in the "Clusterbuster Files" section, too: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290128974 It is widely, though not universally, believed that vicodin, as an opiate, will interfere with busting. So you'd probably want to "detox" from that for five days before taking psilo or LSA. I don't know about the clonazepam, but someone here surely does. Getting through the detox period is a lot easier if you have O2 that works. Have you tried energy drinks? Melatonin? The D3 regimen?

Welcome, Rayvn. 20 years! How terrible -- but good that you're now diagnosed. There are some very good folks from this board up there in the Portland area. As Jeff says, you want oxygen!!!! It's the best friend of most people with CH. I once looked into getting welding oxygen in Portland, so I know it can be done. If you can't persuade your insurance to cover medical O2, I think almost everyone here would recommend setting up a welding-O2 based system. You can read more here about what you would want/need: http://clusterbusters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/OXYGEN-12-2012.pdf (You can get to the same file as a Word document from here: http://clusterbusters.com/?page_id=77) Is your sumatriptan injectable? Seems like you would be having better than 25% success with that. If it's pills you have, try to get the injectable sumatriptan instead. [i see that crafty Bejeeber snuck in ahead of me on this one.] Do you know about using energy drinks (RedBull, Monster, etc.)? For many people, an energy drink at the start of an attack can significantly reduce the severity, or even sometimes abort it. Do you know about the "vitamin D" regimen that helps a lot of people? http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804 Melatonin at night? Also helps a lot of folks. There are quite a few other things, too, such as licorice root and kudzu, that have helped many people. (There are also other pharmaceutical meds, such as prednisone and lithium, that can help, though most people here would say that over the long run they can have some undesirable effects, such as extending cycles and causing rebound headaches.) Might you consider "busting"? Read the basics here-- http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290127865 -- and if it interests you, read the other files (the numbered ones) over in the "ClusterBuster files" section of this board, which you can get to from the "Forum Jump" at the bottom right of this page, or from the "General Category" heading at the top of the message boards. Mostly, please feel free to ask questions -- you'll get answers. (Also, the search bar at the top left is a good way to find out more about specific things.) What an amazing person you must be to have endured this for 20 years. Things can now start getting a lot better for you.

"what are aspirin, caffeine, and acetaminophen?"Â Â http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goody%27s_Powder [/img] "who is richard petty?"Â (dale jr, too, as of this year) unfortunately, no googling was permitted on jeopardy.

Good info, weezey, thanks. What are "goody powders"?

JB, here's a file that explains the theory behind the five-day wait: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290130968

 This kind of cruelty just makes me nuts. As spiny says, you want a non-rebreather mask. The cannula is useless. DEMAND this! If you are challenged about it, refer them to the JAMA article: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=185035 (And if you have the energy, tell them you're not paying for the oxygen they made you waste.) When you get the mask, please read page 8 in this: http://clusterbusters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/OXYGEN-12-2012.pdf It has advice for using the mask.

Here's some info from Dr. Sewell's study of kudzu in terms of dosage (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1526-4610.2008.01268.x/pdf): >>>Efficacy for cluster attack in this group showed a clear dose–response relationship: 3 of the 4 treatment nonresponders were taking less than 1000 mg a day (total pill weight; actual dose of kudzu is substantially less), and only 3 of 7 (43%) patients taking kudzu less than 3 times a day showed benefit. Of the 6 who reported no effects or worse effects from kudzu, all were taking it less than 3 times a day, whereas 8 of 10 (80%) taking the more frequent dose benefitted (Fig. 1). Side effects were mild and infrequent, the most common being gastrointestinal effects experi- enced by 4 (25%). <<< There are very extensive discussions of kudzu at ch.com, which you can find by typing kudzu into the search bar at the top left of the page. As I remember, there was some concern back then that kudzu might block the effectiveness of triptans if you took the kudzu too close in time to the triptan. I don't know if that was verified or not. Have you tried melatonin?

Do you mean that you don't have an O2ptimask, or you don't even have a non-rebreather mask? Can you remove the mask and suck air directly from the plastic that connects the tubing to the mask?  An "E' tank, which must be what you have, will give you about 35 minutes of O2 at 15 lpm. (An E tank is a little over 2 feet high and 4-5 inches in diameter (14" in circumference).) So like you have said, that's about 3 sessions, or less. If your mask is inefficient, of course you're going to get less out of it. Have you tried drinking an energy drink before you start on the O2 -- that can speed up the process. I don't know why your insurance wouldn't cover the standard prescription for CH (O2), or why your O2 supplier would give you two E tanks instead of an M tank (an M tank holds five times as much O2 as an E tank). Can you request/demand an "M" tank? That's the standard size for CH.  At the least, can you have them come replace the empty E tank with a full one? Since the O2 works for you, you might want to try to set up a system using welding oxygen in the long run if you can't get insurance coverage, but for now, I'd really try to get that bigger tank.Â

Consider printing out that article about O2 (the Journal of the American Medical Association one) and bringing it with you, and/or emailing/faxing it to your doc's assistant in advance. Like you say, most docs don't know much about CH. Some are willing to be educated. Many people here have found that a nurse or physician's assistant is a good ally to have. If your doctor won't give you O2, you can create your own system using welding oxygen. Keep us posted!

I know that Bejeeber is out there somewhere, but here's that method for extending imitrex: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/imitrex.html

If your doctor won't believe that you have CH when you now know that you do, get another doctor fast. First thing you want is OXYGEN. http://clusterbusters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/OXYGEN-12-2012.pdf Or maybe the first thing you want, right now, is the way to use less trex with each injection. I promise you that Bejeeber will be along soon to point you to the way to do that. If he's not (but I'm sure he will be), I'll try to find it. Have you tried drinking an "energy drink" (RedBull, Monster, etc.) at the first sign of an attack? Helps a lot of people. I would say that in terms of prescription meds, maybe not much is very new. Prednisone, verapamil . . . Lithium is used less, but still prescribed. There are a lot of non-prescription strategies that have worked well, "busting" being one of them. http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290127865   Also the vitamin D3 regimen -- http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804 -- and licorice root: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1298659068 More, too, but that's a start.

AW, here's what Ricardo (one of the top experts here) said in another thread about morning glory seeds: >>I would start on the low end (100) and see what it does before boosting it up . . . You want certain strains . . . If you stick with the Heavenly Blue Morning Glory seeds, take 100 hundred of them, grind them up, soak in water for about an hour, strain out the gunk, and drink the remaining seed water you should be fine.<< There is more discussion at other threads. This one is at http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1331060106/10, starting about halfway down the page. If you type "morning glory" into the search bar at the top left of the page, you will find more.