CHfather

b.g., just checking -- This regulator is for a smaller tank (D or E), right, and not for a larger M tank?

Guessing you must have ordered your seeds from tranceplants?? They've been slow on deliveries a few times now--frustrating! Maybe with the O2, you want to step up to the O2ptimask, specially designed for CH, which most people say makes a big difference: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/khxc/ Hoping for better things soon.

Donnie -- How's the O2 working out for you?

You probably missed the meeting when I was declared Official Carpet-Color Selector, Ron. No second-guessing. (At that same meeting, Dan volunteered to be Official Does-the-Carpet-Match-the-Drapes Inspector, a move that was enthusiastically seconded by Jeebs (see below) and approved by all in attendance.) Wishing Michael great results from the current strategy. We love ya, man. [/img] Bejeeber seconds Hipshot nomination Â

Well, now I see why it's been so slow here the last few days -- everyone has been busy dusting off the red carpet and rolling it out for the return of the great, the one and only, BONKERS! Wonderful to see you here again, Ron, and, if I'm reading you right, are you bearing good good news about Michael?

You could start here: http://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2012&q=%22cluster+headache%22&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5Â Note that on the left side you can set the date range. Here's a list of CH-related clinical trials in the US: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=%22cluster+headache%22&Search=Search

 As you wish, of course, and I realize your situation is different. But if one is looking for caffeine, which is what most folks think helps with the attacks (plus taurine, which Coca Cola obviously doesn't have), you're not getting much caffeine from Coca Cola -- about 2.8 mg per ounce in Classic Coke and about 3.8 mg/ounce in Diet Coke, versus about 18 mg/ounce in drip coffee. A 12-ounce Coke Classic has about 34 mg of caffeine; a 12-ounce "cup" of drip coffee has about 215. For the sake of comparison, 12 ounces of standard RedBull has about 120 mg of caffeine and a two-ounce 5-Hour Energy shot has 138 mg. Since most people with CH prefer "energy drinks" to coffee as an abortive, you gotta figure it's something other than the caffeine that makes the difference, since an 8-ounce cup of coffee has considerably more caffeine than an 8-ounce standard RedBull and also more than a 5-Hour Energy shot. I guess that's why taurine is considered an important part of the CH-aborting equation. I don't know whether the taurine connection has been analyzed in some persuasive way. Some people have taken taurine supplements, which they believe to have helped.Â

A lot of people find that the energy drinks don't keep them awake. Can't promise that, unfortunately . . . just sayin'.

Great, Donnie! Two suggestions: (1) Call the O2 provider to confirm that they are going to bring you the right stuff. Many O2 providers have never worked with CH patients and so they make mistakes. Be sure you're getting O2 in a tank (cylinder), not a concentrator. Non-rebreather mask and a regulator that goes at least to 15 litres per minute. You would like to have at least one large tank (an "M" tank) and at least one smaller one (an "E" tank). (2) Be sure they set it up for you and show you how to use it. It's simple, but you don't want to be worrying about whether you're doing it right. As you use it, (1) Cut off (or don't use) the strap on the back. Hold it firmly to your face. (2) There will be two round sets of holes on each side. One (or possibly both) will have a gasket in it that keeps room air out as you breathe in and lets the air out when you exhale. If only one has that gasket, cover the other as you breathe in, so you're getting no room air. Or tape it closed.  See how this goes, but also consider getting an O2ptimask. (3) Don't forget about trying to quickly down an energy drink just before you get on the O2. (4) Hit the O2 at the very first sign of an attack. Best wishes for success with this.

Donnie, you want your doctor to see this article from a prestigious medical journal (Journal of the American Medical Association). At the least, print it out and bring it with you. Even better, in advance, fax it or send a link to the doctor and to any support people there (nurse, physician's assistant, etc.). Often these support people are more of a help than the doctor. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=185035 If I may, since I wrote the oxygen page that b.g. linked you to, I'd recommend the updated one that's here: http://clusterbusters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/OXYGEN-12-2012.pdf Also -- have you tried energy drinks or energy shots for those nighttime hits? Might help. Will help a lot in combination with oxygen.

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.