CHfather

I happened to meet a guy the other day who works with Dr. Andrew Weil. Weil is recognized, I think, as one of the top experts on nutrition and supplements. This guy was telling me that he and Weil are convinced that chewable melatonin is far more effective than melatonin tablets. I have to admit that I didn't have the chance to ask him why (absorbability, maybe -- I know Weil used to recommend putting the tablets under your tongue and letting them dissolve). But he was quite emphatic about it. He specifically mentioned, and said he favored, the kind sold at Trader Joe's under the "Trader Darwin's" brand, which is peppermint flavored. I see there are many brands available on the internet. I did a quick search here and at ch.com, and it seems there isn't much discussion about chewable melatonin, so I thought I'd pass this along.

Mine, actually. I also emailed it to them, but -- surprise! -- got no response.

Was anything hopeful said about BOL at the conference? Thanks.

WHERE are the pictures, doggone it? We have waited long enough!

Great news, ob1! I make an observation: There was a time, maybe about a year ago, just after the D3 regimen was reported and people were getting excellent results, that we mentioned to every new person here that they might want to consider the D3. Then, for a variety of reasons, we stopped doing that, even though the anti-inflammatory D3 approach continues to help people. I'm gonna start mentioning it again. For anyone reading this who hasn't been exposed to the D3 "treatment," here's a link: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804

fingers crossed, cap.

I'm puzzled by the "methods and kits" story, since it seems to be a story from 8/31/2012 reporting that Halpern and others filed a patent application for BOL as a cluster headache treatment 16 months earlier, in May, 2011. We knew of that patent application . . . I'm just trying to figure out what the "news" is here (not criticizing you for posting it, shocked -- just wondering whether there's something going on here that escapes me). This story is of interest to me because I have had the sense that this patent is a double-edge sword that so far has cut only in one direction. That is, it enabled the formation of Entheogen Corp to try to make BOL available as an approved pharmaceutical; and at the same time it seems to me that it has deprived some people with CH of the possibility of somehow lawfully getting BOL for themselves. (Whenever this subject comes up, it is suggested that getting BOL for oneself is difficult and expensive. I know that. Doesn't change my point.)

hopefully someone is going to set this straight. i can only add that i looked up the only "oxygen regulator" that's sold at harbor freight (a kind of regulator many CH people use) and it's $34.99 and in the product specs it says the inlet thread is "CGA 540." so the $130 and the e-4 aren't seeming right to me, as i say. getting the right regulator is of course necessary, but if they're selling you a tank that needs a $130 regulator with an unfamiliar cga #, then the bigger concern is that it's not O2, which would be a very bad thing! sure hoping we can get you through this quick and onto some oxygen to help with what you're going through!

t-s, i am not an expert. others here are. i do know that the typical connections for O2 tanks are CGA 540 for larger tanks and CGA 870 for smaller ones. i think an e-4 connection is for other gases (though it might work for O2); i have never read of anyone here or at ch.com having an e-4 connection. but i could be wrong. like i say, i'm no expert, but this sounds off to me. sorry if i'm making it complicated for no good reason. hopefully, i'm barking up a wrong tree here, which has been known to happen more than once. your list of what you need is correct. given what spiny says, maybe you don't want to get a regulator through ebay, and in any event you need to know what kind of connection it is before you buy--large tanks and small tanks use different regulators if you do decide to look around at ebay, you'll just go to www.ebay.com and type whatever you're looking for into the search bar "cga e-4" turns up a bunch, some of which are said to be new, as does "cga 540" and "cga 870." you want a flow rate that goes up to at least 15 lpm, and most people will tell you that 25 or more is worth the extra money. i think the e-4 will not be calibrated in lpm, but if it's the right regulator, you probably can turn the valve open to get the flow you need. here are some other places for regulators: http://www.lifegas.com/gas_devices_and_therapies/special_oxygen_needs.asp http://madamedical.com/ As spiny says, the strongly preferred mask is the O2ptimask: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/khxc/ You could order a mask right away. You can find standard non-rebreather masks at many internet locations (and at ebay). Enter the words “non-rebreather mask” into a search engine to find suppliers. Note that these masks are quite inexpensive, so if you see a price quoted of more than a couple of dollars, it is probably for a case of masks, not just for one. And here's some information that blueballs posted at another thread, which is part of why I wonder whether that E-4 connection is for something other than straight O2: >>>Many tanks and gasses are used for welding. Argon, Co2,helium,ect,ect...what you need is 02 usually used for gas cutting operations..ie, cutting metal plates into sub parts for assembly with a welding machine using welding gasses. Specifically oxygen used in cutting operations are 100% 02, where welidng gasses are inhert gasses used in combination to remove 02 from the welding arc. Do not use inhert welding gasses. 02 is used as an oxidizer for aceteylene gas in the cutting torch as well as compressed air to blow away the molten metal during the cutting process. If your welding friend has a cutting torch with 2 tanks, one 02 and the other aceytlene,then the 02 tank for that is a viable replacement for medical 02. Again do not use inhert welding gasses, they will suffocate you. In the US a standard color code of green indicates oxygen. I love green tanks...lol Wink Oxygen is also stamped on the formed neck at the top of the tank. Shocked As a long time welder and welding inspector I have used 02 on many jobsites and shops right out of the cutting torch. I have used industrial 02 over many years only to find the same relief I get from medical 02. Maybe what confused you was the term welding oxygen..its not used for welding....its used for cutting metal for welding operations... Cool Your friend's tank is likely a 75/25 argon/co2. Typical in welding ferrous metals with mild steel wire. hope this clears that up.<<<

Thanks for the reminder, Bob. My daughter uses a mouthpiece, in part because the standard mask is too big for her face, and in part because she finds the mouthpiece less claustrophic than the mask.

D3: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1324046404

you probably can get the oxygen regulator where you get your tank. it will not have an lpm gauge on it, but it will work fine. it would probably look something like this: http://www.harborfreight.com/oxygen-regulator-94846.html'>http://www.harborfreight.com/oxygen-regulator-94846.html there are some harbor freight stores near you, and i think you can buy a tank there (i know you can rent them at most locations). go to http://www.harborfreight.com and use the "store locator."Â or put your town name into google along with welding supplies and see what comes up. remember, when you're talking to them, that you are getting this for welding, not for medical use.Â

"Not for human consumption" is because human consumption is illegal. Untreated seeds are regularly consumed by many many people here. They are safe. Best way (or at least the basic way) to prepare them: Grind to a powder. Soak in water for about an hour. Drink. Many people use variations, but these basics are all that are required. http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290128974 If you're going to take them, check in with us.

bounty, you are completely correct that there's virtually no reason not to take enough to be sure that you're getting enough LSA. The question is, what is enough? (IÂ’ll get to some ideas about that in a minute.) At the same time, it's critically important for the integrity (and maybe the legal defensability) of this site and its posters to be completely clear that we are not looking to get people high. And, even more importantly, because everyone reacts differently to these things and seed potencies (LSA content) vary so widely, a relatively low first dose is an important test of tolerance for first-time dosers. That might be excessively cautious, but I believe it's the correct way to go, especially since (in my opinion) 30-35 float-tested RC seeds is a first dose that will almost always be effective as a busting agent and provide a reasonably safe test of psychedelic effects. Some think the number should be higher, and there might still be some who think it should be lower. But the reason a lower first dose is recommended is "safety first" -- and I don't think there's any reason to think that a lower dose will not have positive busting effects. Here are some calculations, which are very rough because there are so many variables. 100 RC seeds weigh about 2.4 - 2.8 grams. For people who are episodic, the threshold effective dose of LSA seems to be about .5 milligram. (For people who are chronic, it seems to be 1 milligram.) The average LSA content of RC is .8 mg per gram (this varies very widely from batch to batch). So 100 seeds would have an average LSA content of roughly 2.5 x .8 = 2 mg. Based on these averages, it would take 25 seeds (1/4 of 100) to reach the threshhold (.5 mg) required to have a busting effect for a person who is episodic. (Looked at differently, each gram of seeds is roughly 40 seeds containing a total of roughly .8 mg of LSA. To get to the threshold level, then, youÂ’d want 5/8 of a gram of seeds: 25 seeds.) As I say, there are a ton of variables here, and if you used the higher limits (2.8 grams/100 seeds; higher LSA concentration in the seeds; all seeds viable from float-testing), you'd get an even lower number of seeds for a potentially effective first dose for someone with episodic CH; or you could use different assumptions and come up with a higher number of seeds. (Some data behind all this here: http://www.maps.org/research/sewell_2008_aha_lsa_poster.pdf Of course, itÂ’s possible that my math is nuts here, and IÂ’d be happy to be corrected.

Disgraceful, disgraceful, disgraceful -- but tragically not uncommon at all. Better than a neuro (they're often clueless, too) is a headache center. I can tell you one thing someone here did: Called walk-in clinics and specifically asked whether they would prescribe O2 for CH. Found one who would. His message was along the lines of "Sixty bucks later I had my prescription." Worth trying? We've already discussed welding O2, I suppose?

so glad that red bull is helping! here's a file that'll tell you a lot about O2, including some tips for getting your doc to prescribe it, which should be routine, but isn't: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1299901790 also info there about welding O2. keep reading. ask. you'll get answers.

Without too much effort you can get those pants back up pretty quick. Main seeds file: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290128974 You can order them (rivea corymbosa seeds) from www.iamshaman.com. They're not expensive. They're easy to prepare. They're legal to buy and possess -- just not to ingest. You can have them overnighted and start busting right away as long as you are detoxed from meds for 5 days and have no contraindicated meds/conditions. see this file: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290130731 many people here have created their own oxygen system using welding oxygen. you can read more about that here: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1299901790

Javier, I'm afraid I don't understand this: >>I have questioned about O2 masks to the mother and they used a current one, without the bag<<  Because O2 can be crucial for this young man's wellbeing, can you please tell us more if you are able. What is the flow rate, in liters per minute (this should be marked on the regulator)? I don't know what "a current one, without the bag" means? Here is a link to a picture of the kind of mask that he probably should be using: the second photo, where it says "Non-Rebreather Mask." Does it look like this? http://www.sharinginhealth.ca/treatments/oxygen_administration.html I say "probably" there because he might have a system that doesn't require a bag (a "demand valve" system), but that seems unlikely. Does he get relief from oxygen? How long does it take? Does he breathe in any special way while inhaling the oxygen? As spiny says, the relief from O2 can be miraculous.

CHk, don't you want to try something right away before you start that long-term microscope investigation? RC seeds, which you can order today and have tomorrow, for example? How's your O2? Sounds like you haven't needed it for a long time. Can you get something up and running quickly? Energy drinks?

If I had a 15-year-old suffering from CH, I would try RC with him or her without hesitation. Of course, I'd get the O2 set up properly and maybe try energy drinks (although I suspect that overall, energy drinks are more harmful than RC). And of course, I'd start at low doses with the RC (10 to begin with). I think it's very unlikely that this young man will have any psychedelic experience with a small dose, and so I view RC as "medicine," not a recreational drug. The thing about licorice root is that it increases blood pressure. Since this young man apparently had (or developed) low blood pressure, maybe raising it isn't a problem, but I'd be very careful with licorice root around a heart issue. I would guess that the D3 regimen might be more advisable than the licorice root -- but that's just a guess. As the parent of a young person (now older, but she was quite young when it started), I completely understand the father's depression. But he needs to step up and help find a way out -- because there is one. You can read about oxygen basics here: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1299901790 D3 here: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804

that's an interesting product! http://www.aeroshots.com/ but: (1) it doesn't have taurine, which most of us think is helpful, or even essential, in fighting a cluster attack; and (2) each time you "draw it in," you're getting only about 1/4 as much (or less) caffeine as there is in a cup of coffee, or in a typical can of RedBull. Apparently, you could draw in a whole one and get the full amount of caffeine, but from many accounts it's pretty awful tasting even in the smaller doses (even the people who make it say that it's bitter and the flavors are to try to mask the bitterness).

50 sounds reasonable. When I first got here, about two years ago, 20 was considered a fairly bold first dose. Then, as more people reported their experiences, it crept up to about 30ish. Now we've seen lots of people take 50, 60, or more with no psychedelic effects (and, in almost all cases, no significant stomach upset or other physical symptoms). I knew someone who took 150 and became kind of dopey for a few hours (drunkish), but that was all. The key is really to take enough. The research shows that (as you would expect) people who get too little LSA get no benefit, but in general those who take a large amount don't get more benefit than those who take enough. At least, that's what the research shows so far -- future data might change that understanding. Since the LSA content of seeds varies, 50 would presumably make it more certain that you are taking enough. (There was a woman here a while back who reported that her cycle ended after doses of 10 and then 12 RC seeds. She was also doing the licorice root regimen.)

You probably missed the "More" button under the "seeds" category at iamsham. I think this link will take you to the page where the RC is:Â http://iamshaman.com/eshop/10Browse.asp RC is strongly preferred over HBWR, if only because it is much, much easier to prepare. Some people say HBWR is "stronger," but I've never really understood what that means in practice, since you use much less of the HBWR and so, as I understand it at least, you still get roughly the same amount of LSA (and LSA is LSA). I think there are a couple of people here who have had success with HBWR but not with RC, but the vast majority do fine with RC. Although in your first message you mentioned "quality not quantity," I'd say you want to order at least 150 seeds (not very expensive in the scheme of things), so that you are sure to have enough for several doses. (Although it's also true that while it says "100 seeds" or "50 seeds," nobody's sitting there counting them as they package them, so you usually get more than the number they say you're going to get. And of course, you could order 100 now and then be able to order more at regular shipping rates if you feel it's working well for you.)

There's been a lot of discussion about the quality issue here, bounty. I'd guess that the most common site that people use is www.iamshaman.com. We have had good success with that site, and also with www.psychoactiveherbs.com. I suspect they will both overnight.

bounty -- welcome! Concentrator is a really bad option, for so many reasons: low flow rate, noise, and less than pure O2. If you're not getting a quick and lasting abort from your O2 (or maybe even if you are), you want a tank, at least a 15 lpm regulator, and a good mask, designed for people with CH: www.clusterheadaches.com/khxc Most people here are skeptical about oral triptans, too: too slow to work. (If you're taking those triptans now, you'll want to "detox" for five days after your last dose before busting.) Busting will stop the current cycle; preventive busting will often hold off future cycles; busting at the very beginning of a cycle will generally shut it down pretty fast. I guess you'll hear various opinions here about RC vs. psilo, but I think there would be general agreement that since you can get RC right away and you don't have access to psilo, RC is where you should start. Success rates are very high with RC. Some very knowledgeable people think RC is actually more powerful than psilo; the problem is that the potency of seeds varies considerably, so it's harder to calibrate doses than it is with psilo. Lots and lots and lots of people here have busted successfully with RC. (It has the additional advantage, for some people, of having virtually no psychedelic effects at the dose levels needed to treat CH.) You should look at the various files that are available, in particular these three: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290127865 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290130731 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290130612 Some very fine folks here from the Chicago suburbs, including a ClusterBusters founder and hero, Bob Wold.