CHfather
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Posts posted by CHfather
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!Regarding the shadows, ginger tea helps many people clear them up.
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Here's the page about interaction between meds and busting: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290130731
And here's what I have learned here (and a little bit in other places) about verap and lithium (which is also in that file above) in relation to busting. If I'm wrong, I hope I will be corrected.
Some people have had success busting while on verapamil. Often they said it was partial success, and they believed that if they had been completely off verap the success of their busting would have been better--but they did get relief.
Lithium can increase the psychedelic effects of LSD and psilocybin. I don't know for how many days after stopping it that would be true. It's also my impression that stopping lithium too quickly can be bad for you, but I don't remember where I read that, so I could be wrong. It's also true that one reason that lithium is not a great agent is that stopping lithium can result in severe rebound headaches. (If you want to see the abstract of a study about that, it's here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1526-4610.1981.hed2104132.x/abstract)
Here's what is written about lithium in that file I linked to in the first paragraph:
>>>Anecdotal reports suggest that lithium can greatly potentiate the effects of LSD or mushrooms, and that it can produce very unpleasant feelings. An examination of a number of reports suggested that lithium can either increase or decrease effects. The combination of lithium and tryptamines may even produce episodes that seem like, and that perhaps are, epileptic seizures. If people are taking lithium for treating cluster headaches and it is not working, they may want to talk with their doctor about not taking it any more before trying mushrooms or LSD.<<
So here's the conclusion I reach--this is just me, I'm not telling you what to do. IF you stop the lithium and it's out of your system pretty quickly (I just don't know how quickly that happens, but maybe someone else will), you could bust pretty much as soon as the lithium's out of your system, since some remaining verapamil should not prevent you from having some initial success with busting. But I'd be cautious about doing anything too quickly with stopping the lithium.
Since you don't have oxygen, have you tried drinking an energy drink quickly at the beginning of an attack (a drink high in caffeine and taurine, such as RedBull or Monster brand drinks)? Have you tried taking melatonin at night? Are you considering vitamin D3 or licorice root? (You don't have to answer these questions -- I'm just looking for things that might help you handle the "detox" period more easily.)
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Same here, and agreed. I'm hoping that at least when clinical trials come around, registering will prove to have been an advantage.I don't know about anyone else, but I registered with Entheogen's site when it first came up, and have yet to receive an update.Maybe it's simply that there is no news, but it would be nice to hear something. -
BOL 148 is a chemical compound that contains a very large amount of LSD, but which is made non-hallucinogenic by the addition of other elements. It has been shown to have very good effects against CH in small clinical trials in Germany. Here's one report about it: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/yabbfiles/Attachments/BOL_Halpern_IHS2009-2.pdf
The company that holds the patent on BOL has been discussing a new round of clinical trials in Europe and the US. You can read more about that company, and register to be informed of new developments including clinical trials, here: http://www.entheogencorp.com/community/
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Evo, thanks for writing so clearly and powerfully. Sadly, your experience is not as uncommon as it should be.
CH can be largely prevented and it can be effectively controlled. The strategies used here, referred to as "busting," will help you do that. You can start reading about that here: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290127865
There are many files in the "Clusterbuster Files" section here that will give you more information.
Here's one report about the effectiveness of busting with LSA: http://www.maps.org/research/sewell_2008_aha_lsa_poster.pdf
(Most people here prefer a different kind of seed, rivea corymbosa (RC), than what's used in that report, but the active ingredient, LSA, is the same.)
First thing you need to do is get back to that doctor (or your new neurologist) and get a prescription for oxygen, right away. It is the best abortive you can get: highly effective, and no side effects. European medical standards name it as the first-line abortive for CH. Read about it here: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1299901790
You sound like a determined and persistent person. Be that way about oxygen!!!!!!! Virtually everyone here would tell you the same thing. For most people, oxygen will stop an attack within 10-15 minutes. (Must be a high-flow regulator (at least 15 liters [or "litres"] per minute) and a non-rebreather mask.)
Others can comment on the nasal spray. It's not the best of the pharmaceutical solutions . . . but people here might advise you about why many/most/all of those solutions are against your best interests in the long run, when there are other "self-help" options: busting foremost, but also others that have worked very well. (The spray will interfere with busting. Hopefully, you'll find that the things I'm about to mention will enable you to do without it.)
At a very simple level, try drinking an "energy drink" quickly at the first sign of an attack. Something high in caffeine and taurine. In the US. common brand names are RedBull and Monster. It will probably cut back on the severity of your attacks.
Brad, who just welcomed you, is one of many people here who have very good success with the anti-inflammatory vitamin D3 regimen. You should seriously consider starting that right away. http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804
Others have had good success with licorice root. http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1298659068
One long-time member has been happy with the effects of a combination of the D3 regimen and kudzu (and RC seeds). See that thread here: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1326294637
In the longer run, there are medications and strategies being developed out in the world that can help a lot with CH, potentially soon. You will make your CH much more manageable with strategies I've listed here and that others will discuss with you here, guaranteed. And eventually there will be other things. It's not a lifetime curse.
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Thank you for responding so thoroughly, Fester. I doubt that there is anyone with CH who hasn't cried or punched him/herself in the head -- at the least. Since you added "symptoms that last for up to three days at a time," and I'm not quite sure what that means, and you added "sensitivity to light," which is not a typical CH symptom (although some have it) but is a typical migraine symptom, and from some of your other answers, I wonder whether you should see a non-flakey headache specialist. (And also because your doctor calls it "cluster migraine," which is a term that is sometimes used, but I don't think should be used by a medical professional.) At the bottom of this page I'll post a list of doctors in Illinois who are recommended by people with CH. They seem to all be in the Chicago area. If you live closer to another state, you could look at the whole list here (for example, there are some in Merrillville, IN, if that's closer to you): http://www.ouch-us.org/chgeneral/OUCH%20DOCS%20-%20US%2011-17-2011.pdf
At the least, I'd strongly recommend asking your current doc for oxygen again (at least 15 lpm with a non-rebreather mask) and, as I said, trying the D3 regimen or licorice root. When you get your O2 system, if it doesn't work for you, you can upgrade it with a better mask and a higher-flow regulator, which will give you a high likelihood of success. Those things might make it at lot easier for you to "detox" and give busting the best chance of success (maybe with RC seeds while you're growing your other crop).
If your doctor's not inclined to prescribe oxygen, we do have some resources here (such as the article in the Journal of the American Medical Association proving the effectiveness of O2) that might help persuade him/her. You can also create your own oxygen system, as many people with CH have done, using welding oxygen and parts you can buy online.
Here's that list of Illinois doctors:
Aurora:
Dr. Karen Burgner (PCP)
Dreyer Medical Clinic
Chicago:
Diamond Headache Clinic
Dr. Robert Wright
University Neurologists
Dr. Kenneth L. Moore
Glenview:
Dr. Thomas Freedom
NorthShore - Glenbrook Hospital
Highland Park:
Dr. Trupti Gokani
North Suburban Wellness
Maywood:
Dr. Matthew McCoyd
Loyola University Medical Center
Northbrook:
Dr. Lawrence Robbins
Robbins Headache Clinic
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Thanks, Fester. The Sumavel is sumatriptan -- It's Imitrex using a different delivery system. It is very unlikely that you will be able to bust successfully while using this -- a five-day "detox" period is almost certainly required. Percocet rarely helps with cluster headaches, and it, too, is said to block busting, requiring a detox period. Here's a file about all that: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290130731
Did oxygen not work for you? Was it a high-flow (15 liters per minute or more) system with a non-rebreather mask? Because a good oxygen system is very beneficial if you're going to get off the meds that block busting.
Forgive me if I'm being a jerk about this, but "cluster migraine" is not really an accurate term: You could have migraines, or cluster headaches, or even cluster headaches and migraines, but not "cluster migraines." I'm not picking at your word choice, I'm just wondering whether you actually are sure you have CH, because you might be barking up some wrong trees here if you don't. Do you have classic CH symptoms: the icepick pain on one side of your head near or behind your eye; conjunctival injection (the mucous membrane that covers the front of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelids looks red/inflamed: “red eye”); lacrimation (the flow of tears); nasal congestion; rhinorrhea (nasal discharge/”runny nose”); forehead and facial sweating; miosis (excessive constriction/tightening of the eyeÂ’s pupil); ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid); eyelid edema (swelling/”puffiness” of the eyelid from excessive watery fluid collection); inability or near inability to remain still or lay down during an attack?Â
Assuming that you do have CH, given what you're now taking and the "detox" that's required before busting, and the fact that you don't have O2 as an abortive, I would recommend that you look into one of the alternative treatments that can at least tide you over during a detox if you decide to bust (and that might help you quite quickly in and of themselves). Two of those that have worked well for a lot of people are the anti-inflammatory vitamin D3 regimen and licorice root/skullcap.
D3: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804
Licorice root: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1298659068
And I'd also urge you to seriously consider trying oxygen again, since it does work for about 4 out of 5 people with CH. If you had the "right" setup before (15 lpm, non-rebreather mask) and it didn't work, maybe you'd want to try a higher-flow system. Part of my curiosity about your diagnosis is that while proper oxygen systems generally will help people with CH, it's my understanding that they are considerably less effective for migraines.
I know I'm repeating here some of what Bejeeber told you, but I figure it's worth emphasizing.
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Hey Jon -- Welcome!
Just to be clear -- You mean RC seeds? (You wrote "cc," and I just want to be sure.)
Licorice root/skullcap have helped a lot of people. But if you feel you need to get off the verap to try them, you might also consider trying the anti-inflammatory vitamin D3 regimen, in which you might be able to work around the verap while you're quitting it. http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804
Here's what it says there about verap. >>>If you are presently taking verapamil as a cluster headache preventative or for a heart condition, studies have shown that after repetitive dosing with verapamil, the serum half-life can be in a range from 4.5 to 12 hours. Other studies indicated calcium supplements interfere with calcium channel blockers like verapamil. Calcium gluconate is also used to treat reactions to oral verapamil. Accordingly, in order to minimize a possible interaction with calcium that may limit verapamil effectiveness, separate the verapamil and calcium doses by at least 8 hours. Again, discus this regimen with your PCP, neurologist, or cardiologist to work out an optimum dosing schedule.<<<
We're glad you're here!!
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Welcome, Fester. Here's where you'd start researching seeds: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1290128974I guess I have some more research to do!!But I think we'd definitely want to hear more about you. You have a specific diagnosis of Cluster Headache? If so, what was prescribed to you? What meds have you taken and what are you taking now? You have oxygen? Please give us some background.
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The Nat Geo international TV listings are here: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/siteindex/television.html
It's part of the series called "Drugs, Inc." I was able to figure out when it would be on in some places (Feb 13 in the Netherlands, for example), but others stumped me. (Seems like the schedule for Norway is only available through January 31, and this episode isn't on before that. It could be that they are considering banning the program out of fear that Dan's extreme hotness might cause all eligible Norwegians to immediately apply to move to Texas.)
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Although there are some serious vegetarians here who nonetheless have CH, there also have been many people who have reported that what they eat affects their CH. Here's one person who experimented a lot: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1301882443
So I'd say you should try it since you have noticed that correlation.
In my conversations with random people I meet about severe head pain, I have now met two who have gone to actual live-in centers where they test the elimination of certain foods to see if there's any effect on head pain (this is probably not CH pain, but you're talking about migraines in your post). One of them has become almost completely head-pain free by eliminating most meats. (One general principle of the D3 regimen is that it shifts your body's pH from acidic to alkaline. Red meat tends to be very acid-producing. Not vouching for this (although it makes sense to me and the acid/alkaline thing is a widely expressed homeopathic principle), but maybe worth considering. Here's more on the general acid/alkaline topic: http://www.naturalhealthschool.com/acid-alkaline.html
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Sanni, why don't you contact Les and ask him about this? It seems like you were taking rather small doses, since you were taking 5-10 drops 3x/day, and his recommendation for the initial dosage is about 30 drops 3x/day. And while he doesn't like verapamil, it might not be completely ruled out if you are careful (for example, getting potassium and water and monitoring your blood pressure). I am just guessing here, but it seems possible to me that you could use some from time to time since since it helps you so much, and Les would be the person to ask.
You can contact Les by a Personal Message from here: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?action=viewprofile;username=6960765A62606B766077050
If you don't get a response, PM me and I'll give you another way to reach Les.
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When the old-time baseball pitcher Dizzy Dean was hit in the head by a line drive and knocked out, the medical-report headline in the paper the next day said "X-Ray of Dean's Head Reveals Nothing."I am really hoping they don't confirm what I have suspected for a while... that my noggin is empty. -
Sanni, below is some information from Les Genser about what to look for in a licorice root tincture. Since there are some concerns (which you seem to be aware of) regarding taking too much licorice root tincture for too long, or in combination with some other meds, you might want to look at this file: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1298659068
Note that down below there's a website in Europe from which Genser suggests ordering the correct tincture: www.organic-herbal-remedies.co.uk/
Here's what Genser says (as summarized by me) about the tincture:
>>>Genser wrote: “Use ONLY a whole plant extract (tincture) of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Good high-quality tincture is available at any health food store and many pharmacies—Whole Foods, Mom’s, etc. Get the best one you can find; it should be about $20 for 2 oz. Label should say 1:5 (that’s the potency) and 30%-40% alcohol by volume. Do NOT use teas, candy (which isn’t real licorice anyway, its anise) or anything other than a whole plant extract. This is very important.”
Later in the thread, he added: “DGL licorice tinctures, that is those with the glycyrrhizin removed will NOT work. The phytoestrogens which I believe to be the effective components here are compounds called flavonoids, and are derivatives of glycyrrhizin. For similar reasons, I suspect that glycerates, tinctures in which the alcohol has been replaced with glycerin, will also NOT work. My reasoning here is that the alcohol is heated off a regular tincture to make the glycerate, and I believe the heat is damaging or inactivating in some way those same flavonoids.”
He emphasized: “DO NOT use powdered prepackaged capsules, pills, or anything other than a tincture…. Powdered herbs lose their potency VERY quickly.”
To order by mail in the US if a store is not nearby, he suggested Mountain Rose Herbs (“all their stuff is organic and small batch and they make a 1:4 whole root tincture. It’s also priced decently, 9 bucks a fl. oz.”); Gaia Herbs; and Terrafirma.
In Europe, he suggested the website http://www.organic-herbal-remedies.co.uk/
He also provided instruction for making oneÂ’s own tincture, which can be found at the thread (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1293084254).
A ClusterBusters member asked Genser about a different formulation—“It varies slightly from yours. Mine says: Herb strength ratio 1:3, alc 45-55% by volume. Dosage is 30-60 drops, 2-3 times daily. It costs about the same as yours. Whaddaya think?” Genser replied, “That should work fine. The 1:3 means it slightly more concentrated than the one I made.<<<
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thankfully, they seem to have covered the CH story sensibly and sympathetically, at least from the clip -- which, by the way, is now posted by nat geo at youtube, where it's been seen by close to 13,000 people in less than two days: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njb4H1x8oSg
i suppose they have to sensationalize the promos to get viewers. the first two episodes in this nat geo "drugs, inc." series this year, "hash" and "crack," got over 4 million viewers. so, people will learn and people will be helped.
thanks again, dan, lee ann, and family.
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Is that it @ 9:00 Eastern:"Drugs, Inc.: Hallucinogens"?
yes.
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There's a schedule here: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/schedule/ngc/
Set date to 1/15, and the blue rectangle top right shows the times for different zones.
I hadn't really looked at the structure of the whole show before -- seems like maybe a lot of sensationalism mixed in with the positive CH/MM story? http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/national-geographic-channel/shows/drugs-inc/ngc-drug-labs-in-the-forest.html
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>>>
 Ricardo, this is all way too complicated for me, but here's a passage from the 2010 article about BOL by Halpern and others. I might be taking it out of context . . . but I'll leave it up to you to do the heavy lifting.Theoretically (I'm pretty sure on this, but not POSITIVE that Bol-148 hits the same serotonin receptor, the 5ht2a receptor--anybody have any info on that?)>>>However, prolonged administration
of BOL-148 does not result in cross-tolerance
to LSD (15). This, in turn, suggests that BOL-148Â’s
mechanism of action for CH is unrelated to those
receptor systems thought to be involved with hallucinogenicity:
5-HT-1A and 5-HT-2A. The ergotamines (including BOL-
148, LSD, dihyroergotamine, and methysergide) likely
have positive treatment effects for CH through serotonin-
receptor-mediated vasoconstriction.<<<Â
Bottom of p2 at http://clusterheadacheinfo.wdfiles.com/local--files/file%3Abol-148/BOL-148.pdf
Sewell makes what seems to me to be an interesting, possibly related, point in a 2010 discussion about BOL. >>We don't have any particular reason to suppose that LSD's effects on headache are mediated by 5-HT2A; it affects a lot of receptors.<< Again, I don't know enough to know if this is important to your thinking or not, but it seems related to what you're asking. It's here: http://www.dosenation.com/listing.php?id=7955
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Ricardo, with the understanding that I know nothing except what I figure out, maybe wrongly, from what I read, here are some thoughts.
If I'm reading it right, there's a blood test for TNF levels that's used in many studies. Would running this test on people with CH help resolve whether your thought here is accurate or not? (Not saying that you or I or any of us have the capacity to bring about that kind of testing, but as a result of Batch's anti-inflammatory regimen, a lot of people are now insisting on having their vitamin D3 levels tested. No idea what would be involved in requesting a TNF test, whether it's a common thing or a complicated thing.) http://www.dialogues-cvm.org/pdf/17/DCVM17_07.pdfI think our TNF is out of controlNote that the study you cite shows that 5ht2a receptors exist outside the brain, and that activation of those outside-the-brain cells also very strongly inhibits production of TNF (I think this is the same study -- the title you gave for it is different):
>>>The G protein-coupled serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)2A receptor is primarily recognized for its role in brain neurotransmission, where it mediates a wide variety of functions, including certain aspects of cognition. However, there is significant expression of this receptor in peripheral tissues, where its importance is largely unknown. We have now discovered that activation of 5-HT2A receptors in primary aortic smooth muscle cells provides a previously unknown and extremely potent inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-[ch945]-mediated inflammation.<<<Â http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/327/2/316.full.pdf
You would think that TNF blocking drugs, like the one your friend's friend was taking (remicade) would be effective against CH, wouldn't you? I don't see any studies of that, for any of them (enbrel, humira, cimzia, simponi). In fact, there are reports of 5 people developing CH within a month of starting remicade: http://www.ehealthme.com/ds/remicade/cluster+headache
Of course, the percent of people reporting CH after starting remicade is about the same as the percentage of people with CH in the general population, so it might be meaningless, but it's interesting to read the symptoms listed by people who report getting headaches from TNF blockers: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Arthritis/TNF-Blockers-and-Headache----Humira--Enbrel--Remicade--etc/show/324130
If I can say so, the "vitamin D3" anti-inflammatory regimen is also tackling this TNF issue. D3 and fish oil, the core active elements in that protocol, are both TNF blockers:
>>We found 1alpha,25-(OH)(2)D(3) could significantly suppress TNF-alpha<<: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20722932
>>There was a significant inverse exponential relation between TNF alpha or IL-1 beta synthesis and mononuclear cell content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an n--3 fatty acid derived from ingested EPA (fish oil) or metabolism of ingested alpha-linolenic acid (flaxseed oil).<< http://www.ajcn.org/content/63/1/116.short
I realize that your excitement is more related to the potential general healing powers of psychedelics. Just offering all this in case it leads you anywhere worthwhile.
As for your actual question -- >>The only research question that this is bringing up for me, and I would love anyone's input on is, "What factors in the human body cause a rise in TNF levels?"<< -- the only answers I have for now are either useless -- it's plainly in many cases a genetic predisposition -- or essentially circular -- things that cause inflammation (by activating, or "degranulating," mast cells) raise TNF levels, and increasing TNF levels cause further increases in TNF levels. >>Activated mast cells are source of inflammation. Large amounts of TNF-[ch945] are quickly released by stimulated mast cells. All the cells involved in inflammation have receptors for TNF-[ch945] and are activated by it to synthesize more on their own. This positive feedback quickly amplifies the response.<< http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/I/Inflammation.html#Tumor_Necrosis_Factor-alpha_%28TNF-a%29
>>Mast cells can be stimulated to degranulate by direct injury (e.g. physical or chemical [such as opioids, alcohols, and certain antibiotics such as polymyxins]), cross-linking of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptors, or by activated complement proteins.<<Â http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mast_cell
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Related to what Ron just said, I've been thinking that maybe if you identified some specific research questions you wanted others to help you with -- even if it's just finding references for you to make sense out of -- probably some of us would be glad to do it. (Or I would, at least.)
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It's very good of you, Lt2, to respond so informatively and non-defensively to others' questions, comments, and experiences. I admire the spirit of learning with which you are undertaking this. Thanks.
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[Edit: I see that Lt2 has already responded while I was laboriously composing this. His simple answer is about the same as my laborious one.]
I haven't wanted to stick my nose in here with any complexities, because I think the simplicity of Lt2's method deserves to be tested on its own. It works for him, and if it works for others, then you've got something important. So, I'd be inclined to stick with Lt2's advice to anthony: Do it the simple, "clean" way if you can, and see what happens. (An additional very small caution in this regard at the very end.)
Building on the comments of several others here, and saying that I'm no expert at all but I've done a whole lot of reading, I'll just say these things:
The articles that shocked posted suggest that it's the effect of GABA on sleep centers that treats CH. (I'm talking about GABA in the brain -- as Lt2 has said, there's at least an open question about whether GABA supplements even cross the blood/brain barrier to reach those sleep centers.) Every single thing in Ricardo's Gaba Ease is "gabaergic," affecting GABA in the brain in some way (there are a lot of ways that GABA is affected--increasing it or reducing it, for example). Valerian is particularly so, but so are hops, melatonin, and theanine. (In contrast to GABA supplements, these things do cross the blood/brain barrier.) That's why they're in there.
Here are some citations about all that, to give you an idea:
"Evidence that the beta-acids fraction of hops reduces central GABAergic neurotransmission": http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16920300
Valerian: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/valerian (down the page, under "How does valerian work," third paragraph)
And many of the drugs used for CH increase GABA in the brain. This includes neurontin (gabapentin), topiramax, valproate, and depakote. Neurontin became favored because it acts most quickly (within 30 minutes) to raise brain GABA levels. Here are a couple of citations about that:
“Topiramate increases brain GABA”: http://www.neurology.org/content/52/3/473.abstract
"Gabapentin raises human brain GABA in 30 minutes":Â http://cds.ismrm.org/ismrm-2000/PDF1/0014.pdf
As many know, the early tests of neurontin against CH had very impressive results: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2982.2001.00260.x/abstract
The authors of that last study say: ("We hypothesize that the gabaergic action of gabapentin, perhaps combined with other mechanisms, such as calcium channel blockade, may be responsible for its remarkable effects on cluster headache.") Too bad about the %&&*(&*( side effects.
So, going back to what Mystina said, it also seems to me there's plenty of reason to suppose that managing GABA in the brain might help with CH. I'd love to know why Lt2 did not choose the over-the-counter formulations of GABA that are compunded so they do cross the blood/brain barrier --picamilon and phenibut -- but I'm sure he had good reasons. And, again -- it's working for him.
Because of some things that have been mentioned in posts in this thread, I present a very small, probably inconsequential, caution. In one of the follow-up letters that shocked has linked to, a neurologist points out that because about 30% of people with CH also have sleep apnea or other sleep disorders, it is not always wise to mess too strongly with their sleep centers. Of course, he's saying this in the context of the substance used in the experiment, sodium oxybate, which is a strong "hypnotic" with "potential for abuse," and so it might not apply to simply taking GABA supplements at all. But since Lt2 has mentioned sleep benefits a few times, I though this might be an addition to the database of things to be considered. Here's a link to that short letter (the second letter on that page): http://www.neurology.org/content/77/1/67.abstract/reply#neurology_el_43011
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I think it's January 15th at 8:00. (A lot of info spread among a lot of threads here, so I'm just reporting what I read.)
Detox cutting off Verapamil lithium
in General Board
Posted
Purp, I wonder whether you'd want to buy some rivea corymbosa seeds and have them delivered quickly, in case there are any further delays in finding the other agents you are looking for. RC seeds work very well for most people. There is a supplier in Canada, www.tranceplants.net, that looks (from my brief review of the website) as though it will ship overnight, so (because they ship on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) you could have seeds on Thursday. Preparation is simple. You can switch from seeds to other agents when you get them -- but again, seeds are very effective for most people: you would not be getting some kind of "second-class" busting agent.