Lieutenant2

And there are two of the biggest barriers we have faced in the history of CH. First, we look to the "renowned researchers" and put them on a pedestal, waiting for them to hand down their wisdom and treating only their words as valid. We can all go ahead and name them, Goadsby and Sewell and so on and so forth. . .I'll even throw in hacks like Halpern. We canonize them based on what, exactly? I can appreciate their work, but they are not gods, nor should they be the only ones whose work is considered valid. Second, the old hypothalamus thing again. It's a little like quantum physics, really. If you fixate on one thing for long enough, your observations will confirm everything you see, and that will be your "fact". So for years, we have been stating, without doubt, that the hypothalamus is the root cause of CH. But what does that particle do when you're not staring at it? What if we've been staring at the hypothalamus for so long that it has caused us to form incorrect hypotheses about CH? I don't mean to bust anybody's balls here, but I see a lot of cognitive dissonance when it comes to CH. We hold these things as facts because we can't make ourselves believe otherwise. It's hard to point the finger at something we can't see, medicate, or surgically remove. But let's face it, the mechanism behind CH meets all three of those criteria, doesn't it?

Little update here. . .I've been asked to share this additional link to some basic FAQs about 5-MeO-DALT. There has been a lot of discussion and experimentation taking place in the Facebook CH group, it seems that most people are turning to social media for their CH discussions now. But in an effort to help overcome some of the overly-scientific jargon. . . https://www.dropbox.com/s/ug6orptw9vzujgc/5meo_FAQ.pdf?dl=0

I like the Horizon Pro-20A scale because it comes with a little measuring tray that is perfect for handling powders. It's available for under $25 US. And I hope you meant a 15mg dose. . .always start low. As we learn more about 5-MeO-DALT, it is becoming apparent that higher doses don't necessarily mean better results. Most CHers, even some seriously refractory chronics, are getting very good results at 15mg every 5 days. No point going higher in dose if you don't have to!

Lt2, to help me understand it better as I read it carefully in the next couple of days, can you say a few words about what you see the paradigm shift as being? Yessir. . .I think your follow-up to Fabac was a pretty good synopsis. The very short version is that, for 5+ years that I'm aware of, the bulk of clinical research has focused on hypothalamic malformations, serotonin, and a very narrow band of related possibilities. Following those lines, most of the research being done has worked toward these ends. Everybody has been looking for the magical "thing" that causes CH. With the results of this study, we are seeing the first (to my knowledge) peer-reviewed work that is pointing to something else. Not only to something other than the hypothalamus, but in fact to something other than a "thing", a malformation or tumor or other disease. This study starts to point to the wiring in our brain. . .wiring which develops over our lifetimes. And the concept of neuroplasticity should be doubly exciting, because this fairly new tenet of neurology means that this wiring can be changed.

Not saying it will have a major impact on your ability to use seeds or your addition GI issues, but I have always found famotidine to be the best sidekick to some of the meds we take that can cause reflux and other problems. It's a histamine receptor agonist, and helps the stomach limit acid production. Plus, it's dirt cheap!

All due respect, anybody who is upset with this study clearly doesn't understand it. This is a critical paradigm shift in cluster headache research that opens an incredible number of new avenues for research and, ultimately, treatment. This is the best news we as a patient group have had in the 5+ years I've been involved. Just my $0.02, of course.

One of the drawbacks to DMT (aside from the obvious) is that it's very non-selective in its receptor binding. Since it so closely mimics serotonin, it will basically get in wherever it can fit in (that's a massive oversimplification, of course). But for CH, it's really like having a mosquito on your leg and blasting it with a shotgun. You may or may not get the mosquito, but you're sure as hell gonna get something! If you want a better tryptamine, 5-MeO-DALT. Just sayin'.

You seriously should consider reading Dr. Mate's book: "When the Body Says No". Your post is basically a summary of the book! Or at least suggest it to your brother. It's fascinating stuff, and I believe it holds a key to understanding where CH comes from.

I think you have to smoke the banana peels. Just sayin'.

Hey Par. . .unfortunately, the Sandomigran is a bit beyond my depth of knowledge. I understand it pushes some of the same "buttons" as the tryptamines and other common preventives, but seeing as that's only about 10% of the picture, I really have no idea how it might work. But I would assume that any doctor writing that prescription for CH would at least have some information or history of success with it. Pretty common for migraines, from what I've read.

Very nice analogies, diamondmaker! In fact, I guess what we're really talking about here is both psychological/emotional AND physical, because there is of course a manifestation of it that is visible. Plus, it hurts like hell and we're not making that up, despite the attempts of some docs to call it psychosomatic pain! I also work off of this whole concept of a "feedback loop" that we first need to interrupt before we start treating root causes, and that interruption can be very much physical. But I digress. . .probably a different topic altogether. Synaptic pruning and all.

Yeah Par, I think it might be a good time to stop all tryptamines and get some medical advice. Oxygen can be deadly, as silly as that sounds. Falling asleep with 12lpm running isn't a good idea. We're equipped to breathe ~20.8% oxygen at atmospheric pressures, not 100% oxygen.

Hey Par. . .glad to hear you're being persistent! Something I have learned over the years, fixing CH isn't a pill or a potion, it's a PROCESS. It took us years to develop this disorder, it takes time to get rid of it. But that's a totally different topic. . . Basoon, CHfather has a great question there. (He and I are going to open a research lab if we can get along in the same room. ) But yes, each of us has a different response to any form of psychedelics. Someone I know was very comfortable at 15mg, only feeling a slight buzz. Able to read, carry on conversations, totally normal. And this is with zero history of recreational drug use (I always have concerns about people who may have "fried" some receptors in their younger years). I also know of a person with a long history of psychedelic use, bot recreational and as treatment, who is currently using that same 15mg every five days, very little in the way of psychedelic effects, and is getting excellent CH relief. I guess it should be noted that all tryptamines are different, too. So the "trips" from psilocybin, LSA, LSD, synthetics, etc. really can't be compared apples-to-apples. Only from personal stories here, though. . .the effects felt by the average person on 15mg of 5-MeO-DALT are approximately the same as the effects of approximately 75 RC seeds extracted for 4-5 hours in alcohol, only shorter-lasting.

Hey Par. . .sorry to hear about your CH taking a turn for the worse! Please don't let yourself suffer in the name of some experiment, do whatever you have to do to get out of the pain cycle! Also, there are some good threads in here, probably from about a year ago, discussing the whole episodic vs chronic thing. Being chronic is not a death sentence, and from personal experience here, I feel being chronic might be better. Sounds crazy, I know. But try to find those threads, they might give you some perspective and help you get your mind in the right place! Stay strong and fight!

Yes, well. . .as much as I respect your opinion and your education, I will just disagree and leave it at that. I assure you, I speak from direct experience as a chronic CH patient who has not had a CH attack in 11 months, and I am not the only one, and there are a couple people with "PhD" after their names who are helping with this. . .so, would I be willing to bet a paycheck that I'm right here? Absolutely. Unfortunately, there is still much work to do, and arguing about it in a public forum is less than productive. Sometimes it's hard to see the forest for the trees. And even if I'm 100% wrong, don't you think there are enough people turning that same stone over and over and over? Once cognitive dissonance sets in, that pattern can become automatic.