Tyke

Guys, Whilst an LSD trip is far more intense than a mild shroom bust, there really isn't that much to fear or be worried about with most of the stuff available on the street. I took LSD for a while 20 odd years ago and well before my CH started. After reading this thread I'm starting to realise how lucky I am that if and when I do decide to bust I will do so knowing exactly what to expect and how it's likely to make me feel. Consequently I have no fear of taking either shrooms or LSD and have even considered that it will be like visiting an old friend I haven't seen for 20 odd years. If it wasn't for my CH I would never have considered thyis but I'm so relaxed about it I would even go as far to say that I think I quite like the idea of experiencing it again. In my experience I think it's best to take LSD when in a relaxed and happy mood and prefferably somewhere you are familiar with, comfortable and happy to remain for a while. The advice to have one or two people who aren't on it is wise but not absolutely necessary. Certainly when I used it I was always aware of where I was , what I was doing, who I was doing it with and remained in full controll of my decsions and actions as I would in everyday life. I've even held fairly deep conversations with people who never guessed I was tripping. A supply of valium or Cannabis is also quite handy mainly for the comedown but also just in case you do start to feel a bit anxcious or upset. The final thing I will say is that the vast majority of people who take LSD find it to be a pleasurable experience. It will probably make you laugh like you've never laughed before and consider, look and think about things in ways you never thought you could. Look on it as an adventure and just go with the trip, enjoy the journey and you will be fine.

Thanks guys. This really is baffling. I've been back on the beer for almost a week now and have pretty much escaped the beast apart from a mild hit at 1am Saturday night and again last night. After testing the Stellas last week (they didn't touch the sides by the way) I've tried a few pints of Guiness, Abbott Ale and feeling really brave on Sunday, I sank 3 large Wild Turkeys with no ill effect what so ever. Yesterday the pressure started falling again and I got hit last night. Co-incidence? I'm not sure but I'm taking clients out to lunch today so a few beers are inevitable. I wonder if I will get away with it or if i'll be running to the toilets for an injection?

This cycle has been like no other and as my doctors are about as much use as a chocolate teapot, I thought I'd ask the most reliable source of CH experts I know to see what they think. My cycle is mid may/early June through to late Aug/early Sept Bi-annually and always right sided and never more than kip 8. This years cycle started exactly as it always has done and was continuing as it usually does until the middle of June when I noticed I was getting a few pain free days. I've never had and respite during cycles before but I wasn't about to moan and I stayed off the beer just in case. This seemed to coincide with an unusually prolonged warm spell in the UK and I was gutted to be honest because there is nothing nicer than a cold beer on a hot day after work. June 25th was a particularly hot day and I was guest speaker at a works event. After the event there were free drinks being handed about and knowing that I hadn't had an attack for over a week and an injection in my pocket, I broke and sank 2 of the most glorious beers I have ever tasted. Half an hour later I waited for Leonard to arrive. An hour later I was still waiting and an hour and half later I was actually sinking a 4th. To cut a long story short I got very enjoyably drunk and didn't get an attack. In fact the good weather and my PF period last for approximately 2 weeks. When the weather finally broke and we returned to our usual shite British summer weather, guess who returned? This time though he was different. For starters he was on the left and he's never been on the left before. Next he was nowhere near as harsh or as full on. I would say kip 6 max and instead of having pokers stabbing me from front to back and top to bottom etc I just had pokers from front to back. No droopy eye and my nose is only slightly blocked. Last Tuesday the weather started to improve again, the air pressure rose and my boss took me out for dinner. Thinking of the last period of good weather I decided to put a theory to the test and I sank 2 glorious pints of Guinness. Wonders will never cease. No attack that afternoon or that night. Who fecking ray. I got one the next night though but not last night. So whats going on with me? Anybody got any ideas. Why has the bastard moved from right to left? Why have I had PF remission periods when I've never had them before? Why are they nowhere near as bad as they were? Despite my protests my Neuro doesn't even think they are CH attacks but I know what a CH attack feels like and these are most definitely CH attatcks. I wouldn't call him an idiot but I would say I'm more of a CH expert than he is because I already have nmore answers than him. Today the pressure has risen again and I have 4 cans of Stella sitting in my fridge waiting for me. The instant I get home I will crack them one after the other and see what happens. I'm convinced it's the air pressure that is giving me these PF periods as this is the only common factor I can find between the 2 periods. Your comments would be appreciated guys.

Bugger. He's back. After an unexpected month of being pain free and thinking I could go back on the beer for the remainder of the summer, he came back last week. Leonard that is. Thankfully he's not as bad as he was and he's on the left hand side not the right but it's irrelevant which side he's on or how bad he is. I'm just upset he's back. Thankfully I have a neuro appointment tomorrow by coincidence. Should give us something to talk about at least.

WTF? It's been nearly 2 weeks since the docs upped my dose of verap and since then, I've had one hit and even been shadow free for the last week. My cycles usually last 3 months so I can't quite believe I'm out of it but I'm starting too. I even went out at the weekend and feeling brave, I gave into temptation and sank a beer. Half hour later and I didn't feel a thing so I had another. 2 Hours later and I was a bit worse for wear but by crikey did I enjoy it. Over the last few days I decided to take myself of the verapamil. I've been off for 3 days now and still not even a shadow. I don't know what's going on but I like it.

Moxie, That is a really interesting question for me. My latest Cycle started about 3 weeks ago. Roughly a month before that I noticed I had tinnitus. Similarly to Bej, I put it down to too many gigs and a penchant for loud music in the car (the only place im aloud to play my music loud) but you've made me think again now. I'll think even deeper if this thread escalates and it looks like a lot of us have it.

Progress? Yes but not as much fecking progress as I'd have liked. To cut a long story short, after a few well chosen sentences I have at least been referred to the Neuro for an emergency appointment and told they will prescribe the O2 and Melatonin if they believe I need it. Not quite what I'd hoped for but a step in the right direction I think. They also gave me an ECG, took some blood to test, gave me a new Prescription for Sumatriptan injections (but I don't know how many doses she's given me until I get to the chemists) and she's increased my dosage of Verap to 80mg 3 times a day. I've been down in the dumps all weekend after my lvl8 the other day but I'm pleased to say that Leonard has only paid me his usual 1am visit since Saturday and he's fecked off within half an hour. As a result I'm not feeling too bad today and back to my usual chirpy self. Amazing what a good nights sleep can do to your mood. Chin up and feck the pain. Tyke

Bad weekend for me. Got hit with a lvl8 on Friday night which was the worst I've had during this cycle and 3 lvl 7's inbetween. The Sumatriptan didn't touch the 8 so if they don't give me O2 tomorrow, there is going to be a scene. The further into this cycle I get and the more feedback I get on here, the more I'm realising they are subjecting me to an intollerable level of suffering. I've been coping fine while they were 7's but now i've been reminded what an 8 is like, I'm extreemly aware how vulnerable I am and that I need to protect myself as best I can. Wish me luck and I'll be sure to let you know how I get on. Oh. And feck the pain. Tyke

Father, I have an appointment with Dr Doom first thing Monday and it's top of my wish list. I've been printing off info and keeping a diary of CH activity over the last 10 day to give myself the best chance possible of getting her to agree. I thought I might also ask about Melatonin to try and prevent the night time visitations. Ironically I was on my way to the Dr's earlier to pick up my next Prescription when Leonard decided to put in a show. Luckily I keep 2 Redbulls in the car so I downed them but by the time I got there I was in the middle of a lvl 7. Happily he fecked off 20 mins later while I was waiting for the Sumatriptan at the chemist which makes that my first Redbull bust and me very happy.

Bej, They wont give me the injections because they cost more than the nasal sprays, so sprays are what I've got. Having used a few now I suspect it will be impossible to get a half dose out of the spray dispenser but if anybody has any tips, please do tell. Leonard came round again last night at warp factor 7 and by the feels of him, I think he may have hit 8 and kicked me good and proper had I not given him a squirt. Consequently I've ordered another prescription which I'm hoping they authorise before the end of today. I'm still feeling a bit tense and restless but Elly, your words have encouraged me that this is probably just a short term reaction or perhaps a bit of anxiety on my part because I know what the next few months have in store for me. Onwards guys and as always...... Feck the Pain. And yes Bej .... Feck Leonard

I spoke too soon. Leonard came round for coffee twice last night. First at 1am when I let him stay for 10 mins or so to see if it was a fleeting vist. When it was obvious he was intent on staying for a while I gave him a squirt of Sumatriptan and sent him on his way. Sadly he came knocking again at 3am and as I had only given him a squirt of Sumatriptan 2 hours before i didn't think it was wise to give him another so with no O2 to fall back on, I had little option but to invite him for a game of Scrabble and wait until he was fed up and left. Just shy of 2 hours later I was back in bed wondering how the feck I was going to get through the day on 4hrs sleep. I needn't of worried though. I slept right through my alarm and turned up for work 2 hours late. It's worth mentioning I've been feeling extremely agitated lately and am wondering if its the Verapamil? I can't seem to sit still or settle and want to be anywhere but the place I am supposed to be and doing anything but the thing I am supposed to be doing. You know when your waiting impatiently for something you don't like to finish and you get that knot in your stomach? That's how I feel all the time. Weird and not like me at all. Anyway, that's it form me today. Love Life everybody and Feck the Pain. Tyke

Update. Leonard will have been back with me for 2 weeks tomorrow. In that time I've received more support and learnt more about my condition and how to treat it than I have in the previous 12 years. Much of it is down to this and other CH sites rather than the people and places who should be telling me about it. Thanks to you all. It does appear that the Verap is having a positive effect which is a good thing. I've not had an attack for 3 days now and if I can shift the shadow, I think I would probably be able to forget im in the early weeks of my cycle and start to beleive I can go to the end pain free. Who fecking ray for that. I've had to move my dr's ap to Monday now due to work but I am a lot more relaxed about only having 2 doses of Sumatriptan at any one time but that's only because the attacks have abated somewhat. That said I've cheated the system a bit and ordered another Prescription today even though I still have 2 doses left. Feck em. If I have to get devious to get what I need then devious I will get. I'm longing for a pint though. Oh god could I kill a beer. Just one. I even found myself staring at a bloke through the rub-a-dub window yesterday as he downed his so it's obviously on my mind. It's unbearable to think I can't have any until the summer is all but over. Ah well. (puts positive head on)I've done it before so I guess Ill have to do it again. Laters guys. Feck the pain

Frustrating is not the word but it's good to hear others find the same issue. Like I said at the beginning, I really don't care who has the worse pain or whose last longest. When I tell people about CH and the pain we are unlucky enough to have to endure, I am only doing so in the hope that people understand or acknowledge what effect Leonard (my new name for our beast) has on our lives. The last thing I want is to enter a debate about it. If you are wondering why I've named my beast Leonard, I've named it after "Master Leonard" demon or spirit of the Dictionnaire Infernal. He was a three horned goat demon with a human face and believed to mark his initiates by driving one of his horns into their head. Seemed appropriate so Leonard it is.

Jeff, I cant tell you how good it is to talk to anyone who has the slightest incling of what CH is, the pain it brings and how it affects our lives. For 12 years I have pretty much been on my own. My ex Mrs was about as much use as a chocolate teapot (hence why she is now my ex Mrs) in the support department and pretty much dismissed my pain altogether. 'It's just another headache. Take some paracetamol and stop your crying' was a regular phrase in our house. My parents couldn't believe a headache could bring anyone to their knees until they found me curled up in a ball on the living room floor one night, crying like a baby with half my hair in my hands. Last but not least are my mates who just take the Michael all the time. Strange as it may seem the mates approach actually helped more than anybodies as they at least acknowledged my pain and didn't just dismiss it or downgrade it like most people.

Thanks Spiny. I figured as much. By the way. PF? I suspect it stands for 'pain free' but I've learnt never to assume anything in this life so thought I'd best ask to clarify. In answer to your question the nasal spray is 10mg of Sumatriptan and I am aware that I will need to detox before trying a bust.