FunTimes

just logged on after some time.. Sorry to hear this but glad things are getting better for you.

People have questioned this in the past but I do not think any correlation between the two. I did not have glasses when I first started my fabulous cluster journey but I have them now. I think this only has to do with age and both eyes are about the same for me.

I had you in mind when I found this. I also have one on order and will let you know how it works out for me.

Has anyone tried this setup or anything like it to fill smaller E tanks from a larger M tank? https://www.amazon.com/Preece-Precision-Transfill-Aviation-Veterinary/dp/B09GL4YN3G/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Just for shits and giggles it would be great to find a man to go in and see this doc with all the same symptoms exactly as you described and see what that outcome would be. Compare notes and present them to this doc. Not that that would be possible and I am sure someone would have an explanation for the different between the male and female treatments, it would just be nice to shove it up this guys arse.

Verapamil.. I currently take 360mg a day, 120 3 times a day, I have taken up to 1020 a day. The more I took the more side effects I had. When I was up around the 1020 it was the extended release. Now I take the standard (quick) release and can get good results with a lower dose. I am chronic so I take it all year round and I do play with my dose even though it is bad for you like Shaun said. You should have your doctor monitor you with ekg when making any changes to your does. I have read about some of our ECH friends here only taking it when in cycle and others all year round. I have also heard that it has stopped working after then stop and restart taking it again. That is the nature of the beast, what works today may not work tomorrow. I do not know how much harm the 5hr drinks can do, I have drank upwards of 8 to 10 a day at times when things got bad. The verapamil will also take some time to get into your system before you start to see any results. A lot of times you will get a prednisone dose pack to hold you over for about a week for the verapamil to kick in. Alos not the best for you to use prednisone to often but we do what we gotta do.. Other things to read up on that will help you are the vitamin D3, just vitamins that you should also monitor with occasional blood work to check your levels OXYGEN!! No harm to your body at all and works as the best abortive. Good clean fun!

Annette Tell them you are going to pay out of pocket and I bet you the price will drop and you get a better deal. You just need someone on the other end of the phone that is willing to work with you. I think mine went down something like 200 bucks a month by paying out of pocket. Things have changed alot in the last 2 years and it is a constant fight with my oxygen company but stay on them and they will most likely give in to you. Last time I had to call I was told due to the oxygen tank shortage they are saving it for people who really need it, I told that to say that again and listen to the words coming out of her mouth. I had my 3 tanks delivered the next day. I am no longer allowed to get the smalled E tanks so they now only bring me larger M and M60 tanks. Makes no sense but more o2 for me so F them!

What other medications are you taking? How else do you manage your clusters? You want to look into getting oxygen now it will change and save your life. You can abort a cluster in as little as 5 minutes with the correct setup

OXYGEN. Read all about it here and get it as soon as you can.

Thanks for the links Juss. I did start this study last week but have not seen any huge change in my clusters just yet.

As far as the oxygen and insurance goes I pay for it out of pocket and it is actually cheaper then if insurance covered it. Yes it does not help my deductible but oh well. You have the script I would start calling around and set it up as soon as you can. Tell them your paying out of pocket and work a deal up. Take what they give you, the tanks are all you will most likely get from them that will be of any use. The regulator you will buy on your own and also the mask. To hold you over you can use 5hr type energy drinks to help slow down and sometimes kill off a hit if you get it early enough. Hot water foot bath with ice pack on your cluster side of your head, Hyperventilate breathing tech, vigorous activity. People try all kinds of things and sometimes they work and sometimes not but it gives you some hope!. Stick with it and you will find help, This site if full of helpful people that have goin through it all just like you are now. Kind of sucks but this is the place all the cool kids hang out and help each other. Here are a few links to the O2 supplies you will want to look into getting if you do get some tanks. Also use the search bar up top and look up welding oxygen. Ask tuns of questions and someone will help. This regulator will work on E tanks https://www.amazon.com/EverOne-Oxygen-Regulator-Liters-Connection/dp/B07L9P7V55/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1_sspa?keywords=25plm+oxygen+regulator&qid=1554376658&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull-spons&psc=1 This one will work on the M and M60 tanks https://www.amazon.com/Oxygen-Regulator-Standard-Body-CGA540-protector/dp/B00BXRBJG8/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_3_sspa?keywords=540+CGA+oxygen+regulator+0-25lpm&qid=1554376819&s=gateway&sr=8-3-fkmrnull-spons&psc=1 ~OR~ wtfarley.com/Oxygen-Standard-Body-Click-Regulator-CGA-540 The mask can be found here http://www.clusterheadaches.com/ccp8/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=clustero2kit

Another migraine med that they are trying out with a trial for chronic clusters in my area. Anyone try it or hear anything about it?

@Dallas Denny How are you feeling? Any better news from the doc this week? Also Happy Birthday to an old tough Marine yesterday and happy Veratrin day to you today! Hope all is well

Best of luck to ya Denny, It will all be fine in the end im sure.

Have a safe trip Freud. I might take you up on that phone call!

Being CHH does suck but like Jon said it is more like high and low cycles within it. I am stuck in a higher cycle at the moment and it really blows. Going through 02 tanks like they are goin out of style and due to some sort of oxygen shortage in this area I was just limited to what I can get refilled so a little added pressure and panic is starting to set in. Sticking with 02, 5hr drinks and Frankincense oil on the roof of my mouth and hopping that this ends soon. On the up side I do not have to sit around dreading any certain moth or time of year when the hits are going to start coming. I have the joy of knowing I am going to get hit in the side of the head with a brick every day!

My cluster eye always has issues but that is because I am always rubbing it, pressing an ice pack to it or digging my thumb into it. My wife will ask me if everything is ok with it sometime because it is a little swollen or red but I think that is just the way it is going to be until I stop abusing the hell out of it.

Memory loss? ?? oh crap, I forgot what I was gonna say. Im with ya on that one

I dont know about changing the times of attacks but I have just kept myself awake all night because I would get hit less then when I fell asleep. I don think that is what your looking for but its all I have for ya.

I got nothin to add my friend but you know how to get a hold of me if you need anything. I hope like me your just in a temporary low point and you will bounce out of it soon. This shit is not really that fun and we all know how you feel. Answers are hard to come by but you know as well as anyone that you just gotta think out of the box sometimes cross your fingers and eat some crap that you think will help enough to get you through the day.

experiment is over, back on 240 verapamil a day. I made it 12 days before getting hit hard so i chickened out. oh well

Also chronic here and had both shots 1 and 2 with no ill effect on the clusters. Still got em every day like clockwork! No more no less.

All spot on advice above from the top members on this board. I would put money on them knowing more about clusters then just about any doc you will find. I have taken Verapamil up over 900mg a day, taken triptan shots like they were going out of style, taken prednizone had a hip replacement and all kinds of other fun things. Busting Oxygen and the vitamin D3 have been just about the only thing that have kept me around. I am chronic and it is not as bad as you would think. I never have to sit and wonder when my next cycle will hit. Stock up on as many oxygen tanks as you can and hitting them as fast as you can are key to having it work. Your husband will need to play around with his breathing techniques to have it work best for him, as soon as he has it figured out it will all change and he will need to change it up a little, That is just the way clusters are for most. I will attach links to some oxygen supplies you will want to look into. I start my o2 flow rate out at 25lpm and bring it down as I go so maybe he needs a little more then the 15lpm regulator is giving him. I doubt the mask is equipped with a bag large enough to hold the amount of air he will need to abort the attack as it should. Depending on the tank size you have you will need one of 2 different regulator. Most like to use E tanks to keep with them at work, in the car and take with them when going out. Larger M and M60 tanks are good to keep at home is a place you can get to them fast. keep looking around on this site and ask questions, it has saved many of us a lot of time and energy, you are not alone. This regulator will work on E tanks https://www.amazon.com/EverOne-Oxygen-Regulator-Liters-Connection/dp/B07L9P7V55/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1_sspa?keywords=25plm+oxygen+regulator&qid=1554376658&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull-spons&psc=1 This one will work on the M and M60 tanks https://www.amazon.com/Oxygen-Regulator-Standard-Body-CGA540-protector/dp/B00BXRBJG8/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_3_sspa?keywords=540+CGA+oxygen+regulator+0-25lpm&qid=1554376819&s=gateway&sr=8-3-fkmrnull-spons&psc=1 ~OR~ wtfarley.com/Oxygen-Standard-Body-Click-Regulator-CGA-540 The mask can be found here http://www.clusterheadaches.com/ccp8/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=clustero2kit

So far it has been 5 days. Clusters are about the same as they were last week I cut it from 120 twice a day down to just one in the morning. Gonna keep going like this another week and see how things are. Weather around here is a little funky this time of year so that is not going to help give me a good read on it but we will see. Thanks for askin!

Number 1 is the O2. Along with that are the D3 and busting that Bejeeber mentioned. You can also down a 5hr drink, strong coffee or any other energy type drink with a lot of taurine and caffeine in it when you first feel a cluster hitting. You can try some Ginger candy tea or just chew on a piece of fresh stuff from the market. Welcome back to the site, poke around and reacquaint yourself with all the information and you will be just fine. We are all still hanging around to help each other out.