FiveofClubs

Congrats on finding help. I started taking magnesium and saw some improvement in shadows. Nice to see a list of other potential things to try.

Great to hear a success story. I've learned Verapamil is a pretty common course to try and gentler than Amlodipine. I was on Amlodipine for almost a year and while it did take a noticeable edge off other side effects were unbearable. Thanks for sharing a good outcome. Michael

Hi Mike, I had a similar experience. While I was on the oxygen it would work, but when I came off it would ramp and return. My father used oxygen and it worked like a charm for him, 20ish minutes deep calm breathing and he could abort. I was never able to get it right. I discovered hard cardio (20+ minutes of running with my heart rate near 140) aborts almost all of my attacks. Just a theory, but I wonder if someone has a high VO2 Max if the oxygen isn't as effective? Not enough of a variation between normal breathing and high concentration of O2? I don't have a big sample just me and what I remember my father telling me. Keep trying, listen to any advice you can get, and I hope it works for you.

Not sure if anyone is checking this thread, but wanted to say Thank You! to everyone who participated and organized the webinar last week. I was diagnosed with clusters in 2009 and had them for about 15 year before that. Failed multiple treatments, some with adverse effects. I didn't pursue any more treatments or engage with communities when I discovered hard cardio worked as an abortive for me. I just closed off and focused on that for years, but about 6 months ago I decided to see if anything changed. I live outside Philly and I'm fortunate to be in the Jefferson system. I've had my first course of Emgality, anxiously waiting for my second. Dr. Mccrea, your description of the pain cycle, or the thought process resonated strongly with my experience. Joe, your story is both heart breaking and inspiring, thanks for sharing it. And, Bob, thanks for creating this space for us. Thank you again,

Dlions20, Advil does not thing for my Clusters. After an attack I sometimes have a stiff neck which it can help with, but for the "Cluster pain" it does nothing.

O2 worked for my father similar to what others described. 20 - 30 minutes at the onset and he was fine, but he had to get it right away. I tried it for about 2 years and it seemed to me that I would cath it too early and simply delayed the headache (or get a rebound). Or, too late and it would take the edge off, but not enough to be able to remain still. I was not able to find the correct timing. Running for 20 minutes at the onset does abort the headache for me, almost 100% of the time.