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Apologies if this makes no sense as it's 7am Sunday and been awake since 5am Friday so I'm running on empty just like my o2 which ran out 5 min ago I'm 6 weeks in to this cycle now and not had one day pain free, I've lost 10kg in weight as not eating properly and tried every over counter pain relief including oral morphine and tramadol. The zomig nasal spray and o2 help but not every time doctor won't give me more spray for 2 weeks only got 3 day supply left. I've got 2 holidays planned in may Vegas and Greece Im considering canceling both but will loose and £ks if do About to order some cbd oil (got to do research on what kind) I've ordered everything for d3 regime as well as some melatonin. Also got a friend looking in to getting me some prednisone so I can do some sort of taper myself as can't get appointment at docs before I go Anyone got any other idea on how to tame this even if just for a few weeks so can enjoy my holidays

G'mornin Shadawn! I thought long and hard before starting this thread due to the negativity and controversy surrounding Doc Mike, my fear that it would be perceived as just one more "snake oil" treatment, and the fact that the treatment consisted of steroids.......your post brought me to tears and I'm so happy that I shared this information here!! I think your Dad brings the total number of folks I've heard personal reports from to 17 between here and fb where the thread originated. We recently had a report from a chronic clusterhead whose parents had made the trip with her to see doc Mike.......as she was talking to him prior to getting her injections, she asked if it might help her mother who has suffered with fibromyalgia for many years....he ask where she was (in the motel room) and sent a nurse over to the room to get her.....both got the injections and are painfree for the first time in many years! Thank you for sharing your story here! Dallas Denny

As Pixie says, getting a diagnose first is absolute key. Depending on your access to a real specialist who really knows his stuff the best thing as with many other diseases is to be as good informed as possible to not get sent away with an unsatisfying answer. This is an obscure disease however with plenty good (and many of them harmless) options to ease the burden - if she has CH. Please correct me if this is a bad advice but from my personal experience and many others reporting similar, a diet change can already show some improvement. In case you need to wait too long for an appointment you might consider giving this a try already and see what happens. There should be limited risk as you just avoid what isn't good for most "normal" people anyways when consumed constantly. Some weeks ago I have removed a lot of things from my diet and feel overall way better and only have a single, very mild attack each morning at 7am coming from 3-8 attacks per night (I am now working on getting rid of the remaining attack as well of course) What I did: - no sugar, no meat, no cow diary products, no wheat, no alcohol, no glutamate, very reduced coffee consumption, no food with high histamine or purine levels.Smoking is very bad as well obviously, I can't stop though yet. Only eat self prepared food, so you know what's in it. Most of these things raise your PH level and / or are high in purine. There is clear evidence that many if not all of us have an imbalanced PH level (constantly too acidic) You will ask what's left to eat - there is plenty left actually to keep your calorie count positive and get all vital nutritions. - Most vegetables (avoid histamine rich ones like tomatoes), also check if your wife has pollen allergies. Some veggies share the same allergen as certain pollen so there is a chance for a cross allergy. ( example = Arlen pollen allergic person may be allergic to potatoes and carrots as well). Being allergic does not necessarily mean you have to have clear symptoms like hey fever / itchy eyes etc !! - Butter and goat cheese - Most berries (very rich in antioxidants), be careful with strawberries - many fruits but be careful with some like bananas or citrus - self baked bread, takes literally 5 minutes to prepare .Gluten free wheat, no yeast, baking powder, joghurt lactose free, some seeds, salt, water. Mix and bake for 40 minutes, done. -Fish (only salt water like Pacific salmon) - eggs are technically not great when it comes to purine but I seem to tolerate them - all native / cold pressed oils are very good and many like coconut oil have great anti inflammatory effects and provide with omega 3 fats and good calories. Hemp oil, olive oil, coconut etc, do some reading maybe. Now this is a pretty tough switch both from an organising perspective as well as a mental one (sugar withdrawal...) But it's doable. No cheating, or you can't assess if it helps. Took me a week or 2 until I saw the benefits but they are undeniable and I don't crave anything anymore. To be clear, I don't think this is neither cause nor cure for CH but it may drastically help. I am convinced though there is a link, there is more and more clear scientific evidence showing up the recent years that your gut is actually the root cause triggering off many bad things that have originally been thought of originating somewhere else. Parkinson, Alzheimer's, MS, even depression and many forms of cancer you name it are tracked back to an damaged gut system. Even if your Wife doesn't have CH, I recommend read up leaky gut syndrome or one of the pre stage causes namley Candida overgrowth. (Hello again sugary diet...) Again, this maybe isn't a good idea to do without a doctor monitoring if there are other conditions like diabetes or else but you can sure assess this on your own. I just type all of this because even if it's not CH, being more carefully on what we eat should only benefit us on many levels. (If not done too extreme of course Let us know what you think

I can remember being a teen some years ago when I first started to get these sharp pains in my right eye. Once the pain would emerge from the darkness, my body would weaken until I was laying down somewhere trying to get some sleep -- hoping I"d awake painless. Somehow, someway that seemed to work for me back then but, I was not always in the ideal situation in which laying down was an option. These random attacks of excruciating pain had no regards for my whereabouts when they decided to pay me a visit, they just seemed to appear unwarranted. I can recall them showing up while in class, while recording in the studio, while riding to some random destination, while conducting a group at work, while playing video games, while sitting in a movie theatre, while attending a function with friends, and even while playing pick up basketball at the neighborhood park. The majority of the time that these attacks would occur my only therapy/weapon was mind over matter. I had no insurance, i had no medication, I had not been diagnosed, and I had no idea of what was causing this traumatic experience to take place. Therefore, I was left to fight the problem head on ( eye on my mind or mind on my eye -- either or the irony being; it was all in my head). Luckily for myself, I am an episodic target -- one who was randomly targeted by a pain so priceless that only 1 in 1,000 of us are actually indebted to it. The gift in this curse is that I am not a chronic sufferer, ( my deepest and dearest sympathies and condolences for all of you because i don't know how i'd manage). The curse is that I am paying a price for something that I do not want. Years and years had passed me bye and I'd gone on and off of this cluster coaster like an amusement park ride although, I could only find myself amused when I was as far away from the ride as possible. My cycles would last at least 3 months out of the year starting around September of every year. Strangely, while young i didn't pay any attention of how many i'd experience in a day because i didn't seem to care ...I knew it was a factor but, somehow it wasn't my focus -- I was to busy being overly consumed with being a teenager. Sex, drugs, and violence, had become my coping mechanisms at that point and the clusters were just pushed to the back of that line. At the age of seventeen my body took on a pain that would rival that of my cluster outbursts. This was the result of me being shot in my lower right thigh in a car jacking incident. The bullet bruised something in my right leg resulting in a paralyzed right foot for a year. Picture flailing your arms around and notice that you have no real control over your flapping hands. Well, that was my foot if i decided to shake my leg. Any way the painful result of the incident was severed nerves in my right leg and foot. I can still remember the day I was released from the hospital and I smoked some marijuana for the first time in a week. It felt as if I had ten to twenty different cluster headaches going on at the same time in my foot ( mainly my big toe ) and to top it off I got a cluster headache to go along with it. I can recall being provided with a heavy dose of Ibuprofen for the pain when I'd left the hospital but, it wasn't a factor for my foot nor my eye so, I didn't take it. Ok so lets fast forward to now. Well maybe I should tell you'll that I were diagnosed by a doctor at some point in my mid twenties... He questioned my symptoms and before I left he told me that I had cluster headaches. Then he provided me with information that I've never heard or read anywhere since that day. He told me that cluster headaches were a bunch of headaches all occurring in one place at the same time. Huh? I was sold, didn't know what else to think -- don't even know if I went home to do the research, i just took the info and ran with it. He also provided me with some type of steroid. The steroids came in a small pack in which you probably took six the first day and each day after you'd take one less until you ended with one on your last day. Pretty sure you'll know what these steroid are; as of now I do not. So, between then and now I would come up my own remedies to help fight off an oncoming attack. The main thing I'd do still to this day is apply cold water to my face while leaning over a sink. This assists in relieving some pressure, and has assisted in stopping some oncoming attacks when caught in time. If at home when I feel an onslaught I can do my cold water theory and a set of twenty push ups and the pressure will go away sometimes. Last but not least, i can apply cold water and sit under or in front of a fan to get relief. Allowing my body to get as cold as I possibly -- can when under an attack or when one is coming -- either stops it or assists me in getting through one. These are the only ways that I have been able to cope in my 20 something years of being a sufferer. Sadly, at this point in my life I seem to focus more on the eye pain much more than I did when I was younger. It seems like I was in remission for the last year and a half but, that ended sometime last month. I've basically been confined to the house lately -- I haven't been to work since the 10th of this month. Strangely, the cowardly clusters are attacking me in my sleep more than ever now. 3 a.m. , 5 something a.m. , and 7 something a.m. is tearing me a new one. Doc has got me on Varapamil, naproxen, sumatriptan, and metoclopramide . None of these are doing me any justice right now so, they've been pushed to the side. Researching the net I stumbled across Vitamin D3, Omega 3 fish oil and Calcium Citrate. My calcium citrate also has magnesium in it. I've taken these suppliments today minus the prescriptions and Im getting through the day okay. Of course I've considered the cluster buster approach after reading and researching others stories and how its assisted them so, im here in hopes of breaking a cycle... If not venting my frustration is good as well because everyone needs a vent... Funny thing is that this is the first time in my life that I've been prescribed medication that's supposed to assist because its the 1st time I've had insurance. But still can't get two the neurologist because the Doc wants me on these meds that don't work for a month 1st... Yippie!!! Truly believe that the Neurologist will only prescribe more expensive drugs that won't work, or I won't be able to afford... SMH...Me,

The D3 regimen is described in the ClusterBuster Files section in some detail. I see that the switch to the new board has messed up some of the formatting, but I think it's still readable. Here are the ingredients (hope the formatting holds when I post it). If you are taking verapamil, take it 6-8 hours apart from when you take the calcium supplements. Read more here: http://www.vitamindwiki.com/Cluster+headaches+substantially+reduced+by+10,000+IU+of+Vitamin+D+in+80+percent+of+people Supplement Dose Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) 10,000 IU/day (Adjust as needed to keep serum 25(OH)D near 80 ng/mL) Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000 to 2400 mg/day (Minimum of EPA 360 mg/day, DHA 240 mg/day) Calcium * 220 to 500 mg/day Magnesium 400 - 800 mg/day (magnesium chloride, glycinate or oxide) Vitamin K2 (MK-4 & MK-7) MK-4 1000 mcg/day, MK-7 200 mcg/day (MK-7 preferred due to half-life) Vitamin A (Retinol) * 900 mcg (3,000 IU) for men, 700 mcg (2,333 IU) for women (Maximum Dose) Vitamin B 50 3 month course, after that, the 7 B vitamins in the Mature Multi will be sufficient Zinc * 10 mg/day Boron * 1 mg/day minimum, 3 mg/day optimum Regarding detox, you can read about it, with some inaccuracies, at the file called "Playing Well Together" in the ClusterBuster Files section. Because there are some inaccuracies there, I would suggest that you post your questions in the "Share Your Busting Stories" section of the board. Many people can help you if you describe all meds you are now taking. In essence, you want to be off most pharma meds, particularly sumatriptans, for five days. Verapamil at lower levels doesn't seem to block busting. About other things, such as steroids or topirimate, I think there are still open questions.

clusterb, Better I thank you for rising good questions as I only drop my findings upon your questions. THC as sleeping aid Caution! Too much THC will give you the exact reverse effect: difficulties sleeping... Wears too much means getting THC into the system on a daily base. If I would use weed as sleeping aid I would use it max. 3 times in a row, meaning 3 days. After a pause of at least 2 days, better more. CBD ingested I read about positiv results coming out of using CBD but unfortunately not with our beast. I ingested huge amounts. 30 to 45 drops per day of the most potent I could buy on the market. To me it caused severe excess of gastric liquid in the stomach eventually being responsible for a major disaster... Using CBD I recommend watching closely acid level. For myself there is far not enough data available in order to prove any benefit that may come out of using CBD/CBA/THC and so fort. As I'm a long time weed user (>30 years permanent pot smoking (others have a beer after work or two. I had my joints...)) if anything within this beautiful plant would have a potential curing or preventing ch, I never ever should have got ch. 90% of the time I had access to 1th quality hash/pot. Also I'm not a fan of the so called 'Rick Simpsons Hemp Oil' alleged being able curing cancer. I just do not believe in it as there are far away any meaningful results one may relate on. But who knows. Eventually at a certain point of time researchers are able to come up with reliable results. Never the less, our DNA differs. Person A may get positive results out of something wears person B does not get any. I would say it is very save testing the whole family CBD/THC and so fort but one may not expect huge results. The only thing I've got out of CBD is a slight up, not even worth as antidepressant, thats it.

Urs, Thank you for the input, that is good info. I am reading alot more than I ever have since my CHs have returned. How much CBD have you used when you tried it, and was it smoked or ingested? I have read about people using large amounts of CBD oil in pill form and having good results for seizures and other issues, and wondered if anyone had ever tried that for CHs. I am unable to try cannabis due to employment issues, but CBD does not hit on drug tests from what I have read. Very interesting about the pure THC comment, if others can use that for help with sleep without getting CHs that would be very helpful. Thanks again for the response

Hello all, First time posting, long time reader of posts. I recently just returned to the battle against the beast after a 6-year hiatus. It is a cruel trick the beast played on me, I actually thought I may have been cured, thought possibly I may never get a CH again ……long sigh, this is not how it works though apparently. Little bit of history on me, diagnosed in 98 (age 21) was episodic till 2003, went into chronic (felt chronic as I didn’t have any break for more than a month till about 06, then my episodes changed and did not follow their old pattern. (original time frame April/May-August/September then came and went with no schedule) 2009/2010 after realizing I was massively over using Triptans and prednisone, I stopped them cold (just me and my O2 for 2 weeks) and that is when my remission period began. Remission ended in Jan 17 and I have been in cluster since. Current meds: Verapamil 480mg 1xday, O2 for abortive, Frovatriptan sparingly due to rebounds, d3 10000 iu fish oil 3600 mg (need my PCP to start my blood draws to go full bore on this regime, doc told me it wasn’t a good idea, but after providing the regime paperwork I am going forward with this) I have tried multiple meds in the past, and had a horrible reaction to Nasal Imitrex, it seemed to feed the beast steroids, was one of the worst and longest lasting CHs ever experienced. (anyone else have this issue?) Meds tried: (probably spelled wrong on some of them) Fioranol, Fiorocet, Amerge, Imitrex, migrianol and multiple other triptans, lithium, Prozac ( a few other mood stabalizers)Capillary constrictors, lidocane up the nose ( neuro suggested that, nothing like a CH with a numb nose) Working to get my Vitamin M crop working going to try this when they are ready. (can someone with good knowledge of vitamin M PM me I have some questions) Questions: Is there a Leading Neurologist for CHs, if so where are they located? (I have had not great success with neuros as I usually know more about CHs than they do, hoping to get into a headache specialist soon) Has anyone ever had O2 stop working, and then work again? For long term sufferers, have you ever tried a med that didn’t work for you in the past (years later or after a long remission period) and found any success? With the legalizing of cannabis in the country is there any reliable studies of any of the cannaboids and or CBD? I have read about CHrs having no success and even causing attacks, but is this due to having to get unknown cannabis from the street and not actual dispensaries. I have been doing a lot of research on the 5HT receptors and psilocybin and the effect on CHs how many other geeks out there have been doing this and would like to share any medical papers. (I have info to also share) I have tried to get into medical trials, but since I have Migraines also, and do not know if I am currently episodic or chronic, I am disqualified. I have looked at the links on this page and clinicaltrials.gov, is there any other studies people know of? I am in it to win it now they have returned, when I was in remission I didn’t keep up with ClusterBusters or Clusterheadaches.com, but I would like to lend any help to anyone needing help and also get into any cause to find better treatment for CHs. Is there any need for volunteer work? I appreciate any and all information provided, I have been back on clusterheadaches.com reading and here reading. Thanks to all of you who provide such good info. ClusterB We are all unique in this condition and must struggle to not allow the beast to win!

Hey everybody, man its been a long time since I've been on here... 16 months to be exact. my longest remission yet....all due to the mushrooms.. they could not have come back at a worse time in my life. I am getting married in exactly 51 days, a destination wedding where I will be far away from o2, this has always been one of my greatest fears. I am extremely motivated to rid myself of these as quickly as possible, but I did want to talk to everyone for some advice. - I have my mushrooms ready.. they might be a year or so old but should still help - I typically stay well stocked on oxygen, alternating 2 tanks at a time. - I find the vitamin regimen very helpful, but I have forgotten the suggested doses of fish oil, d3, etc. CH father, you previously gave me a recommendation? - constant hydration seems to help, whenever I feel overheated it tends to bring them on. - I have had inconsistent results with exercise in the past, one time it was used as an abortive technique with me and worked great... the other it seems to bring them on pretty heavy. - DEEP deep tissue massage. I have a massage therapists that completely rips my body apart in a good way and I have found such positive results from this. often the next day I will not have a CH and it seems to help decrease the severity. any other advice is recommended. I trust you guys, you once talked me out of a surgery with Dr. Shevel and I feel extremely grateful for all of you. determined to kick this within 51 days! -Moto

John, The anti-inflammatory regimen with 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 plus the cofactors is very effective in preventing migraine headache. My wife was the first to try this regimen to prevent her migraines in December of 2010 when she saw how it prevented my cluster headaches. Up until then she had been a chronic migraineur with 3 to 5 day long attacks hitting monthly like clockwork for over 20 years. She hasn't had a single migraine headache since. The main reason I don't discus taking the anti-inflammatory regimen as a migraine preventative more frequently is due to the low number of migraineurs compared to CHers. We've well over 500 CHers reporting their results after starting the anti-inflammatory regimen with better than 80% efficacy where the number of migraineurs reporting back to me is under 20... That said, the efficacy they report is better than 90%. The first step before starting this regimen is to have your friend see his/her PCP for the 25(OH)D lab test. Like CHers, nearly all migraineurs are vitamin D3 deficient/insufficient... in short, a 25(OH)D serum concentration less than 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L). The following graphic illustrates the baseline 25(OH)D serum concentrations reported by CHers before starting the anti-inflammatory regimen. As you can see, the mean 25(OH)D serum concentration was 23.4 ng/mL and the max was only 47 ng/mL. Like CHers, migrainerus need to maintain a 25(OH)D serum concentration around 80 ng/mL in order to experience and maintain a migraine free response. That will require an average vitamin D3 intake of 10,000 IU/day. Not surprisingly, most migraineurs are also magnesium deficient. The anti-inflammatory regimen has both. It's important to note that vitamin D3 is not a mono-therapy... In other words, you don't just take vitamin D3. We also need the vitamin D3 cofactors. They include magnesium, zinc, boron, vitamin A (retinol) and vitamin K2 (MK4 and MK7). The anti-inflammatory regimen also includes Omega-3 fish oil, another anti-inflammatory that also aids in vitamin D3 absorption. You can find the complete anti-inflammatory regimen with an explanation of the dosing strategy, drug interactions and contraindications half way down the first page at the first following link and a downloadable PDF of the latest treatment protocol at the second link: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1324046404 http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=7708 Henry Lahor, the brains and brawn behind the VitaminDWiki website posted this link for me on 21 January 2017, by 21 July, readers have downloaded 2440 copies. You can also scan the following QR code with your smart phone and it will download a pdf copy of the treatment protocol to your phone. The QR Scanner app is free. It takes less than 10 seconds to download and install. The supplements I take are illustrated in the following photo: I buy these supplements by brand at Costco to get the best price. You can also find them at Walmart and most supermarkets or you can order them from amazon.com. That's where I buy the Super K with Advanced K2 Complex. The following table provides a breakdown by supplement and dose. In addition to the anti-inflammatory regimen, some migraineurs have found adding Co-Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) helps speed up the migraine pain free response. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Rimantas, I'd suggest sticking to the method most of us have found works and works consistently. 1- 5 days between doses. (if it's taken sooner, there's a high likelihood it won't work). 2- Don't take it with food. (Mixing mm with chocolate has a lot of oil in it and oil / fat reduces the absorption in the intestines) Eat a light fat fee meal about 2 to 3 hours before taking your dose. Drink plenty of water or gatorade (but not too much) during your dose. Some people have a natural tolerance to mm, but hitting a mild trip most of us have found is very important to how well it works on our CH. If you're only feeling mild effects of the mm and it's not working, then wait 5 days and move your dose up. (in my opinion). PFW, J

Hey Islandguy and Pebblesthecorgi I know what you two and Pebblescorgi's father are going through and the good news is it doesn't need to be that way... The odds are you’re vitamin D3 deficient and that deficiency is contributing to the frequency, severity and duration of your headaches. The results of lab tests for serum 25(OH)D, the metabolite of vitamin D3 that’s used to measure its status, taken before start of treatment with the anti-inflammatory regimen by 187 cluster headache sufferers (CHers) with active bouts of cluster headache (CH) are illustrated in the following normal distribution chart. As you can see, it’s a no-brainer. If you have CH, you are very likely vitamin D3 deficient and for sure, with a 95% confidence interval, your serum 25(OH)D concentration is less than 47 ng/mL. As a CHer, we need to have our serum 25(OH)D concentration up around 80 ng/mL in order to experience a lasting pain free or substantially pain free response. Please understand what I'm suggesting isn't an either-or situation with busting. I've worked with several CHers here who continued busting while taking the vitamin D3 regimen with good success in preventing their CH. I call this combination of vitamin D3 and the vitamin D3 cofactors the anti-inflammatory regimen as that's what it does... Instead of treating the symptoms of CH (the terrible pain), this regimen works up stream in the pathogenesis of CH to down-regulate/inhibit the production of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) and Substance P (SP). It's these two neuroactive substances that are responsible for the neurogenic inflammation and pain of CH. Vitamin D3 does this through the process of genetic expression where the genetically active vitamin D3 metabolite 1,25(OH)2D3, calcitriol, physically attaches to genes within neurons in the hypothalamus and trigeminal ganglia. Genetic expression is where vitamin D3 unlocks the cell's library of genetic instructions and the cells start executing these instructions doing one of four things... they replicate, differentiate, up- or down-regulate the production of genetic products or they die, (apoptosis - programmed cell death... what we would hope happens to cancer cells). My name is Pete Batcheller, a.k.a. "Batch" here at Clusterbusters and CH.com. I'm a retired Navy fighter pilot and long time chronic cluster headache sufferer (CCHer)… except I no longer suffer from these terrible headaches. I’m the guy who developed and started taking the anti-inflammatory regimen in October of 2010… I’ve been pain free ever since. You’ll see how and why as you read on. So much for the mechanism of action... Confirming a vitamin D3 deficiency is easy… See your PCP or neurologist for the lab test of your serum 25(OH)D, total calcium and PTH (Parathyroid Hormone) The total calcium and PTH will be used as a baseline for subsequent labs after your 25(OH)D has stabilized around 80 ng/mL. 25(OH)D is the serum level metabolite of vitamin D3 that's used to measure its status. The normal reference range of 25(OH)D is 30 to 100 ng/mL (75 to 250 nmol/L). However, most physicians will interpret 31 ng/mL as normal. While that may be true and a high enough concentration to prevent rickets... it's far too low to prevent CH. CHers need to have their 25(OH)D up in a range between 60 to 110 ng/mL (150 to 275 nmol/L). The target 25(OH)D serum concentration is 80 ng/mL (200 nmol/L). Over the last six years at least 600 CHers have started the anti-inflammatory regimen of vitamins and minerals with at least 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3. In the first 30 days of treatment, 83% of these CHers have experienced a significant reduction in the frequency, severity and duration of their CH. 75% experienced multiple 24-hour pain free periods and 54% remain essentially pain free. This regimen is effective for episodic and chronic CHers although episodic CHers have a slightly better response. This regimen is also effective for Migraineurs in preventing their headaches. If you’re in doubt about starting this regimen, see your PCP or neurologist for the 25(OH)D lab test and read Zd10’s post as well as the three following links to posts by other CHers who started this regimen: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1393027277/2/#2 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1291969416/1425/1425# http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1291969416/1465/#1465 http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1324046404/278/#278 The "Go To" link with info on all the anti-inflammatory supplements, their doses, drug interactions and contraindications can be found on page 1 of the following link at CH.com. I try to keep this thread updated with the latest survey data. http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1324046404 The following table represents the latest list of anti-inflammatory regimen supplements and doses: I've found the following supplements shown by brand in the photo below are formulated with most of the supplements we need. I buy them at Costco, but you should be able to find similar formulations at most Vitamin Shoppes, supermarkets, Wall-Mart or over the Internet at iherb.com and amazon.com: If you can’t get to a Costco outlet, a CHer in the UK has found a source for all the needed supplements at iherb.com. See his post at the following link for details on how to order them over the Internet: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1291969416/1890%20#1890 The vitamin B 50 Complex is not shown. You’ll need a 3-month course of vitamin B 50 Complex to handle any deficiencies among the seven B vitamins. Although the Super K with vitamin K2 complex isn't essential in preventing CH, it is needed to handle the increased serum calcium made available by taking vitamin D3 at the doses we take. There are a growing number of studies finding the super K2 complex helps direct calcium away from soft tissues and arteries directing it instead to bones and teeth improving overall bone mineral density. If you’re taking blood thinners, vitamin K1 is contraindicated. Vitamin K2 (MK4 and MK7) can affect clotting so be sure to discuss it with your PCP or neurologist before taking it. There are also a number of studies that have found people with a vitamin D3 deficiency are frequently also deficient in magnesium. Most CHers taking this regimen have found the suggested 400 mg/day magnesium sufficient. This is also the RDA for magnesium Most CHers who have started this regimen in the last two years and had their 25(OH)D results come back below 30 ng/mL, have used the accelerated vitamin D3 dosing schedule and found it got them pain free faster than taking the maintenance dose of vitamin D3 at 10,000 IU/day... The two accelerated vitamin D3 dosing schedules follow: On day one, take the entire regimen with 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 and two of the Omega-3 Fish Oil liquid softgel capsules along with one each of the remaining supplements the first day. If there's no allergic reaction to these supplements (very rare), proceed with either the 2-Week or 4-Week loading schedules: Two-Week Vitamin D3 Loading Schedule Week 1. 50,000 IU/day vitamin D3 for one week. Take all the other supplements Week 2. 40,000 IU/day vitamin D3 for six (6) days then drop the vitamin D3 dose to 10,000 IU/day on the 7th day. This will be the normal maintenance dose of vitamin D3. Take all the other supplements and cofactors daily. Four-Week Vitamin D3 Loading Schedule Week 1. 20,000 IU/day vitamin D3 plus one loading dose a week of 50,000 IU vitamin D3 Week 2. 20,000 IU/day vitamin D3 plus one loading dose a week of 50,000 IU vitamin D3 Week 3. 15,000 IU/day vitamin D3 and no loading dose Week 4. 15,000 IU/day vitamin D3 and no loading dose Take all the other supplements and cofactors daily, preferably with the largest meal of the day containing the most fats. At the end of the 4th week, drop the vitamin D3 dose to 10,000 IU/day plus the other supplements and cofactors. The following graphic illustrates the difference in 25(OH)D response times between the 2-Week, 4-Week loading schedules. These two vitamin D3 loading schedules are safe, equally effective and should result in a rapid 25(OH)D response to therapeutic concentrations near 80 ng/mL with a significant reduction in the frequency, severity and duration of CH faster than at the maintenance dose 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3. The target serum concentration for 25(OH)D is 80 ng/mL so the total loading dose can be adjusted at the rate of 100,000 IU vitamin D3 per 10 ng/mL of 25(OH)D response. Vitamin D3 is lipophilic so adjustments can also be made for BMI. Accordingly, if the BMI is <18.5, subtract 100,000 IU from the total loading dose. If the BMI is ≥ 25, add 100,000 to the total loading dose. Lab tests for serum 25(OH)D, calcium and PTH should be conducted at the completion of either loading schedules. Results should indicate a 60 ng/mL gain above the 25(OH)D baseline/starting serum concentration. Another set of lab test of serum 25(OH)D, calcium and PTH should be conducted three months after completion of either vitamin D3 loading schedule while on the maintenance dose. This should provide sufficient time for the 25(OH)D response to the maintenance dose of vitamin D3 to reach a stable equilibrium. Adjustments to the vitamin D3 maintenance dose can be made at this time to maintain a target 25(OH)D serum concentration of 80 ng/mL, (200 nmol/L). Routine follow up lab tests for 25(OH)D should be done on a six month or yearly basis. Regarding oxygen therapy... In researching why oxygen regulators with flow rates high enough to support hyperventilation and oxygen demand valves were more effective with shorter CH abort times than a constant flow regulator at 15 liters/minute, I found that lowering serum CO2 was a key component in obtaining fast and reliable CH aborts. A lower arterial CO2 content elevates the arterial pH (more alkaline) and this is a more powerful vasoconstrictor than oxygen even at 95% purity from the oxygen concentrator. The elevated alveolar pH enables blood hemoglobin to upload roughly 15% more oxygen so this turbocharges the blood oxygen flow to the brain to help make the abort even faster and more reliable. Around 2011 I developed a new method of oxygen therapy called Hyperventilation and Oxygen Therapy that has proven to be just as effective as a 40 liter/minute regulator or an oxygen demand valve in delivering rapid and reliable CH aborts. It essentially calls for hyperventilating at forced vital capacity tidal volumes with room air for 30 seconds followed by the inhalation of a lungful of 100% oxygen that's held for 30 seconds before exhaling into the room and repeating the hyperventilation with room air. Hyperventilating with room air accomplishes the same thing as hyperventilating with a regulator set at 40 liters/minute or an oxygen demand valve except it uses no oxygen. The only oxygen consumed with this method of oxygen therapy is the inhaled lungful ~ 4 liters, that's held for 30 seconds. This method of oxygen therapy consumes roughly 4 liters of oxygen a minute and results in an average abort time of 7 minutes for a total of 28 liters of oxygen per abort. That's roughly a tenth the amount of oxygen consumed with each abort with an oxygen demand valve or high flow regulator set at 40 liters/minute. I also invented what I call the Red Neck Oxygen Reservoir Bag made out of a clean 40 gal trash bag or 30 gal kitchen garbage bag. I use a plastic Coke bottle with its cap and the bottom cut off as the mouthpiece, the tubing from an old disposable non-rebreathing oxygen mask, some electrician's tape and some Duck tape. After the Coke bottle mouthpiece has been inserted through one corner of the bag's bottom and the oxygen tubing through the other corner, I seal both with electrician's tape for an air tight seal then close the open end of the bag with a strip of Duck tape as illustrated in the following photos. You make sure the cap is secure on the Coke bottle then plug the oxygen tubing into the barb fitting on the oxygen regulator and turn it on. When the Red Neck Reservoir is filled completely, turn off the oxygen supply valve. The Red Neck Reservoir is now ready for use to abort a CH using the method described above. All you need to do is unscrew the Coke bottle cap to inhale the lungful of oxygen then replace the cap. Other than the cost at less than $1, there's one more benefit of this contraption... There is no inhalation resistance. Hope this helps... If you have questions please contact me here at Clusterbusters or Skype me. My Skype Name is pete_batcheller. Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

Hi Treelove, I would continue with the seeds because they seem to work. It's not uncommon to bust five times. I use essential oil of peppermint for the shadows and that even can abort mild attacks, maybe it could help you. Be carreful with it, it's really strong. Wish you the best.

It took me 5 tries with the seeds last episode. I was using 70 seeds with peppermint tea.

Histamine Restricted Diet "the list" Allowed/Restricted Foods This diet excludes all: foods with naturally high levels of histamine fermented food artificial food coloring, especially tartrazine Benzoates including food sources of benzoates, benzoic acid and sodium benzoate Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydoxytoluene (BHT) Milk and Dairy Foods Allowed Plain milk Ricotta cheese Foods Restricted All prepared dairy products made with restricted ingredients All cheese All yogurt Buttermilk Breads and Cereals Foods Allowed All plain grains Plain oats and oatmeal Plain cream of wheat Puffed rice and wheat Foods Restricted Anise Artificial colors Artificial flavors Bleached flour Cheese Chocolate Cinnamon Cloves Cocoa Margarine Preservatives Restricted fruits Some jams, jellies Any food made with or cooked in oils with hydrolyzed lecithin, BHA, BHT Commercial pie, pastry, and fillings Baking mixes Dry dessert mixes Vegetables Foods Allowed All pure fresh and frozen vegetables and juices except those listed Foods Restricted Pumpkin Sauerkraut Spinach Tomato and all tomato products All vegetables prepared with restricted ingredients Fruits Foods Allowed Fruits Apple Banana Cantaloupe (rock melon) Figs Grapefruit Grapes Honeydew Kiwi Lemon Lime Mango Pear Rhubarb Watermelon Fruit dishes made with allowed ingredients Foods Restricted Apricot Cherry Cranberry Currant Date Loganberry Nectarine Orange Papaya (pawpaw) Peach Pineapple Prunes Plums Raisins Raspberries Strawberries Fruit dishes, jams, juices made with restricted ingredients Meat, poultry and fish Foods Allowed All pure, freshly cooked meat or poultry Foods Restricted All fish and shellfish All processed meats All leftover cooked meats Eggs Foods Allowed All plain, cooked egg Foods Restricted All prepared with restricted ingredients Raw egg white (as in some eggnog, hollandaise sauce, milkshake) Legumes Foods Allowed All plain legumes except those listed Pure peanut butter Foods Restricted Soy beans Red beans Nuts and seeds Foods allowed All plain nuts and seedsFoods restricted All with restricted ingredients Fats and oils Foods allowed Pure butter Pure vegetable oil Homemade salad dressings with allowed ingredients Lard and meat drippings Homemade gravies Foods restricted All fats and oils with color and/or preservatives Hydrolyzed lecithin Margarine Prepared salad dressings with restricted ingredients Prepared gravies Spices and Herbs Foods allowed All fresh, frozen or dried herbs and spices except those listed Foods restricted Anise Cinnamon Cloves Curry powder Hot paprika Nutmeg Seasoning packets with restricted ingredients Foods labeled “with spices†Sweeteners Foods allowed Sugar Honey Molasses Maple syrup Corn syrup Icing sugar Pure jams, jellies, marmalades, conserves made with allowed ingredients Plain artificial sweeteners Homemade sweets with allowed ingredients Foods restricted Flavored syrups Prepared dessert fillings Prepared icings, frostings Spreads with restricted ingredients Cake decorations Confectionary Commercial candies Miscellaneous Food allowed Baking powder Baking soda Cream of tartar Plain gelatin Homemade relishes with allowed ingredients Foods restricted All chocolate and cocoa Flavored gelatin Mincemeat Prepared relishes and olives Soy sauce Miso Commercial ketchup Gherkin pickles Most commercial salad dressing Beverages Food allowed Plain milk Pure juices of allowed fruits and vegetables Plain and carbonated mineral water Coffee Alcohol: plain vodka, gin, white rum Foods restricted Flavored milks Fruit juices and cocktails made with restricted ingredients All other carbonated drinks All tea All drinks with “flavor†or “spices†Beer Wine Cider All other alcoholic beverages

I am finished with my pred taper and still have a dull achy headache, have not been getting hard hits. I still have not gotten more then a few hours of sleep for the past few weeks either. Today I started the d3 I'm wondering if the vitamin d3 I bought is right. It says (cholecalciferol) on the bottom under vitamin d3 iu is this the right stuff. I followed batches instructions about trying one then going on to the 50000 iu per day for a week( I'm going to try the 2 week regiment) before getting on the 100000 iu per day. I bought the magnesium as well as fish oil and all other supplies. Hoping this works!! Could someone tell me if the solgar brand is the right stuff, I think I attached a picture correctly on here.

Here is what I got for the D3 Regiment: NutriGold Men's Multi Complete: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IB32J5W?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 Now Foods B-50: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013OSL5S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00 Now Foods Boron: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00093D2NU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00 Kirklands Signature Fish Oil: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VLZHLS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00 Solgar Vitamin D3: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004TBXGS4?keywords=Vitamin%20D3&qid=1458142484&ref_=sr_1_27_s_it&s=hpc&sr=1-27 Solgar Magnesium Citrate: http://www.amazon.com/Solgar-Magnesium-Citrate-pack-tablets/dp/B00HUCN0DU/ref=sr_1_3_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458142626&sr=1-3&keywords=Magnesium+Solgar Calcium: I drink milk every day but here is a link to Solgar Calcium with D3: http://www.amazon.com/Solgar-Calcium-Citrate-Vitamin-Tablets/dp/B00013YZ2U/ref=sr_1_sc_2_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458142877&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=calcium+sulgar I also take: Juice Plus+ Garden, Vineyard, and Orchard Juice Plus+ Complete I think this gets most of the recommendations of: Omega 3 Fish Oil - 1000 to 1200 mg/day (EPA 360 mg/day, DHA 240 mg/day) Vitamin D3 * - 10,000 IU/day Calcium ** - 500 mg/day (calcium citrate preferred) Magnesium - 400 mg/day (magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate or magnesium orotate) Vitamin K2*** - MK-4 1000 mcg/day, MK-7 200 mcg/day Vitamin A **** - 900 mcg (3,000 IU) for men and - 700 mcg (2,333 IU) for women Zinc - 10 mg/day Boron - 1 mg/day Let me know what you think about this.

Thank you for your reply, I have read most of the topics about treatments on this site, and I am not so far on a D3 protocol, though I do use fish oil, as it is very common in Iceland due to the lack of daylight in the winter. I have hard times still to deal with accepting my condition and feel that having a oxygen keg next to my bed is heavy duty medical assistance that I dread somehow. But I will definitely consider all my option following my future experiences. Thank you for the good words and advices btw! However I have a new update: Second attack came up, around 1am, which is typically the time when attacks strikes. I was in bed, about to go to sleep, and felt the 1st signs of pain coming, I waited for about 10min to do anything, I kind of wanted to deny it and just fall asleep, the pain became greater, and could tell this won't let me sleep, so instead of rushing towards a combo of pain killers that usually never really helped, I took 4 tiny dried mushrooms, again sticked them under my tongue and between lips and gums after crushing them. I then rushed to make a strong coffee, I did really rushed as I could then really feel the pain starting. (If I have to describe the pain level on a scale from 0 to 10, at the moment of making the coffee the pain went up from 1 to 3; and usually from 3 it peaks real quick to a fair 7/8) As I was sucking on the shrooms, I sipped my coffee and went out in the cold (it is about -10c° here at the moment) and started to breathe in and out very heavily for about 5/7min. The pain went TOTALLY away! Again! This is pretty amazing, and well since I had coffee, it is a little hard for me to go to sleep so it has been now about 2 hours that the pain disappeared almost miraculously and I decided to write down this second experience. Hoping this might help some others. I will update again as soon the next attack strikes and see if this is for real on the long run. But I have to say that I never managed to stop/abort any attack before that 1st experience I described before..And this is now 2 wins in a row! I again want to underline the fact that this small amount of shroom is barely noticeable in term of psychedelic, fuzzy, funky effect, less than one glass of alcohol for taking a comparison. That is hopefully all for today <3

I am not very familiar with Cesamet but it does seem to have a lot of similarities with another synthetic cannabanoid that I have experienced in the past, Marinol (AKA Dronabinol). Unfortunately I have never taken it while busting so I can't give you any personal feedback on that. What I can say about Cannabis in general is what Spiny said--When mixed with mushrooms it can make the experience more intense and most importantly to me, it can make your mind pretty clouded. I don't notice this effect at all if I smoke before the mushrooms kick in. Every time I take mushrooms I start by chugging down my tea, then grab my bong for a toke to prevent nausea. I have never felt that it interfered with a bust, and it would surprise me if it did. The receptors that the classical hallucinogens hit are completely different than the receptors that cannabanoids tend to hit so I have my doubts that anyone is going to find cannabis type drugs (synthetic or natural) blocking a successful bust. The biggest drawback that I have found with these synthetic cannabis medications is with the route of administration (pills). The problem is that the pills take a long time to start working (somewhere around 2 hours for Cesamet and Dronabinol) and then take an equally long time to wear off (sometimes up to 8 hours) In my opinion a better option is to smoke or vaporize a small amount of cannabis as it will work immediately and wear off quickly. However, I completely understand that for some people that's just not an option. If I was going to try it I think I would attempt to split the Cesamet pill in half (can you do that? If I am remembering right it was not so easy to do that with Marinol as it came in an oil filled gel cap), then wait a couple hours until it's fully kicked in and take your mushrooms (possibly a smaller dose). On a side note, I don't have much issue with ingesting LSD and then smoking cannabis. The stimulation that LSD gives me tends to fight off that "mind feeling clouded" effect. You might find that the combo of Cesamet and LSD work pretty well together, but I would still start pretty low in any initial experiments that you do. Good luck and keep us posted. Ask away if you come up with anymore questions! -Ricardo

Hey J, Good questions... Your vitamin A is full strength Retinyl palmitate, or vitamin A palmitate, an ester of retinol (vitamin A) and palmitic acid. Take one capsule every three days... Good move on starting the anti-inflammatory regimen and calling your PCP for the 25(OH)D lab test. Don't take "No" for an answer... Remember to tell your PCP you're concerned about osteoporosis from the prednisone when you ask for the 25(OH)D lab test. Regarding the two vitamin D3 loading schedules listed below... Take either loading schedule and when you've completed it, then go back to the maintenance dose of vitamin D3 plus the vitamin D3 cofactors and Omega-3 fish oil. Two-Week Vitamin D3 Loading Schedule Week 1. 50,000 IU/day vitamin D3 for one week. Take all the other supplements Week 2. 40,000 IU/day vitamin D3 for six (6) days then drop the vitamin D3 dose to 10,000 IU/day on the 7th day. This will be the normal maintenance dose of vitamin D3. Again, take all the other supplements. Four-Week Vitamin D3 Loading Schedule Week 1. 20,000 IU/day vitamin D3 plus one (1) loading dose of 50,000 IU vitamin D3 Week 2. 20,000 IU/day vitamin D3 plus one (1) loading dose of 50,000 IU vitamin D3 Week 3. 15,000 IU/day vitamin D3 and no loading dose Week 4. 15,000 IU/day vitamin D3 and no loading dose Take all the other supplements and cofactors each day. At the end of the 4th week, drop the vitamin D3 dose to 10,000 IU/day plus the other supplements and cofactors. These two vitamin D3 loading schedules are equally effective and should result in a rapid 25(OH)D response to therapeutic concentrations near 80 ng/mL with a significant reduction in the frequency, severity and duration of CH faster than at the maintenance dose 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3. The 2-week schedule is faster. The target serum concentration for 25(OH)D is 80 ng/mL so the total loading dose can be adjusted at the rate of 100,000 IU vitamin D3 per 10 ng/mL of 25(OH)D response. Vitamin D3 is lipophilic so adjustments can also be made for BMI. Accordingly, if the BMI is <18.5, subtract 100,000 IU from the total loading dose. If the BMI is ≥ 25, add 100,000 to the total loading dose. Lab tests for serum 25(OH)D, calcium and PTH should be conducted at the completion of either loading schedules. Results should indicate a 60 ng/mL gain above the 25(OH)D baseline/starting serum concentration. Another set of lab test of serum 25(OH)D, calcium and PTH should be conducted three months after completion of either loading schedule while on the maintenance dose. This should provide sufficient time for the 25(OH)D response to the maintenance dose of vitamin D3 to reach a stable equilibrium. Adjustments to the vitamin D3 maintenance dose can be made at this time to maintain a target 25(OH)D serum concentration of 80 ng/mL, (200 nmol/L). Routine follow up lab tests for 25(OHH)D should be done on a six month or yearly basis. Regarding oxygen therapy... An oxygen flow rate of 7 to 9 liter/minute with a non-rebreathing oxygen mask does not provide sufficient lung ventilation to abort a cluster headache. In this case, you may be getting sufficien oxygen but the low lung ventilation is not sufficient to remove excess CO2 which will build up. Excess CO2 triggers vasodilation and that makes CH even worse and more painful. In order to avoid this problem, the oxygen flow rate needs to be a minimum of 15 liters/minute or better yet, 25 liters/minute. If you really want a rapid CH abort with oxygen therapy, you need an oxygen flow rate of 40 liters/minute. Fortunately, there's an alternative method of oxygen therapy that will work with lower oxygen flow rates. It essentially requires hyperventilating at forced vital capacity tidal volumes with room air for 30 seconds followed by inhaling a lungfull of 100% oxygen and holding it for 30 seconds. You keep repeating this sequence until the CH pain is completely gone. The complete instructions for this method of oxygen therapy and breathing techniques can be found at the following link: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1415811734/2/#2 Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch

thanks DD and Batch for all this great info!!!! regarding the vitamin A the label says : Vitamin A (palmitate) (cod liver oil)......3000 mcg RAE (10,000 IU) I don't see any reference to retinoids. I will put in a request to my doctor for the lab test asap.. i started the regimen today. Sorry I'm still i little confused as to how this D3 loading works..currently i am following the schedule referenced in the D3 regimen file (Batch's table)..Can you please explain how the loading works? will i be taking more d3 on top of my regular schedule? DD.. I have tried O2 in the past but my flow only got up to 7lpm...it did help a little bit but i was running out of tanks like after 2-4 attacks. I eventually stopped using it. I just recently learned from this site that i should have had a higher flow. I tried mentioning this to my neuro last week and he said the O2 will mostly delay attacks not completely stop one.....I am still open to trying the O2 and i understand i will most likely need it if I am to detox during a cycle..i just need to figure out exactly what tanks and masks i am to ask for because I don't think my GP has a clue. I will start taking my dose with dinner...should i still be taking my verapamil morn / noon / evening. I can't remember the last time i went 12 hours without taking verapamil. I would prefer to take my verapamil on the same schedule i am currently on and slowly taper off...let me know what you think, from you experience I read some of your comments Batch regarding sun exposer. For the last few years my cycles have started as soon as summer is over. My migraines will start late Sept early Oct and stick around into the new year. I find during the summers i rarely get an attack, I have gone a few months without a migraine in the summer, but i am unable to get off the verapamil all year around. Maybe i have to move somewhere where its summer all year around thanks again for all the help!

Hey J, Welcome to the anti-inflammatory regimen and good questions. Regarding the vitamin A... Check the lable... most vitamin A preparations are formulated with both carotinoids and retinoids... What you're looking for is the amount of retinoid or retinoid equivalents totalling 3000 IU/day. If the retinoid equvalent is 10,000 IU per capsule, take one capsule every three days and you should be good to go. Regarding the 25(OH)D lab test, in a perfect world, I'd see my PCP or neurlogist to get this test then start the anti-inflammatory regimen... However, if it looks like it will take more than a day or two to get the lab test, I'd start the anti-inflammatory regimen and then see your PCP or neurologist to get the lab test when it's available. We can always work backwards using the total vitamin D3 taken to estimate your starting 25(OH)D serum concentration. For what it's worth, the online survey of CH'ers taking this regimen indicates the average 25(OH)D serum concentration of survey participants prior to starting this regimen is around 27 ng'mL... we need a 25(OH)D serum concentration around 80 ng/mL, (200 nmol/L) for effective CH prevention and to have a sufficient reserve 25(OH)D to deal with infections (bacterial and viral) as well as allergies as our immune system can consume vitamin D3 and its metabolites at a high rate when fighting off bad bugs, virus or allergic reactions. Most medical insurance companies will not acover the expense of the lab test for serum 25(OH)D for cluster headache... However, you can ask your doctor to order this test based on a possible osteoporosis due to taking prednisone... This works! Regarding the vitamin D3 loading schedule... The odds are your 25(OH)D serum concentration is below 30 ng/mL, (75 nmol/L) so you're going to need a vitamin D3 loading dose of at least 500,000 to 600,000 IU of vitamin D3 spread out over two weeks or four weeks. (Both schedules are equally effective)... There's an average gain of 10 ng/mL of 25(OH)D per 100,000 IU of vitamin D3. This is another reason why it's a good idea to know your serum 25(OH)D concentration before starting this regimen... I'll also echo Dallas Denny's suggestion to ask your PCP or neurologist for an Rx for home oxygen therapy. In March of 2015, we found that allergic reactions to pollen and other allergens, can interfere with vitamin D3's capacity to prevent CH, We also found that a first-generation antihistamine like Benadryl (Diphenhydraming) 25 mg taken twice a day can help-kick start vitamin D3's capacity to prevent CH. Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) has the capacity to pass through the blood brain barrier to block histamine receptors on brain cells... Second- and thrid-generation antihistamines cannot do this so are not as effective as Benadryl. I keep the latest updates to the anti-inflammatory regimen as well as results from the online survey of CH'ers taking this regimen posted on page 1 of the following link: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1324046404 Regarding when to take this regimen... It's best to take every thing in this regimen including the Mature Multi (200 mg/day calcium) in the evening right after the largest meal of the day. This does two things... I helps avoid an upset tummy from the magnesium or Omega-3 fish oil, and it helps ensure maximum absorption... Regarding when to dose with verapamil, a calcium chanel blocker, it's best to take it at least 12 hours away from any calcium supplements. As a side note, the verapamil isn't likely working very well as a preventative or you wouldn't be starting the anti-inflammatory regimen... Most CH'ers who find the anti-inflammatory regimen prevents their CH usually work with their PCP or neurologist to taper off verapamil for good... Finally, nearly every CH who starts this regimen wants to know how long it will take to experience its preventative effects... The following chart from the online survey provides some good answers. As you can see, the majority of CH'ers have responded by the 10th day... We think adding the Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) can help the CH'ers who would have taken longer to respond to this regimen as well as the 19% who don't respond start experiencing relief. Take care and please keep us posted... V/R, Batch

Yury, here's everything Batch says you need to take: Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) 10,000 IU/day (Adjust as needed to keep serum 25(OH)D >60 to 80 ng/mL) Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000 to 2400 mg/day (Minimum of EPA 360 mg/day, DHA 240 mg/day) Calcium 220 to 500 mg/day (calcium citrate preferred) Magnesium 500 mg/day (magnesium malate, magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate) Vitamin K2 (MK-4 & MK-7) MK-4 1000 mcg/day, MK-7 200 mcg/day (MK-7 preferred due to half-life) Vitamin A (Retinol) 900 mcg (3,000 IU) for men, 700 mcg (2,333 IU) for women Vitamin B 50 3-month course Zinc 10 mg/day Boron 1 mg/day Here's the file where he discusses it all: https://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804 There's a "loading" process in there for getting D levels up fast (but it's good to know what your D level is, from a blood test, before you do any loading). He also says to take the calcium 8 hours away from when you take verapamil.

I don't know if anyone caught the Dateline last night about the cannibus oil stopping epileptic seizures .. Has anyone here tried it for CH ?? any better worse ?? im not talking about POT (thc) ..but the cannibus oil (other chemical in it) for seizures ?? http://www.hightimes.com/read/nbcs-dateline-sheds-light-cannabis-oil-epileptic-kids?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HIGHTIMESMagazine+(HIGH+TIMES+Magazine)

Hmmm.... Truthfully all the busting agents that I have used have also at times been helpful for aborting a headache so I'll list them. I put stars next to anything that seemed completely useless. LSD Psilocybin DMT Virola theiodora resin Tetrahydroharmine Harmine Harmaline Diplopterys cabrerana Salvia Divinorum* Mimosa Hostilis root bark* N-Acetyl Cysteine Ketamine Adderall* Testosterone* MDMA Nitrous Oxide Oxygen* Rivea Corymbosa seeds Morning Glory seeds Opium Datura Hash oil hashish Cannabis Wild Dagga* Carisoprodal Tramadol Indomethacin* Vicodin Vicoprofen Morphine I.V. Diphenhydramine Dilaudid Toradol* I.V. Magnesium Guarana Coffee Barbituates* High dose ginger I'm sure there is more that I am not remembering... -Ricardo