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Somebody on here mentioned to me,licorice Root,...I also saw somewhere about ginger and chyanne pepper, Well I went to the heath food store and got some today along w/ D3,calcium w/ all the good stuff,and fish oil, I'm aware of how to take the vitamans not sure how to implement the rest. I tried finding the thread I saw it on but couldnt. An Update I'm still miserable 6 to 8 in 24..Busting soon! :-/

8 hits? OMG !! I think YES, you should order more in a hurry, Mrsgrneyedldy. You have to take something. I suspect you don't have the strength to go through the board and gather info in other threads, so I'll try to feed you here a little (with my bias included ;-) ). I would consider you a chronic since it's been almost a year. Chronics from what I read here have a harder time busting than episodics like me. I think it's not surprising your first bust wasn't successful yet. I'm certain though it can help you, and get you PF days. You just have to keep at it, 3, 4, times... and... ...some people might not agree with what I will say here, but from the conditions you describe, I would suggest doubling the dose of RC seeds. I know you only have 50 now, but you can order and get them quick, Did you see the deal at TrancePlants? I just ordered 1000 myself just in case. http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1328479066/8 you have to send a PM, a personal message to Adam from TrancePlants so he put you on the clusterbusters list who get 25% off. They can ship very fast. He posted on that thread... to make things simpler for you, here is a link to his profile, click on the send a personal message button: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?action=viewprofile;username=2124212D2421400 USA; Small packet USA air : 4-10 business days Expedited parcel USA: 4-8 business days with tracking number Xpresspost USA: 2-3 business days with tracking number Priority courier: 1-2 business day with tracking number Order here: http://www.tranceplants.net/product-info.php?pid141.html Do the floater test with your seeds: don't use the ones that float in a glass of water. how did you extract the LSA? I did it with orange juice at first. The PH has to be around 4 from what I heard and either (water with some) lemon juice or orange juice will do that. I extracted twice a couple of hours in the dark fridge (light and heat affect LSA), and once for 24 hours, which didn't seem to make a difference. It appears to me newbie that it used to be the norm to extract with alcohol, mostly white wine, untill people started to rely more on water, water with lemon juice or orange juice. For my 4th bust, I used vodka and peppermint tea to extract. To make a long story short, alcohol and peppermint tea (cold) apparently turns the LSA into LSH and... and I suspect this is more effective. It really felt stronger to me than my previous 3 busts, but my cycle was dying, but it's my guess it works better. Tingeling even theorized that alcohol (just that one shot) would help driving the LSA into the blood by dilatating the blood vessels. And about the amount of seeds, well the Clusterbusters recommendations was to start at 10-20 and go up from that at every bust, but I had made up my mind myself to start much higher. My last bust was with 90 seeds (the one with vodka), 90 good seeds, not floaters, soaked for 90 minutes with 1 oz of vodka and 2-3 ounces of cold strong peppermint tea, and one ounce of Orange juice. I didn't drink the seeds, how do we call that, the sludge? I had done so the other times. It was much stronger effect and almost no nausea. So maybe some other posters will temperate my suggestion, but I think you need relief fast and that you should bust with your 50 seeds Monday and then when you get your rush shipped seeds on Friday, I would take 80-90 seeds with the above extracting recipe. (from what I read, to get a psychedelic trip from RC seeds, you'd need 150-250 seeds, but with extracting in peppermint tea and /or alcohol, it could be less. I didn't exactly have a buzz with 90 seeds turned into LSH, so that's why I'm assuming this is a safe dose to take... let others react to my suggestions maybe) 4 days between each busts, sounds fair, I think you need big relief fast. Also, I don't know what other aborting method you have, I relied on Ice for the past 12 years, it's my life savior: I freeze down my neck and temple with ice cubes in a plastic bag. Also (I don't know what you have read on the board what you tried already): Coffee, strong coffee, three in a row, drank fast, or Energy drinks, like a small Red Bull can choked down in one shot. It really helps. Of course the caffeine will keep you awake. But I discovered I could sleep afternoons a few hours (like 3 to 5 hours), but never at night. Apparently the taurine in energy drinks help. I'm not sure and I thought my coffees were doing good and I dislike the taste of energy drinks, but you should try. Strong coffee, very strong!! or Energy drinks And Ice, and... I think I read that the D3 vitamin helps O2 working better, no? someone plz on this, not sure... (I don't use o2) I hope my post helps you, your situation sounds horrible and I'd like to help... PM me if you have more questions  Â

It's very wise to start low I guess, but I'm not that wise when under the pressure of the beast. started with 60 seeds. I didn't want to take a chance it would be too much of a low dose and have no effect. All I risked was having a trip... not much chance according to what I had read on trippers' Web sites. I'm certain though the quality of the seeds is a variable, and so is the extraction method. My 4th bust with vodka, orange juice and peppermint tea (90 seeds) was quite different, seemed stronger in effects on my CH, but my CHs had already been busted 3 times, so it's hard to tell if it was really, and I could say I was starting to reach a tripping zone... barely. Certainly each person is different, every seed also... wisdom... step by step... yeah, but, but... I think uhhhhmmmm...A bust is a bust!!! Â Â Â Â Â Â Slams door open with foot and shoots My latest information is that 150 to 250 RC seeds is needed to have any trip. I will report on this sometime, but I would advise anyone to listen to wiser old timers of the board, not me newbie stuntmanÂ

Hi, I was directed here by from a friend who suffers from CH. I have been having headaches on only my left side for about 4 years now and presumed they were sinus related (caused, I thought, by the fact that I had some badly rotten molars removed on the left side about 4 years ago). My new PCP suggested yesterday that they were trigeminal neuralgia, but when I researched that online the symptoms didn't add up; as a result I stumbled on CH descriptions and man, did they fit the bill! I would appear to be a chronic—though random—sufferer. I can go a month or two sometimes with no CH, but then I have periods when I will have 2–5 bouts in a week, or even 2–3 in a day. I've had a few horrible nighttime "wakey-wakey" attacks also. Usually my CHs hit in the evening, around 8–9 PM, but there's no distinct pattern; I occasionally get them in the morning or midday. Some weeks are agony with repeated CHs; other times I can go a month or two w/no attacks at all; again, there never seems to be a discernible pattern, and I'd be hardpressed to pinpoint a "trigger." I am a smoker, though, and I gather that that can be a huge overall trigger. (Am contemplating quitting soon, for a host of reasons.) I've read Les Genser's 13-page licorice root treatment protocol with great interest, but I'm unclear on two things: 1. Because my CH attacks don't follow any distinct pattern and are so random, how and when should I implement the protocol, and how/when should I taper it off? Unlike some people, I don't get long-term warning signs per se, other than that 10 minutes or so at the beginning of a CH; and I can't "clock" on a monthly/yearly/seasonal basis when I will have a CH. 2. I'm on some prescription medications, and at least one of these I can't discontinue: Lipitor, for my sky-high cholesterol. Would that be contraindicated with licorice root and/or skullcap? Other scrips are for Nasonex spray for sinuses; Protonix stomach acid reducer (as needed); and Ativan (lorazepam; as needed, for occasional anxiety/sleeplessness—not very often lately); and OTC Zocor or Allegra (alleries, as needed) and fish oil (heart health/cholesterol); any of these I could probably discontinue for a period of time for the licorice root treatment, but not the Lipitor or fish oil. As an aside, I did once or twice take an Ativan during a CH attack, thinking if I could fall asleep the pain might be lessened. It seemed to help—not only in easing me to sleep but also in that it seemed to relax me and thus ease the pressure/pain in my skull. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm blessed on one level: though my CH attacks are most often excruciating, they almost always last only about 20–30 minutes, so I sit upright (lying down def. seems to make them worse), turn the lights down, minimize noise/sound, and sit the attacks out, knowing that in a half hour I will feel better. Any and all advice much appreciated; will also look into oxygen treatment if I can convince my PCP of it (and assuming my insurance will cover at least part of it). Thanx, B.

Thoughts I had: Most stores sell seeds with a fungicide on them that you really don't want to ingest...Always look for it specified that they are untreated seeds. As far as both Morning Glory and Hawaiian Baby Woodrose--only certain varieties are active. With Morning Glory, I know the Heavenly Blue, Pearly Gates, and Flying Saucers strains are active. I don't know much about the HBWR strains.   Purple--what you say about the LSA LSH conversion is right on. Nobody really knows what is going for sure, I have never seen any lab work showing an actual conversion of LSA to LSH. All I can really say is that I have had very different experiences depending on if I have taken my seeds with water compared to with peppermint tea or alcohol. The straight seeds and water were VERY sedating, I was kinda amazed by how hard it has knocked me down, actually. When I've added peppermint or alcohol, it has kept me awake and felt much trippier. The reason I included the quote about the fresh seeds, is that there is a theory (that I believe) that fresh seeds contain more LSH than LSA, and over time the seeds convert into almost all LSA. If you are looking for a sedating trip (LSA), it would seem you might NOT want fresh seeds. We have no idea if the LSH is more effective than LSA, (or even effective at all for that matter) for busting at this point. It has seemed so for me, but I do not know many that have tried it. -Ricardo

Yes, you can do that. Then get rid of/replace the floaters. Then pat dry all the seeds. Then grind, then soak, then drink. Don't grind with anything that gets too hot (e.g., coffee grinder). I think the typically preferred method is more "crushing" than grinding -- with a mortar and pestle, for example -- but a hand-operated spice grinder is also fine. There was a time when 50 was considered a high first dose. I guess we've seen enough now to think that it's unlikely that you'll really "trip" at all from that number of seeds. I think around 35 is still the recommended first dose (up from about 20-25 when I first got here 18 months ago), but if you're comfortable with 50, go for it. I didn't feel like typing the procedure again with seeds and found this post from another thread from CHfather. I started with 60, them 80, then 90 (or something like that), then a fourth bust 2 days ago as I was feeling the CH crawling back in. For this 4th time, I used 90 good seeds (non floaters), and extracted the LSA using about one ounce of vodka mixed with cold peppermint tea and some orange juice. With the help of some cannabis, I can say it was getting close to a somewhat trip. I asked TrancePlants on what basis they had judged their seeds efficient following their own testing, assuming there were not CH sufferers and that if it is psychedelic trip the testing basis, how many seeds they use. Answer: shamanic use, 100 to 200 seeds depending on the person. So I'd say therapeutic for CH: 30-50 seeds if you want to stay conservative, up to 100 if you don't mind risking some (low) tripping. You will get infos here also http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1320275720/0 and here http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1283257635/0 where you will find also tingeling's "extreme situations" potion recipe. From my 4th busting experience, extracting with vodka and orange juice and peppermint tea seemed to have more power and that is what I will do next time, letting it soak a day or two (2 hours this time). Peppermint tea and/or alcohol is said to turn the LSA into LSH. Is that true? I don't know. Is LSH more effective for CH? I don't know. The turning of LSA into LSH seems to come from trippers Web sites, looking for the buzz from the seeds, but maybe LSH is more efficient on CH... I think no one knows for sure. Mj, please note that the amount of seeds mention here only concern RC seeds. For MG or for HBWR seeds, it's quite different

Mystina, did the alcohol-soaked seeds actually help you? Somehow I'm remembering that RC seeds don't seem to work for you, despite taking large amounts. Ricardo also says that soaking seeds in peppermint tea or wine makes LSH instead of LSA. (For full disclosure, others have said they doubt this. I have no idea.) Cold peppermint tea, he says. Discussion of that in this thread: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1323888444/17

Hi Renee. During every cycle I can remember thanking myself for not owning a gun. I can't even fathom how many times that dark thought has run through my, searingly painful head. Have you tried the D3 regimen (with fish oil and cal cit), yet? It has worked wonders for me and I have found that eating Vit K2 containing foods like hard cheeses (romano) and fermented foods (sour kraught) along with a list of others, helps with proper transport and absorption (kinda like a buddy messenger system). I have finally started my Wellness and Sports Nutrition course on Monday, so I will keep everyone posted on if and when I stumble upon anything useful. Never give up and take back control of your life.Â

Now that I think of it, the few times that I've just eaten the mushy's instead of making tea I did feel really pukey. When I make tea I crush them up as good as I can, boil some water and pour it over them (usually in a french press). I let them steep for 10 minutes and it's good to go, I usually add a bit of peppermint to try and prevent bloating or gas.

Have you tried Pinky's tea Dan? PinkSharkmark’a Kickass Mushroom Tea Recipe Just before you make the tea, dice the mushrooms into fine pieces - maybe twice the size of a sesame seed. The smaller they are, the more easily they will give up the psilocybin to the extracting liquid. Wait until you are ready to make the tea before dicing, as the psilocybin will degrade due to exposure to oxygen. Heat a cup or a cup and a half of water to boiling. Add about a teaspoon of lemon juice, remove pot from heat, wait about 30 seconds and toss in the shroom bits and 1500 mg of crushed up vitamin C tablets (any kind, but the chewable variety will probably taste better). Stir it every few minutes, squishing the mushroom bits against the bottom of the cup or the sides as you do so. After ten or fifteen minutes, strain out the mushroom bits and toss them into a SECOND batch of almost-boiling water and half a teaspoon of lemon juice (no vitamin C this time). You won't need a full cup of water this time...maybe a half cup. Put the first cup of “tea” aside to cool further. Stir and squish as before. After ten or fifteen minutes, strain out the shroom bits, pressing out as much water as you can, and discard the shroom bits. By this time most all the active ingredients will be in the water and lemon juice mixture. Combine the two portions of "tea" into one big mug, toss in a spoonful or two of instant coffee and add enough sugar so that you don't gag when you drink the mix. NO MILK or CREAM, though, or anything fatty. Wait until the resulting mix is cool enough that you can drink it within five to ten minutes. The idea is to get all the psilocybin/psilocin into your bloodstream at the same time. Essentially, you are extracting the psilocybin and psilocin from the mushroom tissue. The hot water does most of the work, but the lemon juice acidifies the water so that the extraction is more thorough. The coffee provides caffeine, which allows the body to absorb the psilocybin/psilocin more rapidly and completely. The vitamin C is an antioxidant to keep the fragile psilocin molecule from breaking down too rapidly. Whether you make mushrooms into tea, dice them and mix with a glob of honey or molasses, or simply choke them down, the key is to do them on an EMPTY stomach. No food for two hours before, and the meal before taking the mushrooms must be fat free. No milk, no cream, no peanut butter, no olive oil, no cheese, no nuts, no avocados. Wait 90 minutes after taking the mushrooms before eating again; all the psilocybin and psilocin will be in your system by then.

Know what's funny? I get nervous almost anytime I bust. Not from nausea...but still... I always have to talk myself into it...Have to convince myself--"I've taken this much before, I'm not going to blow my mind...Just Friggin drink it!" No matter how many times I bust, it's always there...and somehow I think it's important. It's an enjoyable state, but it's powerful medicine that should not be taken lightly. Not the first time, not the hundredth time. A couple of nausea options---scopolamine patches? I've heard very good things about it's effectiveness with psychedelics. (I personally would just eat 1-3 datura seeds, but find it hard to recommend datura to anyone ) A couple of drops of lemon essential oil in a capsule is supposed to hit the same receptors that ginger works on, but better. Heard good things from other people, gave me a bit of heartburn though. Dan--thanks so much for bringing this out for people to see...Getting people to see what we go through is important, and you may have done more in that regard than any of us have ever been able to. -Ricardo

B. Episodic C. Helped with the severity of your headaches but didnÂ’t eliminate them. D. Helped with the frequency of your headaches but didnÂ’t eliminate them. Actually stopped a cycle that was starting up within a couple of weeks BUT when I quit taking the regimen it came back in about 3 weeks. I got right back on it. IT IS MOST DEFINATELY HELPING! NOTHING OVER A LEVEL 5 AND NO MORE THAN TWO A NIGHT! My Regimen: D3, Calcium, Fish Oil, Magnesium.

Ricardo, with the understanding that I know nothing except what I figure out, maybe wrongly, from what I read, here are some thoughts. If I'm reading it right, there's a blood test for TNF levels that's used in many studies. Would running this test on people with CH help resolve whether your thought here is accurate or not? (Not saying that you or I or any of us have the capacity to bring about that kind of testing, but as a result of Batch's anti-inflammatory regimen, a lot of people are now insisting on having their vitamin D3 levels tested. No idea what would be involved in requesting a TNF test, whether it's a common thing or a complicated thing.) http://www.dialogues-cvm.org/pdf/17/DCVM17_07.pdf Note that the study you cite shows that 5ht2a receptors exist outside the brain, and that activation of those outside-the-brain cells also very strongly inhibits production of TNF (I think this is the same study -- the title you gave for it is different): >>>The G protein-coupled serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)2A receptor is primarily recognized for its role in brain neurotransmission, where it mediates a wide variety of functions, including certain aspects of cognition. However, there is significant expression of this receptor in peripheral tissues, where its importance is largely unknown. We have now discovered that activation of 5-HT2A receptors in primary aortic smooth muscle cells provides a previously unknown and extremely potent inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-[ch945]-mediated inflammation.<<< http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/327/2/316.full.pdf You would think that TNF blocking drugs, like the one your friend's friend was taking (remicade) would be effective against CH, wouldn't you? I don't see any studies of that, for any of them (enbrel, humira, cimzia, simponi). In fact, there are reports of 5 people developing CH within a month of starting remicade: http://www.ehealthme.com/ds/remicade/cluster+headache Of course, the percent of people reporting CH after starting remicade is about the same as the percentage of people with CH in the general population, so it might be meaningless, but it's interesting to read the symptoms listed by people who report getting headaches from TNF blockers: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Arthritis/TNF-Blockers-and-Headache----Humira--Enbrel--Remicade--etc/show/324130 If I can say so, the "vitamin D3" anti-inflammatory regimen is also tackling this TNF issue. D3 and fish oil, the core active elements in that protocol, are both TNF blockers: >>We found 1alpha,25-(OH)(2)D(3) could significantly suppress TNF-alpha<<: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20722932 >>There was a significant inverse exponential relation between TNF alpha or IL-1 beta synthesis and mononuclear cell content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an n--3 fatty acid derived from ingested EPA (fish oil) or metabolism of ingested alpha-linolenic acid (flaxseed oil).<< http://www.ajcn.org/content/63/1/116.short I realize that your excitement is more related to the potential general healing powers of psychedelics. Just offering all this in case it leads you anywhere worthwhile. As for your actual question -- >>The only research question that this is bringing up for me, and I would love anyone's input on is, "What factors in the human body cause a rise in TNF levels?"<< -- the only answers I have for now are either useless -- it's plainly in many cases a genetic predisposition -- or essentially circular -- things that cause inflammation (by activating, or "degranulating," mast cells) raise TNF levels, and increasing TNF levels cause further increases in TNF levels. >>Activated mast cells are source of inflammation. Large amounts of TNF-[ch945] are quickly released by stimulated mast cells. All the cells involved in inflammation have receptors for TNF-[ch945] and are activated by it to synthesize more on their own. This positive feedback quickly amplifies the response.<< http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/I/Inflammation.html#Tumor_Necrosis_Factor-alpha_%28TNF-a%29 >>Mast cells can be stimulated to degranulate by direct injury (e.g. physical or chemical [such as opioids, alcohols, and certain antibiotics such as polymyxins]), cross-linking of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptors, or by activated complement proteins.<< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mast_cell

Maybe a $7-12 bottle of castor oil will make them bring down the price, Castor oil stopped my CH cycle it worked for me on the first night. And the only side affect a smelly shirt. Please read all you can on castor oil before you use it. You can see how I used it by looking at my post. Castor oil should not be taken internally. It should not be applied to broken skin. It should not be used during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or during menstruation It should not be injected

My 2 cents....I think the lemon juice and the second boil are not necessary. In the case of the second boil, I would think the only thing you are going to get is more shroom flavor and unneeded not-psilocybin stuff. Psilocybin is luckily very soluble in water, so not much is needed to get out all the goodies. My personal recipe is to crush up the mushy's as good as possible, put them in my french press with some peppermint tea (to prevent any gas the shrooms might cause), boil water and pour over them. I let them steep for 10 minutes and then strain it, cool it, and chug it down.

Sundown Naturals No Burp 1400mg each. Works. No Burps. They are Enteric Coated. EPA=700mg DHA=280mg. How 1,400mg fish oil = 980mg of Omega-3 fatty acids I don't know. spiny Edit to add: No fish taste either. 8-)

Anti-Inflammatory Regimen Survey Good people and fellow CH'ers here at ClusterBusters, the anti-inflammatory regimen containing vitamin D3 that I began posting about over a year ago at the following link, continues to prove effective as a CH preventative for many of the CH'ers who have tried it. To date, the raw data indicates an efficacy of 70% and over 25 members of this site have commented on their experience using it. http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1291969416 Rather than rely on a rough tally of responses from CH'ers who have tried this regimen any further, we now need to gather more specific information on efficacy and response times for this regimen as well as essential demographic and epidemiological information. This information is out there, and if you have used this regimen, you have it... We just need to harvest it efficiently. Please take this survey. We will use the data from this survey to generate a paper intended to gather support and the resources needed for a formal assessment of this regimen in a registered clinical study. The sooner we get the information on the safety and efficacy of this regimen in front of neurologists and headache specialists, the sooner more CH'ers all over the world will find what many of us have already experienced... the same relief from the terrible pain of our disorder. I've patterned the questionnaire at the following link after the Cluster Headache Survey that 1134 of us took in December of 2008 and PlayDoh has used his IT wizardry and webmeister skills to place this survey on-line. This survey will maintain your anonymity and guard your rights under the HIPAA Privacy Rule. No names, usernames or addresses will be captured. We will post the compiled results on both ClusterBusters and CH.com when we've collected a sufficient number of responses, then update the results when more come in. If you are a registered member of either site or a guest and you've tried the anti-inflammatory regimen, please take the time to click on the following link and take this survey. We need your results either way, good, or other, in order to have an accurate assessment of this regimen's efficacy. PlayDoh has designed this survey to let you quit at any time before you submit, then access it later where you left off, to finish the survey when time permits. I've already taken this survey... It took me less than five minutes... and I was checking all the options before I submitted... If you've not tried the anti-inflammatory regimen to prevent your CH, I've explained it in detail below. To start this survey, click on the following link: http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=fb8a2415-629f-4ebc-907c-c5ce971022f6 If you experience problems taking this survey or want to comment about it, respond to this post. If you want to make a comment about your response to this regimen, please make it to the original post at the following link: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1291969416 or its latest companion thread here at ClusterBusters at: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1323279255 Thank You. V/R, Batch Basic and Complete Anti-inflammatory Regimen Treatment Protocol and Dosing Guide Disclaimer: The following Anti-Inflammatory Regimen, treatment protocol and dosing guide to prevent cluster headaches are provided for information purposes only. Discuss them with your primary care physician (PCP) or neurologist whoever is most aware of your overall medical health and other prescribed medications before starting this regimen. If possible, have your PCP or neurologist schedule a lab test for 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, a.k.a. 25(OH)D before starting this regimen. This is the serum level metabolite of vitamin D3. The normal reference range for 25(OH)D in the US is 30-100 ng/mL, (50-200 nmol/L in the EU, UK and elsewhere.) However, CH'ers presenting with active CH have tested as high as 43 ng/mL. Moreover, CH'ers who have used this regimen and experienced a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of their CH or gone pain free tested in a range of 60 to 90 ng/mL (150 to 225 nmol/L). If you think your PCP or neurologist will have questions about this regimen, please feel free to take a printed copy of this post with you to the next appointment or email the link. Anti-Inflammatory Regimen Supplements The original or "Basic" anti-inflammatory regimen I've used for over a year consists of the three supplements shown below purchased from Costco for $35 or 20 cents a day for a five-month supply. The daily dose is two tablets/capsules of each supplement as shown below. For the CH'ers who don't have access to Costco, I've listed the complete anti-inflammatory regimen below. Most of these supplements are available at major supermarkets, health food stores, and over the Internet. Omega 3 Fish Oil - 2000 to 2400 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 or magnesium gluconate) Vitamin K2 ***   - 120 mcg/day Zinc              - 10 mg/day Boron            -  1 mg/day Vitamin D3 Dosing Strategy: Studies have shown that the healthy adult processes 25(OH)D at a rate equivalent to 3,000 to 5,000 I.U. a day. As the rate at which the body metabolizes vitamin D3 from all sources into 25(OH)D can and will vary, it is entirely possible that 25(OH)D is consumed as fast or faster than it's being metabolized from vitamin D3. Under these conditions, the body may be unable to build enough 25(OH)D reserves to reach a therapeutic level sufficient to prevent CH at a vitamin D3 dose of 10,000 IU/day. Accordingly, if you don't experience a favorable response with a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of your CH or go pain free for at least 24 hours after two full weeks on the basic regimen, you may need to titrate up on the vitamin D3 dose. You do this by increasing the daily dose of vitamin D3 by 5,000 I.U. on the 15th day of using this regimen from 10,000 IU/day to a total of 15,000 IU/day. Repeat the incremental increase in vitamin D3 dosage by 5,000 I.U. every third day until the total vitamin D3 dose reaches 30,000 IU/day or you have a favorable response whichever occurs first, then remain at that dose. If you don't experience a favorable response by the time you reach a vitamin D3 dose of 30,000 IU/day, remain at this dose for one month then schedule the lab test for 25(OH)D. If your 25(OH)D level is in the range of 60 to 90 ng/mL, continue at this dose for another month then repeat the lab test for 25(OH)D. If your 25(OH)D level is [ch8805] 120 ng/mL and you still have not had a favorable response, reduce the vitamin D3 dose to 10,000 IU/day or discontinue the regimen. In addition, when the daily dose of vitamin D3 reaches 20,000 I.U., increase the total daily supplemental calcium intake to 1,000 mg/day. This may help maintain calcium homeostasis. This regimen can be taken any time of the day, but it's best taken with an 8oz glass of lemonade, limeade, orange juice or any fruit juice high in citric acid sweetened with a little honey. Honey is a natural source of Boron, which is listed as one of the "cofactors" along with magnesium, vitamin K and zinc. The Vitamin D Council indicates these cofactors help in metabolizing vitamin D3 into 25(OH)D and also aid in maintaining calcium homeostasis. The calcium citrate and citric acid also combine to form a buffer that elevates stomach gastric juices and maintains this elevated pH for up to 7 hours.1 that can help elevate arterial pH, which can aid in stimulating vasoconstriction in and around the trigeminal nerves. See the following link at the Vitamin D Council for an explanation of the vitamin D cofactors and their natural sources: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/vitamin-d-cofactors/ Notes: (1) Medication Interactions and Contraindications:    * Reactions to vitamin D3 are very rare as skin exposed to the UVB in direct sunlight produces vitamin D3 naturally. However, if you are allergic to sunlight, do not start this regimen without contacting your PCP or neurologist first. If you experience a reaction to this regimen including and not limited to, an upset stomach for more than a day, swelling in and around the mouth or face, or an obvious allergic reaction, discontinue the entire regimen and contact your family physician.   ** If you are presently taking verapamil as a cluster headache preventative or for a heart condition, studies have shown that after repetitive dosing with verapamil, the serum half-life can be in a range from 4.5 to 12 hours. Other studies indicated calcium supplements interfere with calcium channel blockers like verapamil. Calcium gluconate is also used to treat reactions to oral verapamil. Accordingly, in order to minimize a possible interaction with calcium that may limit verapamil effectiveness, separate the verapamil and calcium doses by at least 8 hours. Discus this regimen with your PCP, neurologist, or cardiologist in order to work out an optimum dosing schedule.   *** If you are presently using blood-thinning drugs such as Warfarin or Coumadin for cluster headache or for a heart condition, vitamin K is generally contraindicated. However, studies have found vitamin K2 to be an effective stabilizer in anticoagulant therapy, proving beneficial in situations of over-anticoagulation or when the response to therapy has been variable. See your PCP, neurologist, and or cardiologist. (2) Safety: This regimen is generally quite safe and well tolerated with many potential health benefits. However, some physicians and CH'ers may be concerned about the apparent "high" dose of vitamin D3. There are several studies that have clinically proven that the skin of a fair skinned adult clad in a bathing suit without sun block and exposed to the sun's UVB at midday, can generate 10,000 I.U. vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) in as little as 15 minutes. Researchers at GrassRootsHealth, a public health promotion organization, recently published the results of their D*action Project where 3667 people have been taking vitamin D3 and having their 25(OH)D levels tested every 6 months since 2008. Participants also fill out questionnaires with each lab test in order to capture the essential demographic and epidemiological information. See: http://www.grassrootshealth.net/ 439 of these D*action project participants reported taking vitamin D3 at doses up to and including 10,000 IU/day. 43 participants have had two or more consecutive tests for 25(OH)D while dosing on vitamin D3 at 10,000 IU/day. As you can see in the graph illustrated on the GrassrootsHealth home page shown below and used with their permission, none of the 3667 participants dosing at 10,000 IU/day or less had lab tests for 25(OH)D anywhere near the lower threshold for vitamin D3 intoxication at 200 ng/mL, (500 nmol/L). A recent study by Garland, Heaney et al titled: Vitamin D Supplement Doses and Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in the Range Associated with Cancer Prevention is based on the GrassRootsHealth D*action Project data and provides further proof that long term use of vitamin D3 at doses as high as 10,000 IU/day are very safe. This study further concludes that: "Universal intake of up to 40,000 IU vitamin D per day is unlikely to result in vitamin D toxicity." (3) Efficacy and Response Time: 70 out of the 100 CH'ers (both episodic and chronic), who have tried this regimen over the last year have had a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of their CH and better than 90% of them have gone pain free. Typical response times to this regimen range from two days to three full weeks with the majority occurring by the end of the second week. As this regimen has many other health benefits beyond being 70% effective as a cluster headache preventative, it's best to stay on it as long as possible if not for life... There have been a handful of CH'ers who took over a month to respond to this regimen and several clinical studies have shown it can take upwards of three months to elevate 25(OH)D levels from 20 ng/mL to 60 ng/mL, (50 to 150 nmol/L). Moreover, chronic CH'ers who stop taking this regimen after an extended period of use greater than six months, may experience a relapse with a resumption of CH in as little as a week. (4) Comorbidities: Some comorbid conditions may interfere with the capacity of the anti-inflammatory regimen to prevent CH. Some of these medical conditions include, but are not limited to: cardiac, thyroid, renal, hepatic, and pancreatic insufficiencies. Sub-clinical allergic reactions and sinusitis are also suspect. If you have one or more of these conditions, work with your PCP to make sure they are being treated. This may help make the anti-inflammatory regimen more effective as a CH preventative.

I've never had a bad burp from the Nature Made Omega 3 Fish Oil... but others have. Must be all that good rum that's dulled my taste buds... and smokes that have done a number on my sense of smell.... If any of you find a brand with no fish taste, please let me know. Thanks. Take care, V/R, Batch

Spiny, below is the full D3 regimen as summarized by "Batch." You need to do the whole thing to find out whether it's working for you. Also, he says this regarding verapamil: >>If you are presently taking verapamil as a cluster headache preventative or for a heart condition, studies have shown that after repetitive dosing with verapamil, the serum half-life can be in a range from 4.5 to 12 hours. Other studies indicated calcium supplements interfere with calcium channel blockers like verapamil. Calcium gluconate is also used to treat reactions to oral verapamil. Accordingly, in order to minimize a possible interaction with calcium that may limit verapamil effectiveness, separate the verapamil and calcium doses by at least 8 hours. Again, discus this regimen with your PCP, neurologist, or cardiologist to work out an optimum dosing schedule.<< Strongly suggest that you read the whole summary at http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804 Also, you don't mention energy drinks (RedBull, Monster, etc.), though maybe you have mentioned them before. Downing one quickly at the first sign of a CH attack helps many people, and can make the O2 more effective. Elements of the D3 regimen: 1. Omega 3 Fish Oil - 2000 to 2400 mg/day (EPA 360                       mg/day, DHA 240 mg/day) 2. Vitamin D3 *     - 10,000 IU/day 3. Calcium **       - 500 mg/day (calcium citrate                        preferred) 4. Magnesium        - 400 mg/day (magnesium citrate or                         magnesium gluconate) 5. Vitamin K ***     - 120 mcg/day (2) 6. Zinc              - 10 mg/day Note that many formulations of calcium citrate include magnesium, zinc, and vitamin K. This regimen can be taken any time of the day, but it's best taken with an 8-oz glass of lemonade, limeade, or any fruit juice high in citric acid sweetened with with a little honey. Honey is a natural source of Boron, which is listed as one of the "cofactors" along with magnesium, vitamin K and zinc.

Thanks, Ken! So glad to hear you're getting some relief from this. From your post, I'm wondering whether you're doing the whole regimen as it is now recommended: Precise specifics are a bit of a moving target, as experimentation teaches more about what works and what doesnÂ’t, but here are the elements of what is currently recommended for people who are in cycle. 1. About 10,000 international units per day of vitamin D3, taken with food. 2. 2 or 3 calcium citrate tablets per day (at least 500 mg. of calcium), with or without food. These tablets should also contain magnesium and zinc, and they often also contain a small amount of vitamin D3. 3. 2,000-3,000 mg per day of Omega-3 fish oil, with food. 4. Two glasses of lemonade or limeade per day, taken with meals. (Other high-citrus juices are also acceptable, but lemon and lime are said to be higher in citric acid content. Batch has said that he also favors margarita mix.)

Hi Jeebs gave me a link to a site about nutrients and exersice, that was interesting!! I found a antioxodant very interesting not only cause it benefits the workout but it can maybe do something for CH. Astaxanthin reduces inflammation from all causes. A bit more than D3 actually. That would benefit us CH`ers. And maybe also it may help reduce the swellings some of us get. I work out extra well togehter with Omega 3, fish oil. SO, gonna have some beef, Astaxanthin, omega 3 and co enzym Q10. This will be a very powerful mix i think. GO CROSSFIT!!! ;D Hopefully it helps CH, excited to see how this will work out. A big thank you Jeebs Here is the link from Jeebs. http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2011/09/11/why-muscles-are-sore-after-workouts.aspx PFW to all Tingeling

1. Are you: A. Chronic 2. With the understanding that there are many factors affecting CH, do you feel that the D3 regimen: C. Helped with the severity of your headaches but didnÂ’t eliminate them. D. Helped with the frequency of your headaches but didnÂ’t eliminate them. 3. If you experienced positive results, how long were you on the D3 regimen before you experienced them? I would slay within a week i noticed a slight difference. I cheated and went on prednisone for a while cause i NEEDED relief BAD!! i am fortunate in that i have a high tolerance for steroids and not many side effects. Unfortunately, the devil is back (3 days after i stopped the steroids) but the intensity isn't as bad (knock on wood) and i think due to the supplements. I also have had alot of relief using magnesium oil. I rub it on my face head and neck when i feel an attack coming on and it really does help. the best place to purchase this is puremagoil.com My best wishes to all for PF days ahead. GOD knows they have only been back since Oct 13th, but are dragging me to the ground as usual. Thanks to everyone for their postings.. It helps a lot to know they are others that understand what i am going through.

You can find places to buy regulators and masks in Section 11 of my oxygen page. http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1299901790 The O2ptimask is a bit more expensive, but very highly recommended. Folks here are also strongly recommending a demand valve system, but that's about $350 retail and is probably not necessary right now, in my opinion (a good long-term investment if you have the $, but first it seems to good to know if a more standard system will work). Similarly, you might want to go right away with a 25-or-more lpm regulator, but 15 is probably going to work for him, given his history and the nature of his cycles. If there's a Harbor Freight store near you (there are a lot of them in a lot of places), you can probably get tanks and a regulator there. Here's a link to their "store finder": http://www.harborfreight.com/store-finder/ And here's the regulator you'd want: http://www.harborfreight.com/oxygen-regulator-94846.html This regulator does not have specific settings for the liters-per-minute flow rate, as medical oxygen regulators do -- you just turn it up (open the valve) enough that the bag attached to the mask fills quickly with air. Other welding-supply places probably sell a similar regulator. Regarding the seeds . . . You're talking about drinking down about two ounces of liquid. It's a quick thing and it's done. You can strain out the sludge with a coffee filter before drinking it (some people drink the sludge, but if you're worried about gagging, you can strain it). Some people can't bear the taste; others don't mind it nearly as much. If he doesn't breathe in the smell, it will be, like anything else, considerably less "flavorful." The peppermint tea method, if the tea is cooled per the directions, does seem to create more of a psychedelic effect, but whether it's more effective as a treatment has not been established. Maybe I'm alone and wrong here, but I'd go with the standard preparation: seeds ground with a mortar and pestle or crushed in a plastic bag with a hammer (not ground in anything heat-producing like a coffee grinder), soaked in an ounce or two of water (bottled, non-carbonated water, in my opinion) for an hour or two, and then chugged down (with or without the coffee-filter straining). Some people wash it down right away with a cranberry juice to get rid of any aftertaste. How many seeds are you thinking of using?

I will let someone with more busting experience answer the other questions... but I have read peppermint turns LSA to LSH, which can be stronger. It all works the same though... I am sure others will advise. There are other methods for making it palatable.

Purchased first rc seeds for my husband. I plan on using the peppermint tea method to soak them. He has a terrible gag reflex, we'll see if he can keep those down. I also plan to grow mushrooms, for the next cycle, since this one will probably be over before I have success. I am apprehensive about growing them because I'm afraid of contaminating them and giving hubs something potentially harmful. I read some about philosopher's stones, anyone have any thoughts on those? Are they as potent? And finally, a question about oxygen. We didn't realize that his insurance only allows him to see a doctor twice a year, which he's already used. What can you tell me about welders oxygen? Sorry, I know I'm showing how green I am. I appreciate any advice you have. Thank you!