The RC seed question

[jfores19]

Hey all. I am new here, dealing with episodic CH for 16 years, and used a lot of info off clusterheadaches.com over the last 5-6 years.

In a cycle now- first one in a few years. thought i felt one coming about a year and a half ago, took melatonin for two weeks and never got a a headache. didnt work this time around.

I never had any success with meds such as prednisone and  imitrex and wont ever go back to those. have used O2 in the past to some degree of relief, but unfortunately this time around, no health insurance, no doctor and no money...

so that leads me to the question of the RC seeds. I will readily admit i am very nervous about taking that route, not necessarily from a legality standpoint, but due to the fact that i have never done psychadelic drugs, or any drugs for that matter, and am a 12 year sober alcoholic.

i am just hoping that some of you who have done it can shed some light and share your experiences a little, beyond what i have been able to find on here.

when it comes to things like this - i am afraid i will make it wrong, have a huge trip or something will go wrong. im not a chemical engineer, nor a farmer, nor a real smart guy! so i guess just looking for some piece of mind if i decide to try it.

thanks all.

[CHfather]

With RC seeds, you are very unlikely to experience even slight psychedelic effects.  You can start with a very low dose -- which, since your system is so clean of potential blocking meds, might work in itself -- and then slowly add more if you feel comfortable doing that.  You could start with 15 seeds to be almost 100% certain of no effects (I say "almost" because who knows, but I'd put the certainty of no psychedelic effects at about 99.756%) -- many people here take 50 and more and all they get from that, in terms of side effects, is a really good night's sleep (plus help for their CH).

I recall a thread here about psychedelics and people in recovery, and I remember one fellow saying that seeds had no effect on his sobriety.  Can't say much beyond that, but others might chime in.

While you're thinking it over, I'd strongly recommend that you start the vitamin D3 regimen that has helped a lot of people, sometimes very quickly.  It's cheap, safe, easy to put together, and probably good for you in itself. http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314134804

[jfores19]

thank you for the reply. i am heading to the pharmacy to try the vitamin D3 thing. Still unsure about the RC thing. My saving grace and what gets me through cycles is that i know they are going to end in a couple months. Mine may not be as bad as others i see posting on here because even in a cycle i usually only hit levels 9 or 10 maybe 5 or 6 times during the cycle. My biggest problem usually during a cycle is that being exhausted brings about more daytime attacks, so i will also try an energy drink or redbull when that happens. right now its coffee.

thanks again for the help.

[CHfather]

just to be clear--the energy drink right at the start of an attack can sometimes be a good abortive.  the taurine in energy drinks seems to be what makes them more effective that just coffee.

you're enduring a lot with no oxygen and no meds.  i really hope the D3 helps you as it has helped others.  please be sure to take it in the recommended amounts, and to include the two glasses/day of lemonade/limeade.

some people without oxygen breathe cold air from their cars' air conditioning at the beginning of an attack.  many here would tell you it's worth it to get oxygen, whatever the cost.  without insurance, you can still create your own system without a prescription, using oxygen from a welding-supply store, which many people have done.  if you should happen to still have your mask and regulator (and the regulator's the right type), you're not talking about a whole lot of money to rent oxygen tanks.

stay in touch.

[kaboom]

Welcome, jfores19!

Last month, my daughter and I had the privilege to attend the annual Clusterbuster Conference in Chicago. It was evident by the diversity of the group that cluster headaches is without prejudice. CH can affect anyone regardless of their age, race, sex, education, or financial status. The good thing is, that you don't have to have a degree or be wealthy to fight this beast.

Oxygen - in my opinion, an absolute must.  If you go to the "Home" tab on this page then scroll down to "Clusterbuster files" and choose "My Oxygen Page" you will find guidance on everything O2 related - including cost effective ways to get it if you do not have a prescription (#7 - Welders oxygen) and the most effective flow rates used to abort a CH. I've never had insurance coverage for O2 and have found it to be very inexpensive (I pay around $8 for an E tank refill).

Congratulations on your sobriety - that is something to be very proud of! There have been numerous discussions about whether or not using these treatments will trigger a recovering alcoholic or substance abuser to relapse. I have never read or heard of anyone who felt that it has.

Take care and please keep us posted on how you are doing.

[Bejeeber]

Hey Jfores,

So glad to see you're getting double teamed by two of the finest responders known to clusterkind, and I'd like to pipe in with a big ditto regarding the good advice offered.

Before I'm told to pipe down  I'd like to mention that my personal experience with RC seeds is that doses of 50 or so before bed are non-intoxicating - especially because they typically just induce a better night's sleep than usual! 

[jfores19]

wow. thanks for all the great advice. i do agree that O2 is huge. i do not have a regulator or mask, and where do i find a welder supply store? and what do i tell them i need an O2 tank for? and how do i get it refilled? i had regulator machines before when i had insurance that gave me a max of 16ml.

as for the D3 - that was very helpful, just in one night. of course i took everything with dinner, and probably did not eat a very CH worthy meal (hot dogs) - never paid much attention to food triggers over last 16 years of CH. so about 2 hours after eating, i had a very bad attack. i went outside and walked briskly for close to an hour. (would have run, but legs are so freakin sore at this point from constant running and elliptical work!). finally subsided so i could watch the tigers finish off the yankees!. however, when i went to bed, i did have 4 attacks through the night. But 3 of them were aborted within 5 minutes by walking, and the 4th took about 15. so i dare to presume that the D3 played a helping hand in that. so thank you for that info. now if i could just figure out how to eat right!

[CHfather]

jf' -- glad the D3 seems to be helping!

there are Harbor Freight stores in a lot of locations that will rent you O2 tanks, and also sell regulators that will work.  check here: http://www.harborfreight.com/store-finder

also, you can look up "welding supplies" for your area on the internet.

apparently it's very straightforward to get the O2. say you want it for welding.  no, you don't need acetylene.  most people report that that's all it takes.  as you know from past experience, you need at least one big tank (an "m" tank).  two is better. they'll refill it/them there.

you can find information about where to get a mask and a regulator at the end (section 11) of this file:  http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1299901790

if you go to a harbor freight store, 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. 

the O2ptimask is a bit more expensive, but very highly recommended.

again -- glad things are a little better, and good on you for persisting with finding ways to make it so.  diet is relevant to the D3 regimen, since its goal is to shift your systemic pH balance from acidic to alkaline.  if you want, i can tell you more about that.  and i think some people find nitrites (like you'd get in hot dogs) to be a specific trigger for them.