maintenance plan helped- but now I've been hit

[retrovertigo]

Sorry if this has been discussed. I generally only come here when I'm in cycle, hope thats not too selfish. I have been busting every 3 months for the last year in an attempt to avoid going into cycle again. My cycles average about 20 months apart for the last 10-15 years. Prior to that they were more frequent but less severe.

I am now at 25 months since my last cycle. So i think the busting has helped. But i got hit pretty good last night. Usually i will get a couple 2's and a 4 as the cycle ramps up but this time the first one was a 5 or 6.

I did my last prevent bust about a month ago.

Any advice on the best next step? Doc would want me to start verap and use the trex. I dont feel that those have helped in previous cycles. Anything they do in the short term gets paid back in full in the end.

Would busting now have shot at terminating the cycle? I have successfully cutoff cycles that were in a long wind down phase, but i have never attempted to shut it off near the onset.

I would really love to avoid the typical six weeks of hell.

[alleyoop]

Would busting now have shot at terminating the cycle?

Most likely.  I would bust ASAP!!

[Bejeeber]

I generally only come here when I'm in cycle, hope thats not too selfish.

Not at all IMO. 

My cycles average about 20 months apart for the last 10-15 years. Prior to that they were more frequent but less severe.

Headbangers 'round here may be getting awfully sick of me pointing out what I see as a pattern, but the whole "extended remissions, but increased severity of cycles" thing as the years/decades go by is something I and a whole lot of other long time CH'ers have reported, leading me to believe it is indeed common.

Would busting now have shot at terminating the cycle?

I'm 100% with Alleyoop - I believe your odds are still good if you bust it right now - every minute could count for heading this thing off. And I'd keep busting every 5 days until this cycle feels as if it's final coffin nail is firmly in place.

[ThatHurtsMyHead]

retrovertigo,

++ previous comments.  I'd bust and bust hard. 

In regards to your preventative busting:  What substance have you been using?   And how much?  I've run into the ups and downs of preventative busting myself and maybe with some additional info, we can get you back to some painfree time.   If it worked for two years, I'd suspect something changed.

J

[retrovertigo]

I've been using a paper product that, once i was confident with it's purity, I hoarded a bunch away.  I have been doing about 2/3 to 3/4 of a square each time. They have been "significant" experiences.i have been busting once every three months. The last time i read up on the process that was given as the time frame that the benefits lasted.

The last time i did it was 1.5 months ago (5/29/14). The only real trigger i've had lately is some disrupted sleep with the hot,humid weather. Two years since is really only about 4 months longer than i've been running, but every PF day is a blessing.

[ThatHurtsMyHead]

retrovertigo,

Sorry, paper is one of the few treatments I've not used.  From the amount, experience and time between preventative doses, nothing comes immediately to mind that would be causing an issue.  Good idea to have horded some, I would have done the same.  Are you, or have you taken any prescription medications?  I'm no expert on blocking meds, but several others here are an encyclopedia of what might block the busting effectiveness.

J