Just started taking verpamil and need help with dosage and

[sous139]

Good evening:

 

I am an episodic clusterhead and have been for 10 years. I just started taking Verpamil - 2 120 milligram tablets everyday and my cycles have been much worse this year. Two weeks in August, one week off, and then a head banging September. This is my 2nd week on Verpamil.

 

is 240 milligrams sufficient as a preventative ? It feels weird as I have not used my Immitrex and my head banging still continues at 9:30 pm right on the clock for about a half hour. It feels much less mild and I have had my Energy Drink Ready and a nice dark room to deal with this . Best Conditions Possible for me so it is livable but a pain in the ass with shadows and light stabbings throughout the day.

 

I am calling my doctor tomorrow to get a referral to a Neurologist so I can get Oxygen and make this shit more tolerable. I feel kinda dizzy on Verpamil and not sure if I am not taking enough, would a third pill, end the headache bullshit ? 360 milligrams .

 

The average doctor sucks with this disease and this year the headbangers have been much worse and I need a preventative and he was able to wrote a script for Verpamil which I am trying.

 

If anyone can let me know if adding a third pill will help and how long to take Verpamil and taper off I would appreciate it.

 

My plan on hitting the lottery and going shrooming in Amsterdam before a cycle is still a work in progress !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CHfather]

Obviously, stuff depends on your circumstances, but 240 Verapamil is a low dose compared to what works for most people.  There are folks here for whom Verap hardly worked at all until they were at 960. I think the "standard" dose, if there is such a thing, might be 360-480. Verapamil can have complications, so (a) your doc might have wanted to start you on a dose that could work; and ( you should be monitored as your doses go up, if you do that.

 

Yes, get that O2 as quick as you can!

 

Melatonin at bedtime helps with nighttime attacks. Since yours are at 9:30, I hoping someone can say whether taking melatonin at night would still help, or whether taking it earlier, at 7:30 or something, might help (but then there's that drowsiness).  Like I say, I'm hoping some smarter person than me will have something better to say.

 

FWIW, a few folks here have said that putting their feet in very hot water in a bathtub helps with their attacks.

 

You should be starting the D3 regimen, too, if you're not doing that already (I'm guessing you're not).  https://clusterbusters.org/forums/topic/1308-d3-regimen/

 

Hey, might as well think about possible triggers, too.  https://clusterbusters.org/forums/topic/4568-triggers/

 

You know about splitting your Imitrex (if it's injections)?  https://clusterbusters.org/forums/topic/2446-extending-imitrex/

[spiny]

The problem with verap. is that it lowers your blood pressure. So, if you have low BP to start with, going up to 360 or higher would not be a good idea.

 

At 360, my BP was 80/60 at rest. 240 was the max that I could safely take.

[ThatHurtsMyHead]

Sous139,

 

Please be very careful with the verapamil.  Years ago it gave me heart palpitations called PVC's (Premature Ventricle Contractions).  It took 3 YEARS to slowly go away after I quit the verapamil.  If you have a healthy heart you need an EKG to ensure it's not bringing your heart rate too low...  If you're dizzy it could be causing bradycardia (heart beat too slow), and that's VERY dangerous.

 

Sorry, I don't mean to be negative.  We all get enough of that when in cycle.  

 

On the positive note you can use LSA seeds (HBWR and RC).  They are legal and hardly have any effects when taken in the right dosages. 

 

J

[Pebblesthecorgi]

First and foremost discuss with your Dr. dosing changes.  This is important for many reasons including knowing the big picture of your medical care, knowledge of your overall medical condition and a working list of other medications that might interact.  If your Dr doesnt have this or wont discuss these things consider another provider.  You need a relationship that is interactive in a positive way and you need to be prepared to communicate.  Writing down your goals (ie raising the med dose, starting O2 or adding a medication) for a visit along with recent blood pressure readings and current meds will go a long way towards expediting a visit.  Do not come to the visit with a "fix me" attitude because you will get a less thoughtful evaluation.  If your doc is any good they will appreciate your participation and help you facilitate your goals.  The verapamil dose your are reporting is relatively low so incrementally raising it is a consideration.  Many people need to get to 900-1200 if (and its a big if) its going to work at all during a cycle.  Preventative doses can be a bit lower. For most folks verapamil does cause much orthostasis (dizzy when standing) or impaired exercise tolerance but you certainly have to be vigilant about side effects.  Higher doses dis proportionally aggravate constipation which is distressing.  There is a lot of advise about alternative treatments which seem to be effective.  You should try to open with your doc about such things but carefully assess their attitudes first.  Also have a verbal agreement they wont be explicit in recording the info in your chart because confidentiality and privacy in the medical record is a thing of the past.  The record should be oblique using terms like "alternative" or "non traditional".  Since I utilize alternative methods my advice comes from experience.

 

And for goodness sake get a proper O2 set up