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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> American Council for Headache Education - melatoni
        
(Message started by: jflynn on Oct 27^th, 2003, 3:53pm)

Title: American Council for Headache Education - melatoni
Post by jflynn on Oct 27^th, 2003, 3:53pm

Go to www.achenet.org and click "search" then type "cluster" in the box and perform the search. It's a wonderful site devoted to headaches.

There were a number of excellent articles on cluster treatment, diagnosis and public perception. One interesting stat was that the average cluster sufferer took 6.6 years to get diagnosed (pretty close to correct for me, and I finally had to diagnose myself). Wow!

Of particular interest to me were preventative treatments. Melatonin was discussed by a number of doctors, with the general consensus being 6-9mg before bedtime with good results. Seeing as melatonin is about as cheap as asprin and requires no Rx and has no known bad side effects, I'll be trying it starting tonight.

Abortive approaches were typically varied, but prevention would be great. Incedentally one abortive approach that has worked well for me is effervescent codeine phosphate / APAP tablets (basically Alka-Seltzer with codeine). They work really fast but taste disgusting, not to mention are addictive and I've been sourcing them illegally from overseas. My last doctor, who I recently fired, was giving me Lortab ?(hydrocodone / APAP) pills which are even more addictive but take over 30 minutes to work, and basically a bad idea for cluster. I'm hoping melatonin will allow me to quit opiates largely or entirely.

The other usual suspects for prevention and abortion of cluster were discussed, but seeing as how inexpensive and benign melatonin is I believe this should be the first approach tried for preventiin - if it works, great, if not then try something else.

Title: Re: American Council for Headache Education - mela
Post by thomas on Oct 27^th, 2003, 3:57pm

Read my post that starts out "This is not a cure but..." I've had really good luck with melatonin. The last 3 nights I've taken 4mg of time release melatonin.

Title: Re: American Council for Headache Education - mela
Post by Bob_Johnson on Oct 27^th, 2003, 8:29pm

Hope the melatonin works for you; reports on success have been mixed but, as you note, it's a cheap trial.

In any case, pain medications are not the way to begin with clusters and any doctor who uses them as a first stage treatment is very much out of date. Hope you have explored the meds button on the left and also look at, www.headachedrugs.com--excellent site operated by a headache clinic in the Chicago area.