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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Question about Verapamil
        
(Message started by: Pedro on Aug 18^th, 2005, 8:55am)

Title: Question about Verapamil
Post by Pedro on Aug 18^th, 2005, 8:55am

Hi there,

I'm currently in a CH cycle and taking Verapamil as a medicin to avoid it (sorry for my improper English..). It is helping to avoid like 60% of my attacks, but even if I don't have a attack it feels like it is constantly there. It is very hard to concentrate on anything and for example hard to read because I feel to tired. Sometimes an attack even gives a relief when it is gone. But the medicin makes me feel dead tired the whole day, better then an CH attack anyway. I was wondering if others have the same experience or is there a better medicin with less side effects.
In the messages I also read that the medicins are so expensive, here in Holland everything is 100% covered by health insurance so I must be happy with that.

To all CH sufferers and supporters, hang in there and thnx for this board !!

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by marlinsfan on Aug 18^th, 2005, 8:58am

Your feeling that it's always there is what we call shadows. Some of us (me included) are able to get rid of the shadows by drinking strong coffee.

I don't take verapamil, so can't help you there.
Jose

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by Bob_Johnson on Aug 18^th, 2005, 9:57am

Most folks need high doses to get good prevention but such a dose may reduce your blood pressure too much. That could make for the problem you report.

I'd ask your doctor if a change in dose might help.

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by bnfreeman on Aug 18^th, 2005, 10:00am

Since I started taking Lithium and Verapamil I do become drowsy alot. But my doc said it would be more from the Lithium. There aren't many medicines that won't have some kind of side effect and it actually work.
Best wishes,

BF

Title: How many mg of VerapamRe: Question about Verapamil
Post by gMike on Aug 18^th, 2005, 2:33pm

How many milligrams of Verapamil are you taking each day? I was taking 480mg. of Verapamil and 225 mg of Indomethacin and had similar issues with being too tired to do anything.

I am down to 240mg of Verapamil and 150mg of Indomethacin each day and I feel much better.

Mike

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by Karla on Aug 18^th, 2005, 3:14pm

I was taking over 900mg and it made me feel tired and out of breath and lowered my bloodpressure and finally gave me an irregular heart beat because the dose was to high for my body to handle. Try lithium. I was on that for 2 years and loved it. I had no problems. Pluss it worked to reduce my ch in half and reduced the intensity level as well. Good luck in finding something that works for you.

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by lionsound on Aug 18^th, 2005, 4:43pm

Hi Pedro,

Sometimes when you increase or start verapamil you may be more tired. For me the tiredness did fade after a few weeks. I would ask your doctor about it to be safe.

Be well and PF,
lionsound

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by E-Double on Aug 18^th, 2005, 4:53pm

on 08/18/05 at 16:43:36, lionsound wrote:

What she said......

When I switched from extended release to regular, my night-time dose wouyld knock me out. A week or so later I was fine.
I'm on 560 daily

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by Kiwiinoz58 on Aug 18^th, 2005, 8:57pm

I was taking 640mg Verap but still getting hit just as bad as before I was started on it. It didn't make me tired but it worried me about the side effects on the heart etc. So after over 18mths of taking it I decided to taper off to see what would happen.
Nothing!! Nothing has changed so far after being off it for over a week. Still get shadows, still get hit.
No explaining these thing is there.
I hope you start feeling better soon,
Cheers,
Jacqs

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by sdlauri on Aug 18^th, 2005, 10:08pm

Hi Pedro,

I have just been diagnosised and was put on Verapamil 120 ER - I was told by my doc that it could take up to a couple of months to really help.
I have only taken 3 doses but my headaches have been cut by 1/3 - only one really bad headache per day - whew. It makes my heart pound a little and a little tired more quickly but small price to pay.

Lauri

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by BigRedLizard on Aug 19^th, 2005, 1:10am

I have been taking 1080mg daily, until recently the edema got out of control and I got a staph infection in my left leg. So for now I'm off the Verapamil. After about 6 months, the shadows got less, but they never really went away. i drank a lot of Bawls (a "natural" powered energy drink) to help with it.

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by don on Aug 19^th, 2005, 6:26am

Quote:

I have just been diagnosised and was put on Verapamil 120 ER - I was told by my doc that it could take up to a couple of months to really help.

Then get a new Doc.

Verap takes 7-10 days to reach theraputic levels and 120 will probably not be a theraputic dosage.

Get a new doc.

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by Salvelinus on Aug 19^th, 2005, 11:13pm

When I started on verapamil, a smaller dose worked fine. As time went on, though, I found I needed larger and larger doses. I was up to 960 mg daily and still getting hit a lot. I know the fatigue, constipation, swelling, bounding heart.

Recently, my neuro ramped me down to 480 mg/day, with Elavil (amitryptyline) which didn't do anything but multiply the side effects by 10. I slept better, but almost got a bowel obstruction.

Now, I'm on 480 mg verapamil, 150 mg Indocin, 400 mg riboflavin (Vit. B₂), and Benadryl for sleep. Now I get hit only about once or twice a week, and feel MUCH less tired.

Good luck to you--I hope you find that magic mix that works for you!

Namaste,
--Scott

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by Jasmyn on Aug 21^st, 2005, 6:14pm

If you have low blood pressure you will be more tired than others form taking Verapamil.

I take only 240mg slow release Verapamil with 400g Paracetamol, 0.1mg Belladonna alkoloids, 1mg Ergotamine tartrate and a cup of verryyy strong coffee and I'm sometimes too exhausted to reply to this site. But then again I have a body mass of 52kg or 114 lbs and my BP is 80 over 60. So I'm virtually dead!

I prefer this however to CH. ;) This combo works for me to keep me painfree 80% of the time but for emergencies (Kip 8-10) I use Imitrex (Imigran injections as they are called here).

Baie sterkte vir jou en ek hoop jy vind dit wat vir jou werk!

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by OUCH_again... on Aug 30^th, 2005, 8:16am

Hey there :)

I've been to the doctor today to up my dose of verapamil in the hope it will help with the 'shadows'. Having a hard time with fatigue etc, being a single mum with a 3 yr old son and studying part time not so good... but so much better than having headaches every day.... fingers crossed :P My first time on... good to see how others cope - have had them myself for coming on 16 yrs now - mostly undiagnosed hell.

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by gMike on Aug 30^th, 2005, 9:54am

The fatigue should get better after a few days. I had a similar experience with being very fatigued and it took 6 or 7 days to adjust.

Mike

Title: Re: Question about Verapamil
Post by violet on Aug 30^th, 2005, 10:24am

Verapamil can make you tired and dizzy for the first couple of weeks until your body adjusts to the medicine. They go away after a while.
Good Luck,
Vi