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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Topamax failure after two years
        
(Message started by: lennycohen on Dec 21^st, 2007, 9:23am)

Title: Topamax failure after two years
Post by lennycohen on Dec 21^st, 2007, 9:23am

I'd been PF for almost two years, since I got up to 100 mgs 2x day of Topamax, until last week - then blam! - back to same old story, 1-3 headaches per day, using Zomig nasal like candy, etc. -----

Does the Tmax just up an quit like that? Does anybody think a pred taper would knock out the episode and get the Tmax back on track, or do you think I'll have to switch preventatives?

Title: Re: Topamax failure after two years
Post by Bob_Johnson on Dec 21^st, 2007, 9:33am

Unanswerable question, I fear. Knowledge is too thin about CH and thinner about Topamax for CH. One of the old time headache docs in the U.S. used to say that success with any med was about 60% (triptans being the exception) and medical literature and our collective experience points to a common pattern: drug works for a time and then stops, making it necessary to start searching for a new treatment.

If your spray isn't working, try another triptan. Imitrex injectionis the current "gold standard" but some folks have good success with the spray. All you can do is try.

Print these out and use as tool to discuss your options with the doc.
===========
HERE ARE TWO MAJOR DOCUMENTS WITH RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS FOR CLUSTER HEADACHE, ONE FROM A U.S. PHYSICIAN, THE SECOND FROM EUROPE.
_________________________________________
http://www.plainboard.com/ch/chtherapy.pdf
Here is a link to read and print and take to your doctor. It describes preventive, transitional, abortive and surgical treatments for CH. Written by one of the better headache docs in the U.S. (2002. Rozen)
================
Treatment guidelines from Europe

------
A. May, M. Leone, J. Áfra, M. Linde, P. S. Sándor, S. Evers, P. J. Goadsby:
EFNS guidelines on the treatment of cluster headache and other
trigeminalautonomic cephalalgias.
European Journal of Neurology. 2006; 13: 1066–1077.

Download free full text:
http://www.efns.org/files/guideline_49.pdf
(Thanks to "cluster" for link.)

Title: Re: Topamax failure after two years
Post by Miz_D on Dec 21^st, 2007, 3:27pm

on 12/21/07 at 09:23:31, lennycohen wrote:

Does the Tmax just up an quit like that? Does anybody think a pred taper would knock out the episode and get the Tmax back on track, or do you think I'll have to switch preventatives?

This happened to me with my verapamil...1080 mg for almost 6 years, breakthroughs only a few days per month. Suddenly one day it stops working for me at all....do a pred taper which usually works, nothing...try Lithium and Topomax, doesn't touch it...am back on 1200 mg verap and they are starting to slow down...

Go figure...CH is a crazy son of a b%&#$![smiley=huh.gif]