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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> When to taper off preventatives?
        
(Message started by: lennycohen on Apr 1^st, 2008, 7:17am)

Title: When to taper off preventatives?
Post by lennycohen on Apr 1^st, 2008, 7:17am

It's been almost 4 weeks since my last Depakote IV, no headaches since then, still on all the other preventatives (oral Depakote, Topamax, Norvasc, Lithium) - any thoughts to help me discuss with my neuro as to when to begin tapering off this polypharmic mass? How long headache free before messing with preventatives?

Title: Re: When to taper off preventatives?
Post by Guiseppi on Apr 1^st, 2008, 12:41pm

This question gets asked a lot, the answer? It's a crap shoot. My neuro used to say 4 weeks pain free taper off. Well after 20 years of almost clock work 12 week cycles, we agreed to go 12 weeks.
I'd start tapering off the lithium, get slammed, and taper back up, until the 12 weeks were done!

About the only thing you can do is by tracking your previous history, try and guess when it's safe to start tapering off. Make damned sure the oxygen is handy in case you guess wrong! ;)

As with everything else, work very closely with your doc when ramping up and down. The medications we take are miraculous in the relief they give us, but some of the meds you mention are very powerful and dosing should never be changed without guidance from your doctor.

Hoping you've reached the end!

Guiseppi

Title: Re: When to taper off preventatives?
Post by sandie99 on Apr 1^st, 2008, 1:45pm

I decided to taper off preventatives after being PF for a month. And once I started tapering, I did it very slowly indeed - and stayed PF for 11 months after that.

We're all unique what comes to the treatments, which work, so I bet that we're bit different in this way too.

Good luck and PF days,
Sanna

Title: Re: When to taper off preventatives?
Post by CostaRicaKris on Apr 1^st, 2008, 9:32pm

Mine says taper off after four weeks pain free too. (Since I see the same neuro as Guiseppi I don't think you can count those as two different opinions)