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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> The lidicaine seems to help.....
        
(Message started by: kellya408 on Jul 4^th, 2003, 10:49am)

Title: The lidicaine seems to help.....
Post by kellya408 on Jul 4^th, 2003, 10:49am

Hi y'all. I'm hoping some of you may have been put on the combination of prescriptions my doctor has me on and could lend some advice.
My doctor has me on 500mg of Depakote and the step down 14 day dose of prednisone (I just stepped down to two pills a day yesterday). She also had me on 240 mg of verapamil, although yesterday she upped me to 360. The ch's have been much better over the last week since she started everything, although in the evening (between 7-10pm) I start getting a tight shadow of a headache that doesn't really get bad enough for the zomig or imitrex. When I saw her yesterday, she gave me a script for nasal lidicaine and said to try that when I feel the shadows. Has anyone tried it with success? Any advice on best ways to inject it? (The directions she gave me have me hanging my head off the side of a bed for approx 10 minutes).

Also, over the last week, I had no ch problems in the morning - only the evening shadows. However, this morning I had a ch that had me doing a little "dance" although not banging my head against hard objects. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with stepping down to two prednisone tabs (I stepped down yesterday). If this has happened with anyone, I'd love the advice. I'm scared as I step down on the prednisone, the headaches will return (and I have final exams the next two weeks!)
Thanks y'all.
Kelly

Title: Re: Verapamil, Prednisone, Depakote - Now Lidicane
Post by ave on Jul 5^th, 2003, 4:20am

Hi,

lidocaine is a sort of local anaesthetic. DFentist used it in the old days, to make extraction less painful. Maybe they still do in the US?

With the nasal spray you squirt it up your nose and it will give a freezing and numbing sensation. It has helped a numbr of people here and may be a good thing to accompany your meds.

Do tell us how it went for you.

Title: Re: Verapamil, Prednisone, Depakote - Now Lidicane
Post by smfaison on Jul 6^th, 2003, 3:12pm

Hi Kelly. I too am taking 240mg of Verapamil. I am also taking Depakote. I am also taking 40mg of Prednisone. The neuros always seem to think that the Prednisone is going to stop the cluster attach and I should be able to taper off. I had gone from 40mg down to 25 when I got slammed with a 4 hour headache yesterday. I was trying to get a ride to the emergency room, it was so bad. I am also taking something called Bellaspas, or Bellargel, which is ergotamine and phenobarbital. The bad part of this is that I used to use the injectible Imitrex, but now my neuro says I can't use it if I am using the Bellaspas. That is why yesterday was so bad. So today I went back to the maximum dosage of everything until I can get in to see my neuro.

Title: Re: Verapamil, Prednisone, Depakote - Now Lidicane
Post by kellya408 on Jul 6^th, 2003, 3:23pm

smfaison - I was in to see the doc on the 3rd - the day I stepped down to two predisone - and she expressed the same concerns about the headaches coming back. I've had a few shadows this weekend and this afternoon and friday they got bad enough that I decided to try the lidicane. It burned when I first put it in, but it seemed to work (the directions say to lie flat for a couple minutes after, but I did it for 5-10). the shadow went away (today was a couple hours ago). Maybe the lidicaine is useful before you get to the pain that makes you dance - if you can take it right away. The doc said she wanted me to try it because I'm not limited in taking it per 24 hour period like the zomig and imitrex. It can be repeated in fifteen minutes if the first one doesn't work. The only bad think is that I have to take the prescription to a compounding pharmacy, pay out of pocket and then submit to insurance - but if it works.....

Title: Re: The lidicaine seems to help.....
Post by NewHeadPLZ on Jul 10^th, 2003, 2:37pm

Kelly,

14 day prednisone taper isn't long enough. I usually go on a 5-6 week taper starting at 80mg. I'm also on verapamil 480-960mg a day and have been seems like forever.

Predinose for me is just a vacation from the attacks, as almost everytime I get to 20mg, they come back.

Been on this cycle since Oct 2002. Trying Topomax now, started with this taper. Maybe it'll help after the predinose is gone. Hopefully side effects won't be too bad.

Lidocane has shown some success, from what I've read, haven't tried it however. I use O2 as an abortive when all else fails.