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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> HA frequency changes? Climate?
        
(Message started by: beach954 on Jan 10^th, 2004, 9:57pm)

Title: HA frequency changes? Climate?
Post by beach954 on Jan 10^th, 2004, 9:57pm

Hello all,

I had been suffering with chronic HA for 5 years (2-3 per day). Right around July or August, 2003 I started on Verapamil at 240mg then 360mg. This reduced the frequency of headache significantly and from 11/11 till 12/16 I only had 16 HA's :) Then I went on vacation from 12/17 till 1/6 and had NONE AT ALL. :) ;;D Since returning home I have had 8 HA from 1/6 till today 1/10 :( I have lived in Tampa for the last year and prior to that I lived in Fort Lauderdale all my life. I have had 2 different jobs over the past 5 years and this one is the least stressful I can imagine. My vacation was to the mountains of Maine which is a very different climate. I upped my Verapamil today to 480mg and will see my dr about adding Lithium. Any ideas? Could climate be involved in some way? Has anyone else heard of HA frequency changes for chronics? Any help appreciated :)

Title: Re: HA frequency changes? Climate?
Post by t_h_b on Jan 11^th, 2004, 9:36am

Hi, beach954, I'm chronic, too. Flying has sometimes triggered headaches for me but I believe it was the jet fuel/exhaust when boarding from the tarmac or the poor air quality aboard the plane rather than the change in pressure or something else. Interesting that you went from sea level to the mountains and they stopped. It's really hard to figure out the true reason. Why do you think the CH stopped?

Travelling can also change the frequency while you're out of town and for a while after you get back but I've never had them disappear or understood why this was. Maybe I should move to Maine! Could be the interruption in your sleep cycle and schedule, except that you didn't change time zones.

Melatonin 0.5mg has pretty much eliminated my headaches although I am on Verapamil 480mg (240mg every 12 hours) and magnesium 400mg as well.

It would probably be worth your while to get a bottle of 0.5mg regular-release melatonin tablets (or 1mg tablets to break in half) and start out with 0.5mg at bedtime for a few days and if that doesn't help, increase it in 0.5mg increments. It started helping me the first night I took it (started with 0.3mg) but the melatonin, like every other treatment, works differently for different people: varying doses, when it starts working, or whether it is even effective. You should talk to your doctor before taking melatonin even though it's over the counter.

Good luck with getting the right preventatives figured out.

Title: Re: HA frequency changes? Climate?
Post by floridian on Jan 12^th, 2004, 11:40am

Dunno, here are some thoughts:

My metabolism totally changes when I go on vacation - I can stay up late, get up early, drink far more than usual and not feel it, etc etc.

Maine in winter is much darker than the Sunshine State (www.imdb.com/title/tt0286179/) , but if you are chronic, maybe this is less of a factor.

Temperature and humidity were also probably lower in Maine than FL in mid winter; maybe this was beneficial. Any changes in your sinuses recently?

Was your diet different on vacation? What about that mountain lobster that Maine is so famous for??

Title: Re: HA frequency changes? Climate?
Post by beach954 on Jan 12^th, 2004, 12:31pm

I was on an All Seafood diet when there. Maybe I'll try that here. I had a sinus operation about 4 years ago in an attempt to get rid of the headaches but dont have much of a problem with my sinuses that im aware of.

Title: Re: HA frequency changes? Climate?
Post by floridian on Jan 12^th, 2004, 1:14pm

Eating lots of seafood is going to boost trace minerals, including iodine, zinc, selenium, etc. Seafood is also rich in n-3 fatty acids (same as in cod liver oil). The n-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammitory and work against TNF and the interleukins (which are pro-inflammitory compounds in the body, elevated in people cluster headaches). N-3 oils also help balance the autonomic nervous system, which is out of whack in clusters.

Oh, wait. An "all seafood" diet - where you sea it and eet it - yeah, some vacations are like that. Nevermind. ;)