Hey all,  As some of you might remember, i was 9 weeks into a nasty cycle, so i finally bit the bullet and got a script for prednisone. I started with 100 mg's a day for three days , and dropped it by 10 every three days thereafter. well, its been 18 days and i have had only 2 minor,  VERY minor morning hits since, i work shift work, so its IMPOSSIBLE to regulate my sleep. Both minor hits came during sleep patern changes during shift changes and O2 knocked them right down. what i was wondering is this,, does pednisone work this well for others?? I have used it MANY times over the last 23 years and if memory serves me right, its ALWAYS killed my cycle.  I know, I know, the side effects suck, and my GP tells me that my constant long-term use of the drug is VERY bad for me, yet still, i  always put it off till i cant go anymore. I was just curious if my "majic-bullet" hits the bullseye for others as well.  thanks and PF days to all and God bless.   Tuck

For some, (like me) it works as a complete block while you are taking it, but CH comes back with a vengeance as soon as you stop. For others it seems to abort the cycle completely. Glad it did the trick for you!

Guiseppi

In the past it was thee " magic bullet " for coach bill, 3 times it totally stopped the CH, broke the cycle, whatever? But the last time in January 3 days after i was off it, it came back big time, jumped back on it again and was lucky enough to find the seeds in between the 2. Here is my order #1 Oxygen, #2 SEEDs. If i have to go to the meds again ever, it will be imetrex and pregnazone!! Coach Bill

Used it two to three times a year...for tooooo long. Wont take it now.
It does work, but be careful at the end of the taper, Guiseppi nailed it.
It does come back.  side effects...man boobs,munchies,...and on and on. You do get caught up on things around the house.
Keep the bullets dry ;)
thebb

was my magic bullet my first two cycle- stopped the cycle dead - this time - stopped the ha's for two days then came back-  had to add a prevent (verap) to finally break the cycle.

Pred is to be regarded as an emergency med to quickly abort an attack (and stop a cycle) but not as a substitute for other abortives. At this point you start using one of the triptans or olanzapine, etc. along with a preventive.

Please see:

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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)
================
Michigan Headache & Neurological Institute for another list of treatments and other articles:

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Prednisone...Transitional drug therapy.
Bob is right again. Listen to Bob.
;)thebb

Hey Tuck,

I have had such an easy cycle this year!   Last year was a different story.  Headaches started in early March.  Started the Verap and Pred.  Headaches were completely gone while on the Pred.  As soon as I went off they came back everyday 2-3 times a day kip 9 or 10 every time!  Cycle lasted well into June.  The Verap seemed to do nothing at all.  Ended up on Pred 3 or 4 times for that cycle only to have it come back as soon as I was off.  

Prednisone is an amazing drug.  It helps my son beyond belief with his asthma but it is the same story for him.  Doc won't let him stay on it because of the side effects.  It sucks that a drugs that is so beneficial is also so harmful!  

I sure hope that your cycle is far behind you now and that you are PF for a good long time.    

BTW, thanks for your encouragement about the 02.  I promise when the beast rears his ugly head again, I'll get a script!

Take care,

Jeannie

My Uncle was on the prednisone for 25 years for asthma (60’s through early 80’s).

It ate his bones so bad that he sneezed and broke 3 vertebras, and had to sit in a hyperbaric chamber for 2 weeks because he could not breathe with the pain.

Prednisone is a last resort not a magical cure by any means.  

Roland  :)

yup, aborts the whole damn cycle for me if i take it early enough. this year, however, i have refused to take it cause of the SE, and have questioned my sanity at times for that choice.
it is a miracle drug......

I was on a 6 day taper. It helped a little less than ibuprofen. I gained 5lbs in 6 days and it did not come off when I stopped the prednisone.

wrote on Jul 15^th, 2008 at 10:55pm:

side effects...man boobs

Properly referred to as moobs (source START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE)

I took 50 mg a day on my last 2 cycles. It helped a lot with the quantity (went from 8 per day to 1 or 2) and the intensity of the attacks, but didn't stop my cycle. I was wondering what side effects you are all refering to? I didn't seem to have any side effects, unless I forgot a dose.

My new doc doesn't want to prescribe it to me, at all. So now I'm on verap, although it doesn't work as good as prednisone... Funny thing is, now my cat is on daily doses of Prednisone!!! Lucky him!

Jess

Jess.dom


Side effects of preds for me- irritability, sleeplessness and really the most noticeable one - terrible joint pains in the knees.  What dose of verap are you on?  It may be that you aren't taking enough to get the full therapeutic effect

Medrol (prednisolone), an IV, then a taper, worked like a miracle the first time I tried it. It was unbelievable that within several hrs the cycle was broken and did not return for months (with a verapamil 480+ mg follow up.) I was SOLD!

Subsequent cycles (twice, it had ZERO effect). I don't try anymore. Nasty side effects that I am unwilling to chance anymore. For me, it's O2, verapamil (480-960 mg/dy depending), energy drinks, and Zomig NS.

Hang in, hang on, DON'T drop out (to paraphrase Dr. Leary).

Best,

Jon

Mezza:

I take 320mg a day. I don't know what is usually prescribed, but he also gave me the "short acting" pills, because I still breast feed.

As I understood it, he would have given me a higher dose if it wasn't for that fact. Even if it's supposed to be safe for babies, I'm not too willing to take that chance. Hopefully, I'll have stopped before my next cycle!!

Jess

God I hate Prednisolone!!! I am so grateful it works for so many but I wish it did not make me eat like a horse, sweat like a pig and as a result smell like a barnyard. Plus the doc ( I like him but he changed too much at once) wanted to know how I was doing and I couldnt tell him what was working because he started prednisolone, topamax and adjusted my lithium as well. Gee my body is so confused all it wants to do is sleep now. Does anyone else have this problem? I am walking more so the weight is coming off slowly now. I am so addicted to the pain relieving endorphins!!! Have a pain free day everyone. Sophia
I gotta laugh.... it hurts too much to cry.... 8-)

Wave!

Long time since I've been here! Been in Ghana for 4 months and now back in Holland!
Last week I went to my neurologist, he gave me Prednisone emergency treatment...
Started last wednesday with 60mg a day, 7 days long... Every week I have to take off 5mg Prednisone... In about 12 weeks by treatment stops... From 60mg to 0mg.

At the moment I don't have much side effects, only a dry mouth and tongue...

Bye bye,
Nienke