I am finishing up a two week round of Prednisone - it helped immediately on the first day.
However, while the headaches are not as frequent and not quite as severe, they are not gone, so the cycle is not terminated.

I am hoping they just sort of fade away.

Has anyone had experience with Prednisone - as I wonder what to expect now.

My neuro has agreed to prescribe another round of only 10 mg everyn other day for a week, and then 5 mg every other day for a second week.

thanks,

Joe W.

Prednisone didn't do squat-all for me...but I'm drug-resistant.  :D

Oh wait- they DID make me a bitch for two weeks!!  ;D

Most neuros use the pred taper for temporary relief while the other preventatives take the time they need to get to therapeutic levels in the blood stream.

Do you already have oxygen available as an abortive?

Laurie

There are 2 schools of thought on pred. For some, a 2 week BLAST of prednisone will terminate a cycle. (didn't work for me!) For others, prednisone blocks 100% or close to it, as long as you're on it.  (That's me!) For people like me, it's used as a transitional drug. Buy you 2 weeks of pain free time while you wait for a good prevent to kick in. For me that's lithium. Pred is not a med you want to use long term as it has some nasty side effects on joints etc.

A warning. When I go on prednisone, with nothing else, when I stop the pred the head aches come back 10X stronger. It's like they're paying me back for the reperieve. You should be ready with an abortive, oxygen, imitrex etc. when the pred is done just in case.

Joe

Same thing here, the preds seem to kill the beast right away. For me after i tapered off last time they returned and it scared the shit out of me. But after a 2nd round of preds and then a detox for the clusterbusters method, that was the trick!! I know they wont keep you long on preds because of side effects but when your getting up to dance 3 times a night you can throw your long term side effects right out the window. If any doctor had even felt so much as a kip 6 he would be eating those little (magic) pink pills forever. Hopeing you feel better soon... Coach Bill

Yes, the pred is only the first step to give almost instant relief. BUT it's necessary to, at the same time, start using a longer acting med to stop/reduce the cycle.

Print these and use to discuss options with your doc.

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

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:

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE


 

My husband was on it for a year, much of that time at 50mg/day, as well as verapamil and other stuff. He tolerated it better than most ('constitution of a horse') - they just had to check his heart, blood sugar and bones regularly, and once it was doing too much damage they pulled him off it.

We're told he has high risk of a stroke with the CH, so in some ways the prednisone was safer than letting them go. It has a lot of nasty side effects though.

In past cycles Pred would give me a 3-5 day break but the attacks would come back.  Since I have short cycles (about 40 days long), the side effects and PF time weren't enough for me to continue on it.

Quote:

My husband was on it for a year, much of that time at 50mg/day,

Do not take prednisone for long periods. It is a transitional medication,used to prevent attacks until a preventive medication reaches a therapeutic level.
Please do not take this medication that long.
the bb

Nothing else worked, he was under close supervision and Australia's big honcho neuro.

So I am just saying that there are options for uses outside the usual in some instances, at least according to some doctors. Or does this mean our doc is terrible?

For us it was really, really worth the side effects while it lasted. Not at all suggesting that anyone do it on their own!

I stayed on it for almost a whole year once. We talk a lot on this board about "picking our poisons." It was early on in my treatment when I realized my doctor was clueless and I felt he didn't understand my pain. I scored prednisone from oodles of people and stayed on it unbeknownst to him. Hoping I was young enough I didn't do too much long term damage. Hoping he can eventually transition to somethnig a little easier on the bod!

Joe

Yes he was 23 and handled it pretty well. Alas, no more, but on the plus side he no longer needs 5 clean shirts a day for the sweating! ;)

Joe W,

I have done the pred. taper numerous time's in the past ( actually just finished one last week ).....It has never driven the beast away for myself.....But while i am on my taper (life is good) i get that vacation.....I have heard that some go into re-mission and i am hoping this for you.....Lenny

Preds broke two cycles for me in the past.   This past cycle- it bought me 1 or 2 days pain free and then the beast was right back -  I would most definitely try I go into cycle again

I am just ending a pred taper, today is the last day. I can feel my eye start to burn again, it's turning red, and out of focus a lot more. Shadows are starting up again. But, it was a nice break while it lasted.

For me, I can use a pretty low dose, I get a taper dose pack from the doc. I take all of the first day pills all at once, and it kills the CH within an hour or so. Then I start spreading out the dose the next days until it's done. I haven't been on one in a couple of years, and I rarely use it, due to the way it affects your body.

For me, I get kind of hyped up on it, I don't get to the point of wanting to shake the crap out of anyone. It bothers my stomach if I don't eat first, and I don't get really hungry when taking it. Although yesterday, I was eating a little more than usual. It does a great job of stopping the high cycle for awhile, and I wish it was feasible to take it more often, but I won't do it.

Please be very careful using pred. It can and does cause damage to your body that is irreversible when taken for a long time, especially a high dose. Or using it (blasting it) too often to kill a cycle.

I was on Pred for over a year, but developed Cushings syndrome. However awful, was thankful for the break in attacks. It gave me time to listen to my triggers, and stock up as much imetrix as I could in case. When I came off, it was disheartening. Not to mention my adrenal glands didn't 'kick back in' as they were suppose to. My face was all blotchy! Its a wonder med in my book, just not a cure or something that can be taken longer than six months. Enough to buy time to elimate triggers, find coping skills, back up supplies, and regroup our strength.

As the amounts lowered I felt the beastie attack. But I had to obey the diet for a year or two. Then continue with life as usual.
Not to say I don't gringe when I see a rootbeer float....
Good luck~ Please don't be discouraged. All meds have a potential to work as a potential to fail. We must try, its in our nature.

In having the prednisone conversation we should note that there are different types od pred.

Some here talk of using prednisolone for extended periods.
Dr. Goadsby says:
Quote:

We start patients on oral prednisolone 1mg/kg to a maximum of 60mg once daily for five days, then decrease the dose by 10mg every three days.

Some speak of using methylprednisolone (Medrol Dosepak) for short periods.  It's a 6 day taper starting with 24 mg (6 x 4mg) the 1st day, 20mg the next, then 16mg, 12mg, etc.

Don't get the two confused as the methylpred is much stronger than regular pred (or so I was told by a neuro).

ohhhh that would make sense! Thanks Bob.

Prednisone made me pain free for those couple of days I was on it, but as soon as I stopped the CH came back, but even worse.  It's like it ticked the beast off.  Furthermore, I gained roughly 15 pounds during that short period.  I've never used it again.  It does work for some though.

That's prednisones effect on me. 100% block but if I'm not on anything else, when I go off the pred, beasty comes back with a vengeance!!!! I didn't have as much trouble with the weight gain but when I'd go off of it my back would break out in acne. Felt like I was 15 again!

Joe

I'm on 2nd day of pred taper. Haven't had a cycle for 2 years, before I would cycle every year from Dec thru Jan. I discovered pred on this site I guess about 7 years ago, before that I suffered many many hours of horror needlessly.
The 1st pred taper (60 mg then down by 10 etc,) killed the cycle bang! Every time since ( 4 or 5) I've become more resistant. Last time (2 years ago) I had to go through 3 or prescriptions until finally the cycle ended. Also last time a few hits snuck through.
I'm not much of a hero/ when I'm in a cycle I figure hell with the side effects, anything to stop the pain

I too used Pred as verapamil ramped up for several cycles. Pred kicks my ass!! It made me a major a--hole (I'm usually just a small a--hole  :)) and I always gained a lot of weight when on it. That routine always helped with individual hits but my cycles seemed longer and more frequent.
I have had MUCH more luck with my last couple cycles by avoiding ALL prescription medication and going the Kudzu/Taurine/Melatonin/O2 route. I've had less frequent cycles, less frequent hits during cycles and no side effects at all.
I know the beast is wacky so maybe it's all been a coincidence and maybe this won't work for some but I feel this approach has been an absolute godsend.

Good luck/pf times to you all!!!!