Hi there,
I have recently been diagnosed with chronic cluster headaches. my doc put me on verapamil and now he says i have to be taken off of it due to a primary heart block. He is now putting me on lithium to see how it works. Who else is on lithium? what were the side effects. On the research I have done it says it causes acne has any one found this becuase i dont want to add any more problems........Some insight would be wonderful. Thank you

What is a primary heart block?

            Potter

I dont know if it causes acne, but I would gladly deal with acne of CH any day. I wish lithium worked for me.

Potter -
"Heart Block is a type of bradycardia (too-slow heartbeat) that also is called atrioventricular, or AV block. In this condition, the electrical signals that stimulate heart muscle contractions are partially or totally blocked between the upper chambers (atria) and the lower chambers (ventricles)."
(This can be caused by Verapamil at higher dosages and people who take over 500mg usu have ECGs regularly when upping dosages.)

I have gotten many ECGs to check for heart block - am on 960 Verap, soon to taper - doesn't work.  I have had no heart block though.

I was on 900 Lithium also Shanny when I was only on 480 Verap.  The side effects I noticed were having to pee often, and lethargy (coffee helped.)  No acne - but this also would not have been a worry to me had the lithium stopped my clusters.  I had to get my blood taken every time I changed dosages to check serum levels.  This was no big deal.  I hear some people get hand tremors.  Potassium is said to help... Talk to your doc if you experience anything though!
Best of luck to you with the Lithium!  Hope it helps you!  Some people here tell that it works well for them!!! 

Val

theres a few on the board that have had really good results with low doses of lithium.

I've been on lithium for CH before and didn't notice any side effects.

A list of side effects is a statement of POSSIBILITIES. It is not a PREDICTION of what will occur. Wisdom calls for knowing both the risk and asking the doc what to look for, i.e., symptoms of side effects.