Nothing like having an attack in their office. I think I scared the student Dr.  ;) VERY VERY nice man. Asked what he could do for me. Brought in O2 and sat right beside me. Asked me all sorts of questions. Wrote out a new script for o2 (at the RIGHT levels!!) and asked if it was ok if we tried Topomax. He also wanted to try a lidocaine nasal spray. I said I would try both but I didn't think I could do the nasal spray cuz stuff up my nose makes me (there's no pukey smiley). He says he would like to make sure I stay on the O2 but would like to try to prevent them in the first place. He won't let me have any triptans because I had a bad reaction to imitrex. He said there are quite a few people that has happened to!!!  I told him about this sight but he already knows ya'll.  :)
I'm happy with him. He took his time with me and didn't try to force anything on me that I wasn't comfortable with. AND he called my psych Dr and put her on speaker to get her opinion on the Topomax!!! I think I'll keep him!  :-*

Print this and offer to him as an alternative to Imitrex.
---------

Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):813-6 

Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.

Rozen TD.

Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. THE INITIAL OLANZAPINE DOSE WAS 5 MG, AND THE DOSE WAS INCREASED TO 10 MG IF THERE WAS NO PAIN RELIEF. THE DOSAGE WAS DECREASED TO 2.5 MG IF THE 5-MG DOSE WAS EFFECTIVE BUT CAUSED ADVERSE EFFECTS. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and TWO PATIENTS BECAME HEADACHE-FREE AFTER TAKING THE DRUG. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. IT ALLEVIATES PAIN QUICKLY AND HAS A CONSISTENT RESPONSE ACROSS MULTIPLE TREATED ATTACKS. IT APPEARS TO WORK IN BOTH EPISODIC AND CHRONIC CLUSTER HEADACHE.

PMID 11576207 PubMed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.
=====
Since this abstract was first posted Zyprexa has appeared in some lists of recommended meds for CH. [BJ]

Quote:

(there's no pukey smiley)

Here ya go!  LOL.... [smiley=hurl.gif]

Glad you found a good doc!   

I love posts like this!  Sounds like you got a good doc.  Happy for you! :)

Loma Linda is a wonderful place...lived around there for about 5 yrs.  This Dr. who sat with you.....PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  and by all means keep him.

Bob Johnson wrote on May 13^th, 2011 at 7:49am:

Print this and offer to him as an alternative to Imitrex. --------- Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):813-6  Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache. Rozen TD. Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. THE INITIAL OLANZAPINE DOSE WAS 5 MG, AND THE DOSE WAS INCREASED TO 10 MG IF THERE WAS NO PAIN RELIEF. THE DOSAGE WAS DECREASED TO 2.5 MG IF THE 5-MG DOSE WAS EFFECTIVE BUT CAUSED ADVERSE EFFECTS. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and TWO PATIENTS BECAME HEADACHE-FREE AFTER TAKING THE DRUG. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. IT ALLEVIATES PAIN QUICKLY AND HAS A CONSISTENT RESPONSE ACROSS MULTIPLE TREATED ATTACKS. IT APPEARS TO WORK IN BOTH EPISODIC AND CHRONIC CLUSTER HEADACHE. PMID 11576207 PubMed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ. ===== Since this abstract was first posted Zyprexa has appeared in some lists of recommended meds for CH. [BJ]

I will definitly ask him about it. I just need to make sure it doesn't interfere with my bipolar meds. UGH! It really sucks when there is more than one thing going on! LOL! Can't I just do one at a time???

I triedLidocaine in the early 80's, would rachet the attack down a click or 2, from an 8 to a 6, sometimes it didn't effect it at all, and it made me nauseous. Oxygen has completely replaced THAT as an abortive for me.

Joe

Getting hit with the Dr there was the best thing you could possibly do.  To have a Dr sit there with you and to get you O2, then prescribe it properly is better than great!  here's hoping the Dopymax works for you.  It does for some, not for me.  I couldn't remember my name without an ID in front of me.

I'm with Joe on the Lidocaine.  At the time I tried it I didn't have many other alternatives, so I welcomed what releif I could get, but struggled with having it run down my throat and gagging me.  Please be careful how you apply it.

Jerry

This is so cool..,.a guy I grew up with/family friends' son went down to loma linda for his education and now works there, doing some sort of research. Not a doctor tho.
Anyway. Glad to hear good things about the place.

Glad the doctor you saw was good to you :) Need more of those...

Can you share with us the name of the Loma Linda doc so we can add him to our list on START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

I remember going to my appt at the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago... started a h/a while driving on Lakeshore Dr.. by myself... how awful.. I was a MESS by the time I got there needless to say.

I tried the lidocaine nasal spray...  no luck for me.. hope you find relief.. finding a doc who is understanding is half the battle.