I'm oldred82, back in after a few years away from this cite. I used a different name, then, that I can't recall.

Questions:

1. In 27 years of CHs, I never used medicine for a host of reasons !!!!
Last year, I finally was hooked up with a Neurologist. Last spring he gave me the "Prednisone" 6 day treatment, which worked. I don't remember exactly what the item was ???????

This year's CHs started the last Sunday in Feb. after jogging on cold/windy day. After three weeks, I got a prescription for "Methylprednisonone" comon name "MEDROL". I finished the series Sunday. It hasn't worked. The last 2 nights have been about as bad as I ever had in 27 years ???????????

Any comments ?

2. Has anyone ever had trouble with CHs due to excess of Vitamin D? I started taking this supplement 2 years ago even though I may not need it because I live in New Hamp. where we have days w/o sun. I am regular exersiser and jog outdoors whenever possible.

I'm waiting for a call-back from the Doc. Appt. scheduled for May 3. If he doesn't help, is there any benefit to going to ER ? Insurance not a problem because I'm retired military. My regular Doc is great guy but in the past he has steered me to regular pain medicine which is useless because my past history has been that the CH lasts 30 to 45 minutes which takes that long for the meds anyway. Not the last 2 nights. After 1 hour or so with CH, I had 3 to 4 hours of misery trying to sleep. I did wake up w/o headache however.

oldred82

Hello oldred, sorry that you had to come back, but there are many here who contribute in and out of cycle.

I don't have any comments on the pred or medrol, but as for the Vitamin D, there has actally been some success on higher amounts of it in combination with Fish Oil and magnesium.  Check out Batch's long thread on the meds board.

Secondly, the ER is pretty much a waste of time as the HA's don't last as long as what the wait can be, but I was wondering if you have tried Oxygen yet?

-melissa

One comment for now... no med to work into your system while you were on the medrol pack?  (just another name for the steroid) OK 2 comments.. whenever I was on steroids, whenever I was coming down off them my h/a got worse.

It's late/early, I'll revisit and repost later ;)

Oldred, methylprednisone is a ramped up version of prednisone, with I think a longer half-life though I won't swear to it. As stated, it can be given to disrupt a cycle but is generally more effective as a bridge while serum levels of a different med, a preventative, build up. You may be restricted in the meds available to you, I don't know. But it's worth discussing with your doc. You seem to lack a good preventative and O2 (high flow, 25lpm+, and a nonrebreather mask) is the best abortive around. You're selling yourself too dearly if you don't pursue the full panoply of weapons available. No need for the pain to go unchallenged. Blessings. lance

In the meantime... get you some Red Bull (or other energy drink ) and chug -a-lug a can at the onset of CH.. It helps a lot of us.

O2 works (if used properly - look on the left for O2 info) for MOST of us to abort the CH in a few minutes.

Melatonin before bedtime (10-20mg) helps SOME of us get thru the night hits (it's worked for me for years).

Call your reg doc about the O2 if you're having to wait till May (the cycle will probably be over by then) to get to see a neuro. O2 at high flow rates with a non-rebreather mask has helped so many of us... I'm a believer and so are most on this board.

Sorry you're back, but glad you knew where to come for help...