Hello CH.com community,

I've created an account in order to post this, in hopes that it may be an avenue for others.
My husband, 46 and otherwise physically healthy, has suffered from cluster headaches since age 11. He's seen all the specialists and been prescribed all the typical (and some atypical) medications, to no avail.
- We'd even considered the 'magic mushroom' article we read as a possible treatment for his severe clusters, some 'mega-clusters' lasting six weeks.

Then a new doctor prescribed him Latuda for mood disorder. He was about two weeks into a mild cluster when he began taking the Latuda (40mg at first, eventually dosed up to 80mg). The headaches started acting funny - coming at different times of the day and in different waves than before...wobbling - within about a week of beginning the Latuda, and within two weeks had disappeared altogether.

We were uncertain whether the medication was the cause of this, as maybe the cluster was just a mild one to begin with, and would be back promptly as always.

That was nineteen months ago.
He has not had a single twinge of headache in 19 months - the first time in more than thirty years he's gone more than 6months without a cluster.
As this is the only thing he changed/added/supplemented during that time, we are convinced that this medication has somehow blocked his headaches. The doctor says he doesn't understand why it's working in this way, but it seems to be a 'happy bi-product' of the mood stabilization.

Of course, there's no way to know whether something will work for others, but it's a possible discussion with the doc when you're out of ideas.

Talk to your doctor about side effects first, naturally, as Latuda caused some pretty difficult sleep loss during the first few months, although other side effects were non-existent.

Good luck to you all.
-Lea

Hi Lea,
Thats good news, other CH sufferes here have found relief
taking bipola medication, to name a couple, Lithium and
Zyprexa.Hoping Latuda keeps hubby pain free.

Good Luck, Hoppy.

Olanzapine is used for the same disorders as Latuda. Several of us have had excellent results with it, aborting attacks as quicklly as Imtriex injection.
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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

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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.
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Since this abstract was first posted Zyprexa has appeared in some lists of recommended meds for CH. [BJ]

Thanks Bob.

I am currently on Lithium as a prevent for CCH. Are you aware of interactions between Olanzapine and Lithium?

Additionally, it appears that Olanzapine has only been trialled as abortive. Given its primary use, can it also be used long term as a possible prevent?

Can't help you with interactions with Olan. and Lithium.

With long term us, there are side effects of Olan. which would preclude using it as a preventive. As abstract noted, a few folks found it stopped Cluster short, but only personal experience would disclose whether that might happen to you. But as an abortive, used with caution, I found it wonderful.

Preventives: Verapamil is the most widely used and has good track record for safety and effectiveness. See the PDF file, below, for other options and effectiveness ratings.

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Even as a bipolar med, zyprexa is used to quickly reduce mania and then other meds are preferred to manage the symptoms.  It is contraindicated for long term use.  Can be prescribed with lithium and other drugs. 

Try the D 3!