To whoever cares to comment - help - answer...am completely lost!

Verapamil seems to have stopped working and I am completely lost.

After suffering from CH since the age of 19 (53 now) and being episodic (luckily) with attacks approximately every 1-3 years (bigger breaks when younger and shorter breaks nowadays), with having tried a lot and having found some sort of relief at the later stages in my life through Verapamil and Sumatriptan - I am totally at loss.

In 2013 I started the year with CH, which lasted approximately 3.5 months being on high dosage of Verapamil (up to 720mg daily and in the end managing to get down to a slow release of 240mg), I for the first time got another CH that same year in the summer months, lasting 3 months, however again being able to manage with my same method (Verapamil plus Sumatriptan for the odd CH attack). It was out of the ordinary that I got another attack the same year, but I accepted it and got on with life.

Just 2 months ago after travelling extensively, coming back and due to stress smoking quite a bit of pot (medical with THC of 28%) almost daily - I suddenly started with slight shadows and then bad attacks. So 3rd time CH for me that year and completely out of the ordinary. I made the connect to the pot (in my mind...not sure), of course stopped and got onto Verapamil at lower levels and managed to live without CH and 240mg a day without attacks. So after a month I stopped and thought I won this round and got back into my normal life. I drank the odd beer and smoked the odd joint and somehow didn't feel that well with any of it. Then got hit badly with attacks which where fearsome and hard. I injected Sumatriptan and started getting onto Verapamil, which usually worked well as a preventative, however this time - nothing. I am by now on 720 mg a day and still getting hit twice a night, sleeping badly and not knowing what to do.

For the first time in my CH life Verapamil seems to not work (it always worked straight on taking it and all I had to do was manage the dosage, whilst never really needing 720mg, apart from the odd high dosage for short time periods)...? I have no idea what to try now, apart from increasing to even more Verapamil, but am completely freaked out that my method, which took me years of finding and 10's of years of suffering stopped working.

I am in the midst of growing shrooms (first time) and am hoping that I may be able to bust, but the growing takes time and I have failed with a first attempt. I have before due to non-availability of shrooms tried LSD in the midst of a cycle and had a great trip, but absolutely no relief from the CH.

Any comments appreciated, as I am as probably :-X;y many lost with my methods and also panicking that I am turning chronic  (never had 3 attacks in a year in over 30 years of suffering episodic).

HELP!

Boris

Since verapamil has stopped working and you've tried it up to reasonably high levels, then there are other options available. There is lithium which can also be taken in combination with verapamil with the combination often working when both components no longer work. There is also topomax.

Do look at using vitamin D3. It's an option that has worked well for many people here, including myself with over 700 days pain free.

Have you tried using oxygen as an abort?

Don't panic about turning chronic, it won't help with anything. It isn't too uncommon for people to find one preventive stop working and to just need to move to a different one.

Thanks Mike - just getting on to Vitamin D3/Omega 3 and reluctant to up the Verapamil, so will stay on 720 mg a day for now. I have tried Oxygen as an abortive, but found that if I don't have it accessible easily and don't use it exactly the right time it doesn't do the trick for me - so then left with Imitrex, which I use at 3 mg a time and which works to take the pain, but doesn't do anything preventative and has a lot of heavy side effects for me. I have not tried Topomax as I am extremely worried about the side effects being dopey and sleepy which I can not afford (Verapamil is OK with the side effects). I also have not tried lithium (don't know much about it).

You mention being 700 days pain free with vitamin D3...what is your exact dosage and what do you take, when, how many?

Thanks so much for your response and help.

Boris

Folks will send you links to the D3 protocol.

Print the PDF file, below, for medical options.

---

I'm your age, 53, episodic since my teens, 2 cycles a year, spring and fall, 8-12 weeks long. I've been pain free the last 3.5 years on the D-3 regimen,

Follow this link to the medications section of this board   

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

I'm on a maintenance dosage now, 5000 of D-3, 250 mg. Magnesium, 1200 Calcium, 1200 Fish oil, and a daily multi vitamin that gives the trace factors Batch talks about.

Joe

Guiseppi wrote on Jan 3^rd, 2014 at 9:09am:

I'm on a maintenance dosage now, 5000 of D-3, 250 mg. Magnesium, 1200 Calcium, 1200 Fish oil, and a daily multi vitamin that gives the trace factors Batch talks about.

Very similar to me apart from I take 6000IU of D3 , 280mg Magnesium, 150mg Calcium and 2000 of the fish oil and skip the multi vitamin as everything else should be present in my diet.

Joe wrote,
I'm on a maintenance dosage now, 5000 of D-3, 250 mg. Magnesium, 1200 Calcium, 1200 Fish oil, and a daily multi vitamin that gives the trace factors Batch talks about.

Hi Joe,
I was just wondering. Is'nt 1200 of Calcium an awful lot
to take. I take 10,000iu of D-3 /day + the other co-factors
Batch recommend's.

Hoppy.

CRAP!!!!!!! Hoppy you're right checked my calcium bottle and it's 600. Serves me right at my age for trying to do anything from memory. :D

Joe

Joe, you had me a little bit  [smiley=worried.gif] then.

Hoppy.

Just wanted to let you all know that after starting with the D3 regimen and after 3 days I have now had a first day free of CH and am looking forward to a second day. I am amazed and happy and will hopefully have found something that works. I am still on Verapamil 720 mg a day and even though am reluctant to reduce, as I have no idea what really works will do so in a few days. I am also today getting my blood tests for Vitamin D3 deficiency as per the Natch instructions and will see what the results say for now.

Thanks everybody for your guidance and help...will keep you updated

Boris

It's had me free from the beast for over 3 years, hope it works as well for you.

Joe

Hi Boris,
When taking the vitamin D3 regime and Verapamil daily,
you need a 7hr break after your last dose of Verapamil,
before you take D3 regime with your main meal of the
day.

Hoppy.

Hi Hoppy - can you explain the Verapamil break and the D3 - I am currently on 720mg (3 x 240 morning mid-day and evening) so there is no way I can take this seperatley unless I take donw my Verapamil dosage....any suggestion and can you explain why...?

Hi Boris,
If you take your last dose of Verapamil, just before going
to bed that should be ok. On your other ? i'll get back to
you. I'm having trouble with my new Tablet, "fat fingers" lol.

Hoppy.

The issue with the D3 method and verapamil is around the calcium that is taken with the D3 method. Verapamil is a calcium channel antagonist (START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE). So taking calcium at the same time as the verapamil is not advised.

So to work out when to take the calcium it is important to look at when you take the verapamil and to take the calcium in a gap between the verapamil doses. So if you take your verapamil with meals then taking the calcium just before you go to sleep would be a good time. I'd aim to have at least 3 hours between them.

Thanks Mike, I'm sitting here on Cable Beach, Broome,
trying to work out this bloody Samsung Tablet my Daughter
bought for me.

Hoppy.

Hoppy wrote on Jan 8^th, 2014 at 10:16pm:

Thanks Mike, I'm sitting here on Cable Beach, Broome, trying to work out this bloody Samsung Tablet my Daughter bought for me.

Up in that corner of WA I suggest that you have a few cold ones and I'm sure that your problems with the tablet will be forgotten.

Hi Mike,
Taken your advice, tracked down my wife, and now it's time
for lunch, with a couple of cold ones. It was 35c (96F) yester-
day. At least we've escaped Perth temps this weekend 43c
(112F).

Hoppy.

Got it - changed my intake to seperating the Calcium and the Verapamil - am now also reducing Verapamil to 2 x 240 SR twice a day (morning and evenin and taking my calcium 200mg with my biggest meal at lunch. Also taking 300 mg magnsium daily...what do you gusy think...

It's still working and am CH free!

Thank you all so much!

Lunch is the perfect time for the calcium with the verapamil taken in the morning and evening.

What is wonderful for you is that it is working. Long may it stay like that.

In time you should be able to reduce the verapamil down from the current 480mg a day whilst still remaining pain free. Just reduce it slowly and work with your doctors.