My husband has suffered from episodic clusters (every 12-18 months that leave him immobile for 2 months) for 30 years. Oxygen helped to take the edge off the CH, but he was still immobilized.

After reading the study about methylphenidate (Ritalin), he asked his doctor for a low dose prescription. He has been cluster headache free for three years. Just wanted to pass this info on, in hopes of maybe making someone else's life better.

Could you please get some more specific info from your doc please, like why he/she thinks it works

possibly message me? thanks

J

Joshl924 wrote on Feb 19^th, 2012 at 9:28am:

Could you please get some more specific info from your doc please, like why he/she thinks it works

yes, I'm interested also.


Amy62 wrote on Feb 18^th, 2012 at 8:51am:

After reading the study about methylphenidate (Ritalin), he asked his doctor for a low dose prescription.

What study are you referring to?

I found this (although not a study and if you read the first sentences, there is *misinformation* already).  The doctor who wrote that is neither a neuro nor does he specialize in headaches.  Most of the other studies/articles that I found are at least 8 years old.

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I, too, would like to see the study about Ritialin. 

As an episodic, like your husband, my cycles also occurred every 12 to 18 months, and lasted anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks.  I would have anywhere from 1 to four hits per 24 hours, and dealt with each hit with oxygen or imitrex as they occurred (these are abortive options, not preventative options).

I was never been "immobilized" because of CH, other than during a hit.  I went to work every day, took care of cooking the dinner, taking care of my children and husband.  Never immobilized - just incapacitated by the CH pain for as long as it took me to make it stop - with O2, maybe maximum 15 min.

If your husband tried using oxygen and was still "immobilized", then I would question whether he had the correct O2 set up, 100% O2, very high flow (25lpm or better), and a NON-rebreather mask.

I was never on a preventative med, meaning something that will help to stop the cycle from starting, or lessen the duration, or lessen the number of hits, so I cannot speak to those.  Others here on the board can help you with those.

All I can firmly attest to is that as an abortive to a CH hit, oxygen, 100% at high flow rate with non-rebreather mask is the king!

Please click the yellow box on the left of this screen to read about Oxygen therapy.  If he doesn't have the right set up or know how to use it, this will answer your questions.


Sandy

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From the study (with a study group of one patient):

Quote:

This is the first reported case of relief of cluster headaches with methylphenidate.

And apparently the only case.

Brew wrote on Feb 20^th, 2012 at 2:19pm:

And apparently the only case.

Yup.  Kinda like that study that showed one person who could abort his clusters by smoking weed or taking Marinol.  I'm sure that if there is one person out there that it worked for, there has got to be others...but I doubt there are many that either would work for.  When you're grasping at straws both options are probably worth trying, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.

Im not surprised that this would work, ritalin is a stimulant, methamphetamine salts.

just like psilocibin mushrooms, I think that more research needs to be done in these areas.