After 2+ months on Lithium (and it was working) I had bad blood results (low potassium and high creatinine), mostly due to the fact that I also have to take a diuretic for blood pressure. I went off the diuretic first, and started potassium. Within 4 days I was up 13 pounds in fluid, and my blood pressure was climbing. We hoped that my fluid levels would normalize as my body adjusted to the lack of diuretic, but it didn't. I tried lowest sodium possible, green tea until it was coming out of my pores, everything. Nothing worked. So I had no choice but to go off the Lithium. Damn. After about a week, I suppose it worked its way out of my system and beasty is back (yes, right after my nice little remission). Hopefully I can manage on 200mg Topo and my Sumavel shots (which have now expired). My appointment with the headache center isn't until April, so my hopes of new treatments are a ways off.

Maybe I'll just attach some wires to my head and try my own electric shock therapy.

So sorry Mike, was really hoping it'd be the magic bullet for you that it's been for me.

Joe

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My appointment with the headache center isn't until April...

I'd kind of get on the phone and insist this isn't near good enough. "This is a CLUSTER HEADACHE SUFFERER you're dealing with!"


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...so my hopes of new treatments are a ways off.

You tried busting yet?

Mike,

Two words of advice:  Busting, and Kudzu.

If busting is not an option for you look into Kudzu.  A number of years ago I weaned myself off of Verap and Lithium due to the side effects I was suffering.  I had read a thread started by Nani on Kudzu and gave it a try.  Here is a rather long thread started by Ree that was a follow up to the aforementioned thread:  START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE;

The following link is a thread started by Floridian, a former member, who did a survey on Kudzu usage.  You might find some good info here:  START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

There is a lot of information in the archives (look under the buttons on the left).  Put Kudzu in the search box and it will turn up quite a few pages of threads.

If you want to give it a try I suggest Swanson's Vitamins, START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE .  I personally don't care if you buy from them or not, I am not affiliated with them in any way.  I just got such superb service from them when first trying the Kudzu that we now order all of our vitamins and suppliments from them.  They will match anyone's price, and as I said, the service is superb!  One week I had an empty bottle in the basket I kept my full ones in and discovered it on Friday afternoon and I was out.  I called up there rather than going online to order because I was after the cutoff time for same day shipping.  The young lady who answered the phone put me on hold to see if she could still get it out and personally packaged my order and gave it to the UPS man as he came in the door.  She overnighted it to me with Saturday delivery because she knew I needed it.  No extra charge!  I've sent a lot of people to them, and I'll continue to do so because of that.

There are several brands you can choose from (from other sources) but after trying several I found Nature's Way Kudzu Root to be most efficacious for me.

Hope this helps.

Jerry