If you haven't tried it, give it a go, from someone who suffered from atypical CH's every Spring and Autumn for 43yrs, and now CH free for the past 7yrs, it's worth a go, you've got nothing to lose  :).

Hoppy

Hoppy,

I’m with you 100%.

Nothing to lose but your headache.

Peter.

Hmm, can I say 200%?

If anything I blame it for making this forum a quieter place as it has made a huge difference to so many with the result that they visit here a lot less.

Hoppy, Peter, MIke,

I'm with the three of you.  Your comments are spot on!  The frequency of board traffic at Clusterbuster's is down as well and I've little doubt why that is.  That said, I'm seeing an up-tic in PMs and email requests for more information about the anti-inflammatory regimen CH (and Migraine) preventative treatment protocol... Here's the kicker... 30% of these queries are from migraineurs!  Better yet... two of the emails in the last few weeks are from physicians...

I'll share a few comments from one of them I'm sure you'll appreciate. The following came from a retired physician with chronic migraine headache.  She sent this in an email yesterday.  I suspect her comments below came in response to my suggestion to forget everything she learned in medical school about vitamin D3...

"I share your skepticism about much of medicine and in particular the neglected role of nutrition in medical education, there simply was none in my era. 

My son graduated from UCSF 2 years ago and is thoroughly steeped in evidence based medicine.   Having practiced for a few decades I know all too well the limitations of statistical medicine and have taken it upon myself to gently disabuse him of some of the inculcated biases inherent in medicine and in particular the perverse influence of pharma to the detriment of simpler and safer approaches.  So far I have definitely loosened up his mind a bit. 

I will let you know as I progress on your program.   I will also share it with my UCSF neurologist when I see him next month.  I expect he is aware of your protocol but may not have had any patients who have gone down this path.  He is young and very smart, but all too steeped in statistical medicine like my son.   If this is successful, I  will hammer him a bit on trying it with other patients though it seems that the younger the doctor the stronger the grip of statistical medicine.  The latest expensive high tech medicines get pushed while simpler strategies get no funding and no emphasis."

As you can imagine, her words are music to my ears...  particularly the pointed and powerful comment:

"I know all too well the limitations of statistical medicine and have taken it upon myself to gently disabuse him of some of the inculcated biases inherent in medicine and in particular the perverse influence of pharma to the detriment of simpler and safer approaches." 

If that doesn't jump out to give you a sense of situational awareness among medical professionals about treating our disorder...

A couple additional factoids on this topic:  The download rate for the treatment protocol titled: CH Preventative Treatment Protocol for Neurologists - Jan 2017.pdf at the following VitaminDWiki link:  START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE jumped from an accumulated average of 22/day to 150/day within 24 hours of a webinar presentation on Alternative Treatments for Cluster Headache by the Boston Headache Doc at Clusterbusters, Dr. Brian McGreeney, MD during the 2019 Migraine World Summit last April.  During his presentation, he spent three minutes on the use of vitamin D3 to prevent CH.

I just checked.  The average accumulated download rate for this treatment protocol is holding at 100/day since his webinar presentation.  Moreover, there have been 916 downloads of this treatment protocol from from my webpage at VitaminDWiki since noon on the 3rd of July to today for a download rate of 229/day for the last four days.  The word is getting out...

I also took a database download from the online survey of CHers taking this regimen to prevent their CH on the 4th of July.  For the first six months of 2019, the favorable response rate for CHers jumped from an accumulated average of 80% responding in the first 30 days on this regimen to 90%!

I've sliced and diced this 6 month segment from the survey database looking for any factors and sensitivities that could account for this jump in efficacy.  After this analysis, I can only conclude this increased response rate to 90% in the first 30 days taking this regimen is due to the use of the Bio-Tech D3-50. 

I posted an update in to this regimen on my webpage at VitaminDWiki START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE, along with a photo of the Bio-Tech D3-50 in July of 2018.  My comments in posts since then here at CH.com and over at Clusterbusters, that this this 50,000 IU water soluble (micellized) form of vitamin D3 is faster acting and more potent than the same dose of the oil-based liquid soft gel vitamin D3 formulations appear to have been actionable.

The other possible factor for the up-tic in response rate to this treatment protocol involves CHers in Finland.  They have an 86% favorable response rate and a 57% CH pain free response rate in completed surveys from the first six months of 2019. They also account for 35% of the completed surveys in this time frame.  CHers in the United States only account for 30% of the total completed surveys in 2019.

Thanks for your continued support.  Take care,

V/R, Batch

Hi Batch, thanks for posting that update, it was a great read, I to now are on the BIO TECH D3-50 together with the other cofactors, and sailed again through my Fall cluster period, without a hiccup  :)

Hoppy

Hi- I guess this is my 2nd post online. I have been working with batch as I am taking the Vitamin D protocol . It has helped me a lot but I am still needing to fine tune things and with his help, I will get there. But, I would like to know how other people are doing with it, what they are taking now, etc. I think it would be great to get more out in this domain so we can see how each of us is faring. Hope Batch would be okay with this. Like I said, it is still a work in progress , for me, and I owe so much to Batch and will continue to as I continue on the program, fine tweeks and all. Lynn

I'm just following the vitamin D regiment protocol to the letter, and sailing through my Spring window without any visits from the beast.

Cheers Hoppy

Hoppy,

Thanks for the update.  It's a great feeling when you sail through the usual CH episodic cycle period pain free.

Lynn brought up a good point.  The best way to help ensure more CHers learn about the efficacy of this regimen is to take the online survey of CHers who started this regimen to prevent their CH.  To start this survey, click on the following link:

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

I'll be taking another download of the survey database next month and will post the results.  I've a feeling, switching to the Bio-Tech D3-50 is going to further increase the 30-Day favorable and pain free response rates.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

I am wondering something. After reading many of the posts over time about the vitamin D regimen, I seem to notice that men have an easier time with the regimen exactly as written and women seem to have side-effects, notably some nausea at times.Still not sure of the origin. Am I wrong? Hope Batch will be able to comment on this observation. I do wish more people would write on here about their experiences with the protocol as I cannot see many from the current year. Yours truly, Lynn

Lynn,

I'll make a SWAG (Sophisticated Wild-Ass Guess) that men tend to be more compliant about taking this regimen as indicated in the treatment protocol and that includes taking these supplements with the largest meal of the day.  I try to take mine within 10 to 20 minutes after finishing the evening meal.

Stomach acid content is highest at this point and that helps ensure these supplements are completely dissolved and diluted with the stomach contents.  This also helps prevent issues at either end of the GI tract.

Watch the Youtube video of Dr. Michael Hollick as he explains the benefits of vitamin D3 and calcium at the following link:

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

At the 12:25 point in this video, he explains and graphically demonstrates why it's best to take vitamin and mineral supplements like calcium right after eating.

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch

Hi Batch- Great video. I watched the whole thing. Lynn

Interesting, I've been taking my D3 stuff just before dinner. I'll change to just after.

Mike,

Nothing wrong taking all the supplements just before dinner as long as you don't wait too long before eating.

I try to take mine within 10 minutes after finishing the largest meal of the day.  If I'm eating out and don't get home right away, when I do get home, I'll take a heaping tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil then down the supplements with a big glass of water.  The coconut oil triggers the release of stomach acid and liver bile.  Both of them help dissolve the supplements.  I also do the coconut oil thing with my supplements while fasting.

Take care,
V/R, Batch