Dude, you need some oxygen! read the info on the left, and get it hooked up!

I'm too tired to elaborate so I'll check on you tomorrow..

Rolo..

I LOVE your attitude, in the battle with the beast, attitude is  EVERYTHING!!! What Rolo said, get thee some oxygen! If you're not already using it, go to the meds section, read Chucks post on oxygen usage. It has all the details and full color pictures of how to get it set up. I can baort an attack in 6-8 minutes. Many on the board post similar results. Definitely worthy of a try.

And then what MPMII said. Give us a rundown of what you're using for a preventative medication, and what you're using when an attack starts. There are many treatments available we might be able to steer you towards. And start reading like a mad man. We believe you obtain the best results by educating yourself, then forming a working partnership with your doc to manage your attacks.

You're not alone anymore, welcome home.

Guiseppi

Welcome Brian,

I too am so much more of an optimist and enjoy life so much more now that I can manage my CH to K8 or lower.

I am new to this forum too. It is a great place to give and receive support.
Paul

Welcome to the group Brian.  Glad you found us, sorry that you needed to.

Lots of infomation is available for you here.

Thanks all!  I have been reading as much as I can and I feel very empowered with all this information, and company. 

I have no preventives as of now.  I was originally, 2 years ago diagnosed correctly and prescribed verapimil, but was then rediagnosed incorrecly and given propanolol which was obviously as misguided as the diagnosis (that they were migraines).  Since that first bottle of verapimil, I have had no preventives.

I use several abortives with varying degrees of success.  Imitrex nasal spray is often very effective.  If I take it in a timely manner, I can abort a CH within 4 or 5 minutes.  But too early or too late and it's often less effective or not at all.  I also use indomethacin, which usually keeps the pain managable, occasionally aborts, but often doesn't work and seems to get less effective the more I use it.

I've had remarkable success with a couple of homeopathic/herbal remedies.  Winter Sun Trading Co. makes a product called Head-Ease, of clematis, feverfew, skullcap, and passion flower, which can be amazingly effective.  At its best it can abort a HA within 5 minutes, but like the indomethacin seems to become less effective the more I use it, and is generally only about 50%. 

I have also been give a Chinese herbal remedy by my acupuncturist which has been nearly 100% effective, aborting within 10 minutes.  I do not have the name because she labeled the plastic container with marker, which has wiped off, but I am going to get that info and report back.

So that's where I'm at.  Between those four remedies I manage to keep my pain to 8 or less and my attacks to under an hour 95% of the time.  But the attacks continue almost daily, as they have for the past 2 years.  So, as you pointed out Malcolm, my primary goal is to re-engage with my neuro and develop myself a plan to reduce the attacks.

Oh yeah, about oxygen...I have tried oxygen and had partial success.  I have only used one tank, and it did not alone abort a HA, but it did reduced the pain drastically (i.e. from 9 to 3) for as long as I kept the mask on.  I am definitely interested in trying this again and will be reordering tomorrow!

Thanks everyone for your advice and support! My blessings to you all!

Brian