I am looking for any input on zyprexa as I am going to the nero tomorrow. Between my allergies and drug resistant CH, I am left with lithium and DHE as the only drugs that work good.

Basically I am looking for bad reactions and allergic reactions. I will see if the nero has any samples because I have been through the 30 day wasted supply routine too many times and cannot afford to waste resources on a chance that it might work. Imitrex does not work well for me and as I am looking for work while experiencing daytime hits, I am in need of a standby besides oxygen.

Input greatly appreciated,

Roland.

Thanks Linda, with me it’s an arrow in the dark most times. I’m sure the doc will give me what I want because he is my back nero. I’m really glad I went to the HA specialist though… he may have saved me from pain killer blues. Now that I’m savvy enough at this CH animal, I know what to expect and what may be the best course of action. I am going in mainly for my C6-7 ruptured disk and nerve problems that are getting worse. I am switching back because I want to be with the all around guy (all in one) because the HA sp. Only does HA.

Roland.

Roland,

Forgive me if you've already discussed this, but have you tried Olanzapine?

Bob Johnson has been posting some very good things about this for a very long time. Seems like a good option for many folks to try.

Marc

You gain gain lots of weight on this drug.

Zyprexa is the brand name for olanzapine. We have had good reports on effectivenness. Personally, I consistently get rapid relief in 20-min. Compared to the triptans, the per dose cost is reasonable. A sample from your doc will, within 1-2 doses, indicate whether it works for you.

Don't need to worry about weight gain: this is an issue for people who, with psychiatric disorders, are on it daily for long periods.
======
Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):813-6 

Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.

Rozen TD.

Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. The initial olanzapine dose was 5 mg, and the dose was increased to 10 mg if there was no pain relief. The dosage was decreased to 2.5 mg if the 5-mg dose was effective but caused adverse effects. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and two patients became headache-free after taking the drug. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. It alleviates pain quickly and has a consistent response across multiple treated attacks. It appears to work in both episodic and chronic cluster headache.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.

Well I did get a script for 5 mg Zyprexa , they didn’t have any samples.

Linda he hands em out like candy. I didn’t even get through telling him I needed Vicodin and he was already writing one out for 60 pills (for my back and neck)… Thats about a year supply for me.

Rolo. 

Yes, please do let us know!  It just started popping seemingly everywhere I look the past week or two, and I'd love to know!  (It's like when you learn a new word and all of a sudden you see it everywhere   ).  ...I don't know if it's something Gary's neuro has on his list or not, but wanted to ask him about it.

Sorry for asking a stupid question - but this would be used for aborts, right?

Laurie

This Zyprexa sure does make you sleep, I was so tired that I slept all afternoon until I woke at 7:30 with a hit (annoyance hit). No hits for 12 hours though, experiment to continue…

Rolo…

Ok, this Zyprexa seems to be working far better that I would have expected. I slept through the night for the first time in 2 months with no 1 am hit. I am also much less depressed today! I have not felt this good for a long time. I must be psychotic if this stuff is working?

I did not feel weird like the antidepressants do to me. The only issue was the sleepiness form taking it in the morning so I will try it at dinner time to see how I react to it in the evening when I can drop into the sack without a problem. I know it is meant to be an abortive treatment but as I am chronic I may have to take it daily anyway. I always get hit between 5-8 pm without fail so I will try administering it at 4 pm for a few days strait to nail it down so to say.

I never expected to get a good antidepressant effect from it so this is a big plus. If I don’t get a allergic reaction from it after daily use, I may have a good new tool with the lithium that works cross my fingers… I am just loving the feeling good thing because as a daily chronic depression is a given for me.

If you read this Ray, call your nero and see if you can try it.

PFW,W,W,W’s to all…!!!

Roland.

BTW; my HA nero would not let me try it??? Go figure!?!

UnderTheRadar wrote on Dec 18^th, 2008 at 12:21am:


I can not answer the price question; I pay $10 for regular scripts and 25 for name brand so it was $25… I suspect as Linda said that it is some pricy $hit…

Roland.

Well nevermind...I asked my doc about it today, and he gave me the laundry list of nasty side effects that can accompany it.  He said you need continual monitoring by a psychiatrist and it can even cause some neurological problems (like twitching and spasms) for LIFE, even if you stop taking it.   

The only thing I notice is the sleepiness. I took it at 4 pm and crashed at 6:30 till 8:30 so I will have to try it later tomorrow. It does seem to make a huge difference so far but time will tell of course.

I am only taking 5mg and mental patients take up to 40mg per day (estimated by twice daily and 20mg pill as largest manufactured). The warning mainly concerns elderly patients with preexisting Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease

From the Zyprexa at RxList main page:

                                        WARNING

Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis-
Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. Analyses of seventeen placebo-controlled trials (modal duration of 10 weeks), largely in patients taking atypical antipsychotic drugs, revealed a risk of death in drug-treated patients of between 1.6 to 1.7 times the risk of death in placebo-treated patients. Over the course of a typical 10-week controlled trial, the rate of death in drug-treated patients was about 4.5%, compared to a rate of about 2.6% in the placebo group. Although the causes of death were varied, most of the deaths appeared to be either cardiovascular (e.g., heart failure, sudden death) or infectious (e.g., pneumonia) in nature. Observational studies suggest that, similar to atypical antipsychotic drugs, treatment with conventional antipsychotic drugs may increase mortality. The extent to which the findings of increased mortality in observational studies may be attributed to the antipsychotic drug as opposed to some characteristic(s) of the patients is not clear. ZYPREXA (olanzapine) is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis (see WARNINGS).
.

I’m not worried about the tiny dose and it seems to have helped my cognitive powers and ambition overall. If your doc wont let you try new and emerging treatments you will never see any benefit from it!

PFD&N to all…

Roland.

I think Gary may need a new Doc and I'm getting really bummed.  He wouldn't prescribe Zyprexia.  Not "yet" anyway.   

Roland, I am SO GLAD to hear the great news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AND SLEEP?  That is truly fabulous.

PFDAN!

Laurie