This med (and others of its class) keep popping up here but there is little evidence of its value for CH. It's common for new ideas/treatments/meds to appear in M.D. literature and then we see docs trying them out before there is a good base of supportive experience.

I suggest that we stick with meds which have a good track record for CH, using them first, and evaluating outcomes, before trying the new ones.

Your doc will recognize the value of this abstract if you print it out for him. It's a major review of the literature and only the last sentence speaks to its usefulness with CH.
======

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Jul 8;(3):CD007076.
Pregabalin for acute and chronic pain in adults.

Moore RA, Straube S, Wiffen PJ, Derry S, McQuay HJ.

Pain Research and Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics, University of Oxford, West Wing (Level 6), John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK, OX3 9DU.

BACKGROUND: Antiepileptic drugs have been used in pain management since the 1960s. Pregabalin is a recently developed antiepileptic drug also used in management of chronic neuropathic pain conditions. OBJECTIVES: To assess analgesic efficacy and associated adverse events of pregabalin in acute and chronic pain.

[edited for length. Technical data deleted.]

THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE USE OF PREGABALIN IN ACUTE PAIN SCENARIOS.

PMID: 19588419
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That you have had some benefit is good but my overall suggestion is to use the proven therapies.

The mental fog you report has been reported with this class of meds. I would be inclined to stop the Lyrica and see if this condition clears before you assume some psychiatric issue. It should not take much time to see if this med is the source or not.

Many thanks to Bob and Guiseppi for your interesting comments. Lyrica was prescribed by a leading UK consultant neurologist at the Headache Clinic in London. I have an appointment with him on Monday, so I'll be able to raise my concerns with him.  I notice on the net that drug addicts are not to keen on the stuff either, eg "Stay away from that garbage, man.  It sucks and it SERIOUSLY does a number on your memory." etc etc

I have had oxygen for a year but it has little or no effect. Imigran injections, however, are very helpful.

I'll keep in touch. I never give up hope!  

Look, I've dealt with the whole "It's only a () and it can't cause ()" PLENTY of times.

If you feel like a medication is causing you depression, or some adverse reaction you aren't comfortable with?

Be FIRM, Tell the doctor you are going to stop it reguardless of what they say, and they can either HELP you, or you can get a new doctor who will.

There's nothing that says you HAVE to stay on a medication. I've fired doctors who wouldn't listen to me on how bad the side effects were.

This shit has activity IN YOUR BRAIN. Where are the chemicals that cause depression located? In your BRAIN.

It's not that hard to figure out that it could be having negative effects on said brain.

So, just do what I do if the neuro won't take you off of it. Tell them to go screw themselves and find someone who'll listen.

PFDAN
Mystina

One  more thing...on the oxygen, have you read the link on the left, Oxygen Info? For oxygen to abort an attack your lungs must get only pure 02, no outside air, no exhaled air. Many who have used nasal canulas, low flow regulators, rebreather masks had no success with oxygen. There are sadly some it just doesn't work for, but we're substantially reducing that number by tweaking HOW it's used!

Joe

Guiseppi wrote on Jul 11^th, 2009 at 5:49pm:



Thanks for that Joe. I'm sure I doing things right with the right equipment but I'll double check. The system I use allows a little outside air but I put a flap over the valve to stop it intruding.  Still no joy but I live in hope.