Hoo boy, what a couple weeks it's been! Cycle started just after Christmas, mild hits every 3 days, easy to dispatch with some caffeine. It's been nearly 3 years since last cycle, so I was in a bit of denial that it was really happening again. So, after a couple weeks, I decide it's time to make a doc appt. 2 days before the appt I start getting hit HARD a couple times per day, again treating with coffee and energy drinks. For the first time, I overdid the caffeine and wound up in the ER with palpitations, hyperventilation, stomach bloating/nausea, etc. That was all I needed to have happen, so I stopped the caffeine.

Next day, I go to my regular doc appt. My GP seems to have done his homework since I saw him last about clusters, because immediately, verapamil and O2 were mentioned. I mentioned a prednisone taper just to kill the pain initially until I could get the O2 delivered and to give the verap time to kick in. Doc agreed, and I was on my merry way with prescriptions in hand. Mind you, I hadn't been hit since my visit to the ER the day before.

OK, so I get my scripts filled and start on the pred and verap that night (this being last Thursday). So far so good. Friday evening I'm at work, take my meds with my dinner break around 8:00 pm. At 8:30, I start tensing up all over, my balance gets thrown off to the point I'm nearly falling out of my chair, I'm shaking all over, having a tough time breathing, can't concentrate, just a general rough time of it. I work in tech support over the phone, and my employer is very strict about not logging off of the phone outside of scheduled breaks, and so I stick it out as long as I can, though I'm not really doing much good to customers. I eep putting my calls on hold while I catch my breath and figure out what I'm going to say next. Finally around midnight (I work 5:00-1:30), I tell my sup that I'm logging off and going home. I had to have Dave pick me up, and I was off to the ER again.

So at the ER, they take me right away since I thought it was a reaction to the medication. As soon as they saw it wasn't an allergic reaction, the care ground to nearly a halt. They came in about 20 minutes later and gave me an ativan, then another 30 mins later told me to go home and call my doctor. Now, I understand people go to ERs in drug-seeking behavior, but that isn't me. Heck, if I wanted any kind of sedative, I have a big bottle of Xanax here at home, I don't need to hit the ER.

Anyway, I call my doc the next day, who recommends I just stop the meds altogether. I had only been on both the pred and the verap for 2 days, so stopping was no big deal. I'm still struggling with some anxiety attacks, but dealing ok, and all my body wants to do is sleep. I finally got my O2 delivered yesterday... wow, they delivered TEN e-tanks! Then I check the rest of the supplies: The regulator is for an M tank, there is no valve wrench for the e-tank, and the masks are standard masks, NOT nonrebreather and no reservoir!

So today I'm off, waiting for the O2 company to bring me the correct regulator and wrench, hoping they have non-rebreather masks. I'm also getting FMLA forms filled out for missing a few work shifts and to get my company to understand there may be times I can't avoid being late or leaving early to hit my O2. And to top everything else off, I've been going thru all of this and I have only been hit ONCE very mildly since my first ER trip a week ago! I have to wonder if the short pred dose somehow broke my cycle, or if it's just waiting to ramp back up again.

This beast guy is an odd one.

Anyhoo, it's good to vent!  PFDAN to all!

Joe

Dude, what a story.  I hope you're cycle is done as well.

BTW, your GP knows more about clusters than some neurologists.  Hats off to he/she

Because it expired?

Marc wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2010 at 1:14pm:
You forgot your wink

Also you might get a note from your doctor explaining your condition to your employer.  Helps to have this stuff on record.

Man with all that going on you are living in some REALLY interesting times! 

Glad to hear though that you got the 15 LPM type regulator that has worked for you before, and that you have some good nonrebreather action on the way! 

Lets hope this episode of yours is just BUSTED. If it turns out not to be, the clusterbusters.com approach of RC seeds or stronger substances strikes me as something you could look at (if you haven't already), especially since you're not on any drugs that would interfere with it.

I would bet on the verap causing the side effects. A steroid regiman is usually all good at the start of a cycle.

Whattup Joe.

Sorry your getting slammed again.

Hope you are well otherwise.

Ex2