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jenny134

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When does it end?
Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 10:00am

Hello All!
The last 2 weeks have been,will I can't even explain... I was put in the hospital because the veraprmil made me very hypotensive and was causing me to pass out. While there I was started on the lithium , and I started hallucinate..so that was stopped...Not to mention that the care I recieved in the hospital was awful!!!! The nurses had no idea how to take care of me! One of them said I was drug-seeking! And believe me when I tell you, I've never asked for one narcotic just oxygen! I ended up leaving the hospital with no answers and absolutely no help!!!
I keep thinking this will end, but every night I wake in pain, crying, begging for it to stop. It used to be just one a night. The last few days I woke several times. The oxygen is my saving grace. But the pain is only cut down. Now I feel like it is moving into my mouth(is that normal)? I see my neuro in just a few days and hoping he has some help for me.. He has started me on neurontin 300mg 3 times a day,which has given me some relief,but only thru the day.Is there any thing I should ask for while i'm there????
Any advise Please!
Jenny

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Agostino Leyre CH.com Sponsor Offline "Hit like a phillips head into my brain." Posts: 3803 Madison WI USA Gender:	Re: When does it end? Reply #1 - Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 12:00pm Yes, it is possible for the pain to move into your mouth (teeth). If you are getting slammed at night, have you tried melatonin yet? That would be my first suggestion.
Back to top	Triptans cause increased number of hits and increased intensity. Learn it, believe it, live it. I use triptans as the absolute LAST RESORT when treating my CH.&& IP Logged

Frazzell

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Re: When does it end?
Reply #2 - Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 12:54pm

jenny134 wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 10:00am:

Hello All!
The last 2 weeks have been,will I can't even explain... I was put in the hospital because the veraprmil made me very hypotensive and was causing me to pass out. While there I was started on the lithium , and I started hallucinate..so that was stopped...Not to mention that the care I recieved in the hospital was awful!!!! The nurses had no idea how to take care of me! One of them said I was drug-seeking! And believe me when I tell you, I've never asked for one narcotic just oxygen! I ended up leaving the hospital with no answers and absolutely no help!!!
I keep thinking this will end, but every night I wake in pain, crying, begging for it to stop. It used to be just one a night. The last few days I woke several times. The oxygen is my saving grace. But the pain is only cut down. Now I feel like it is moving into my mouth(is that normal)? I see my neuro in just a few days and hoping he has some help for me.. He has started me on neurontin 300mg 3 times a day,which has given me some relief,but only thru the day.Is there any thing I should ask for while i'm there????
Any advise Please!
Jenny

Jenny i get mine in my back teeth and gums thats why they thought i had a dental issue.
its always started that way for me i get a little ache in my tooth and thats when i know its going to start, then it moves up into my temple putting my left eye out of action, and then just pain and lots of it Sad

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Guiseppi

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Re: When does it end?
Reply #3 - Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 2:07pm

First take a deep breath and slow down, hard to do when you're getting SLAMMED every few hours. Cry

Ask the neuro to start you on a prednisone taper to buy you 10-14 days of pain free time to re-group. I hadn't heard of lithium causing halucinations, any of you research types chime in with ideas on that???

Topomax sounds like your next try for a preventative. Have you read the oxygen info tab to make sure you're using it correctly? Small changes can make a huge difference, you want to be hyperventilating with pure oxygen, No outside air No exhaled air.

Hang in there...it does end. Cry

Joe

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Brew CH.com Sponsor CH.com Alumnus Offline Posts: 14163	Re: When does it end? Reply #4 - Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 3:14pm I've only heard of the following as being side effects of lithium toxicity: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, muscle weakness, tremor, lack of coordination, blurred vision, or ringing in the ears. Not hallucinations.
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Mike NZ

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Re: When does it end?
Reply #5 - Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 11:21pm

Guiseppi wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 2:07pm:

I hadn't heard of lithium causing halucinations, any of you research types chime in with ideas on that???

A search using PubMed finds a few hits:

Dangerous side effects of lithium therapy - Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to or
Pseudo-hallucinations after long-term lithium treatment - Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to or
Lithium-induced paranoid hallucinatory state - Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to or
Lithium-induced visual hallucinations: evidence for possible opioid mediation - Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to or

So it's a possible cause.

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wimsey1

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Re: When does it end?
Reply #6 - Nov 23^rd, 2010 at 8:03am

Neurontin is a good general pain relief drug that can help with the inbetween stuff. 300mgs is actually pretty low. Doses as high as 3600mgs aren't unheard of. It, too, has side effects but worth a try. I agree you have options not yet tried: topamax, depakote, pred tapers, melatonin, kudzu, etc. I'm sure you've done your homework, Jenny, but it wouldn't hurt to prowl through a bunch of threads on this site, and make note of anything and everything that has worked for someone, and has at least a moderate following. Get your arsenal list going, on paper, right away. It will restore in you some sense of control over this thing. And keep taking those deep breaths, especially with O2! Blessings! lance

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Brew CH.com Sponsor CH.com Alumnus Offline Posts: 14163	Re: When does it end? Reply #7 - Nov 23^rd, 2010 at 8:18am It looked to me as though the lithium was only administered for a very short time.
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jenny134

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Re: When does it end?
Reply #8 - Nov 23^rd, 2010 at 8:31am

I seem to be very sensitive to med side effects or so they tell me? So as to the lithium I'm not sure why I started to hallucinate, The nuero I see said it was most likely due to that medication? I've done the melatonin at night for about a week now. And I finished a prednisone taper about a week or two ago. One thing my nuero did say was to try to sleep upright on a recliner or with a bunch of pillows? Anyone now if that will help. I tried it yesterday and I think it helped a bit only once did I wake,or could it be hopefully they are starting to go away? I would like to thank all of you for all the input again!
And regarding the oxygen I've read all the info and I think I've mastered it! Or at least I hope? I can say that my doc did advise against some meds (mostly triptans) Said they can cause awful rebound headaches? I used to take them when I got migraines,but that was years ago? I've read that a lot of people see headache specialist and my mother found one,for me to see...Or is this something I should leave to the nuero to handle??? My Nuero has been great and seems to be will versed on these headaches, but wouldn't it be good to get other advise? I told my nuero about this site and how it has given me some piece of mind.. so he actually visited this site which I thought was amazing.
Also does anyone keep a diary of there headaches?
To all of you again THANK YOU!!!
With tons of love
Jenny

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Guiseppi

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Re: When does it end?
Reply #9 - Nov 23^rd, 2010 at 9:05am

That's great news, a neuro open minded enough to visit the site!

Several people on the board have posted that sleeping in a more upright posistion helps, some use a recliner, others the propped up pillows in bed, so it does work for some.

There are a bunch of us on the board who are leaning towards the belief that triptans extend cycles. No hard and fast research mind you, just anectodal evidence from personal experiences. That being said, on cycle, I still keep Imitrex on hand in case I get caught away from my oxygen.

As to seeing the headache specialist, your call. It could help or it could just muddy the waters. As far as a headache diary, I kept one for a while in the early years. Helped me to identify how my cycles typically ran, what some of my triggers were, and how my meds were affecting me.

Joe

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"Somebody had to say it" is usually a piss poor excuse to be mean.

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