Good day all,Just a little vent here....I went to renew my prescription today and no one has injectable imitrex on the island!And there telling me they dont know when it will be in!Im in a panic right now.

I do have a perscription for O2.But I find it doesnt always work.At night I get the beast every 2 hours,thats why Im in a panic.The triptan will give me a few hours of much needed rest.Ive tried calling my neurologist but he is in Boston and his assistants answering machine is full.I must say that living on an Island in the middle of the atlantic can really suck.If I could I would fly to the states for this! I hate these headaches...they have taken everything I had in me and swept it out the door.I try to stay positive but its really hard.I hope we all have a pain free day,we deserve it..

If you haven't tried melatonin yet it's worth a shot. An over the counter sleeping aid available at vitamin and health food stores, or even most pharmacies. Start with 9 mg 30 minutes before bedtime. Many can avoid the night time hits using melatonin. Takes a couple of days to kick in for some so give it a few days. Good luck.

Joe

Might do a trial with this abortive; nearly as fast acting as Imitrex and less expensive. Note, that for a few people it stopped all attacks.

The nice thing is that, if it works but you choose to stay with Imitrex, it, being a pill, is easy to store as an emergency back-up.
=======
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.

PMID 11576207 PubMed

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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.

Consider upping the melatonin to 12 or 15mg.

Also, if you can stave off the evening hits with O2, don't take the Frova until right before bed.

Lastly, is there nobody covering for your neuro while he or she is away?

That sucks. I had a similar experience the other day related to narcotic for post-surg pain. The scrip indicated a dosage they didn't carry. While my husband tried to work out the problem, I was sitting in the car in the parking lot in 8/10 pain. The lesson is to think ahead to possible hurdles and proceed proactively. With any Rx, it's worth a call to the pharmacy first to see if they carry it. Any pharmacy will get whatever you need. Maybe ask doc for some other scrips (e.g. oral or nasal imitrex) "just in case." Best of luck!

julyn wrote on Dec 5^th, 2010 at 1:28pm:

Thankyou for that..I really dont know what my triggers are.My cycle kicked in when I lost my Dad.In the last 2 years I was eating and drinking all the foods I love.Aswell as repairing boats and working with solvents acetone and paints.I really dont think foods or smells are my trigger.I have a feeling its stress,when I was at home and dealing with the house making sure Mom is cool for the winter.I was chilling out doing the dishes and thats when it hit.I guess coming down from a hectic day and trying to relax was the trigger.I really dont know....anyways ,to all you cluster heads out there have a good night or a good day where ever you are.Bill

  You poor, poor thing, that just sounds terrible.  It is so horrible to know that you are suffering and that there is nothing we can do to help you 

I just hope and pray that you get a good nights sleep soon, and some imitrex!!!

Take care,

Kate

Rhodiola also known as Golden Root, Roseroot, Aaron's Rod Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Let us know if it helps Julyn   

catscratchfever wrote on Dec 8^th, 2010 at 10:20am:


There are a few I've had over the years that are unforgettable--real, killing attacks that are the "10's" I measure against every other CH.  Up to about an "8" I can control my reactions to one--but at "9" or above, my self-control flies completely out the window.  An attack like that still scares me, even after better than 40 years episodic.  It scares everyone around me.  On one memorable occasion, I couldn't even pace and bang my head against things--just rolled around on the floor screaming, and eventually crawled into a closet.  Scared the hell out of Elizabeth.

I haven't had one like that for 12 or 15 years.  "Normal" CH I can deal with--we've been uneasy companions for most of my life.  But those rare brainstorms are something else again.

Hope you never, ever get another one.

Best,

George

thanks for that George.tears are in my eyes as I red that.Every tingle in my head sends me to the edge.Its not a suicidal feeling, its a terrified feeling Im dealing with.Thank god for this forum...It does calm me down a bit.