Welcome to the board, the fact that the steroid stopped it in its tracks sure leans more towards CH. WARNING!!! If it is CH, when you start off the steroids, it tends to come back with a vengeance. Almost like paying you back for the pain free time. You need to be prepared. Get your doc to give you a prescritpion for imitrex injectables or nasal spray. The pills work too slow to help CH'ers. Also one for oxygen, more on that below.
The prevent med your neuro started you on tells me he doesn't know a thing about CH. That's a really really bad thing. You must either see if you can educate him, in order to help your self, or change neuro's. Staying with a neuro who doesn't know CH, and won't listen=pain, lot's and lots of pain.
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Read this link, print out the applicable data, tell your GP or neuro to prescribe oxygen. If they say no, find a doctor who will. Oxygen aborts my attacks in 6-8 minutes. The keys, pure oxygen to your lungs, at a level to hyper ventilate, started at the first hint of an attack. Best accomplished using a Non Re Breather Mask, at a minimum flow rate of 15 LPM. Nasal Canulas do not work, re breather masks do not work, low flow rates do not work.
It's cheap, fast, effective, no side effects, and yet the docs will fill you full of addictive narcotics, which don't work, before they'll give you 02, which does! (Rant over
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For a preventative med, most start with verapamil, but at doses higher then most docs are used to. Some go as high as 960 mg a day to get relief. I use lithium at 1200 mg a day while I'm on cycle. Blocks 60-70% of my attacks. Topomax is used by many as a prevent.
The steroid is what we call a transition med. You take it when you first start on your prevent med. Most prevents take up to 14 days to really kick in. The steroid will generally keep beasty at bay while you wait for your prevent to become effective. You can't take steroids for long periods of time as it'll really tear your joints and organs up.
For now try chugging an enrgy drink at the first hint of an attack. Monster, Rock Star, any containing caffiene and taurine. Will abort or reduce attacks for many. I chug one when I start my 02, seems to speed the abort and delays come back attacks.
If you're getting hit at night afte you fall asleep, consider melatonin, an OTC sleep aid. Start with 9 mg about 30 minutes before bed time. Many can avoid the nite time terrors this way.
Finally visit this site:
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Go to the first entry and read all about the "alternative" side to treating CH, using non tradiitonal methods. Their success rate is pretty impressive.
It's critical you educate yourself and become a strong advocate. Sitting back and waiting for a doc to fix you will equal many nights of pain. If there is a way to get referred to a headache specialist neuro, do so. Garden variety neuros know next to nothing about CH.
Welcome home.
Joe
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