Thanks for joining us. I'd ecourage you to look at your excellent support group: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
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This is a strong group and they can help you in working with your health care system.
You outline of treatments reveals some fairly consistent differences between our two systems.
1. Prednisone is commonly given at the start of a cycle with a starting dose around 80mg and taper down over a few days. That will, generally, stop the cycle cold for the time needed for the longer lived preventive to take hold. A common used protocol for the most often used preventive:
Headache. 2004 Nov;44(10):1013-8.
Individualizing treatment with verapamil for cluster headache patients.
Blau JN, Engel HO.
Background.-Verapamil is currently the best available prophylactic drug for patients experiencing cluster headaches (CHs). Published papers usually state 240 to 480 mg taken in three divided doses give good results, ranging from 50% to 80%; others mention higher doses-720, even 1200 mg per day. In clinical practice we found we needed to adapt dosage to individual's time of attacks, in particular giving higher doses before going to bed to suppress severe nocturnal episodes. A few only required 120 mg daily. We therefore evolved a scheme for steady and progressive drug increase until satisfactory control had been achieved. Objective.-To find the minimum dose of verapamil required to prevent episodic and chronic cluster headaches by supervising each individual and adjusting the dosage accordingly. Methods.-Consecutive patients with episodic or chronic CH (satisfying International Headache Society (IHS) criteria) were started on verapamil 40 mg in the morning, 80 mg early afternoon, and 80 mg before going to bed. Patients kept a diary of all attacks, recording times of onset, duration, and severity. They were advised, verbally and in writing, to add 40 mg verapamil on alternate days, depending on their attack timing: with nocturnal episodes the first increase was the evening dose and next the afternoon one; when attacks occurred on or soon after waking, we advised setting an alarm clock 2 hours before the usual waking time and then taking the medication. Patients were followed-up at weekly intervals until attacks were controlled. They were also reviewed when a cluster period had ended, and advised to continue on the same dose for a further 2 weeks before starting systematic reduction. Chronic cluster patients were reviewed as often as necessary. Results.-Seventy consecutive patients, 52 with episodic CH during cluster periods and 18 with chronic CH, were all treated with verapamil as above. Complete relief from headaches was obtained in 49 (94%) of 52 with episodic, and 10 (55%) of 18 with chronic CH; the majority needed 200 to 480 mg, but 9 in the episodic, and 3 in the chronic group, needed 520 to 960 mg for control. Ten, 2 in the episodic and 8 in the chronic group, with incomplete relief, required additional therapy-lithium, sumatriptan, or sodium valproate. One patient withdrew because verapamil made her too tired, another developed Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and the drug was withdrawn. Conclusions.-Providing the dosage for each individual is adequate, preventing CH with verapamil is highly effective, taken three (occasionally with higher doses, four) times a day. In the majority (94%) with episodic CH steady dose increase under supervision, totally suppressed attacks. However in the chronic variety only 55% were completely relieved, 69% men, but only 20% women. In both groups, for those with partial attack suppression, additional prophylactic drugs or acute treatment was necessary. (Headache 2004;44:1013-1018).
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SLOW-RELEASE VERAPAMIL
Dr. Sheftell applauded the protocol for verapamil used by Dr. Goadsby and colleagues, which entailed use of short-acting verapamil in increments of 80 mg. “This method was suggested by Lee Kudrow, MD, 20 years ago as an alternative to slow-release verapamil,” Dr. Sheftell noted.
“I would agree with using short-acting verapamil, rather than the sustained-release formulation, in cluster headache,” he said. “I prefer the short-acting formulation with regard to ability to titrate more accurately and safely. My clinical experience anecdotally demonstrates improved responses when patients are switched from sustained-release verapamil to short-acting verapamil.”
Dr. Goadsby agreed that his clinical experience was similar. “There are no well-controlled, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging studies to direct treatment. This is one of those areas where clinicians who treat cluster headache have to combine what modicum of evidence is available with their own clinical experience,” Dr. Sheftell commented.
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We are dead-set against using pain meds except in rather extreme situations since: they are not very effective with Cluster & the potential for rebound headaches is significiant. Hence the approach: abort quickly; then long term preventive meds.
RE. ineffectiveness of Imigran/Imitrex (here). One consideration is using it at the earliest sign of an attack. Waiting for its development (is it the real thing?, etc.) is the most common source of failure for a med which is abou 80-90% effective.
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As you have specific questions, please post them. Reading our site deeply will be a source of information and hope. We have a pretty energetic bunch here!
Expore the buttons (left) starting with the OUCH site.
As time permits:
A couple of sites which are worth your attention: medical literature, films, plus the expected information
about CH.
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
or
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Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
or
Search under "cluster headache"
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Finally, be aware that you have a right to obtain treatment from any headache clinic of your choice. Here, your local group can be of much value.
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Print out the PDF file, below. It's the latest evaluation of commonly used meds for Cluster. Nice to use as a tool to discuss options with your doc !
Best wishes,
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