Hi I am new to the group and currently appear to be in the end of a cycle(I hope). I am a 52 year old male and have had ha's for 19 years.  My current cycle started mid May and peaked at the end of June.  During this time I had blood work done and had to drastically change my diet.  High blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar.  Both my parents are diabetic so the sugar was expected.  I take linsinopril for bp, crestor for the other.  I have lowered my sugar through diet and excersize.  My normal cycle is only 3 to 4 weeks and I usually beat it with a low prednisone dose for six days and using O2, and imitrex shots for attacks.  I take 3 grams of Lavoza and 9000 mg of D3 aday.  I use 9mg of melotonin at bed time.  It reduces the number and severity of the attacks during the beginning and ending of the cycle but is not very effective during the peak period.  Has anyone else experienced a change in the duration of a cycle possibly due to a drastic diet change?  My cycle has went from 3 to 4 weeks to 10 this time.  Thank you for any help.

Joe,  I have tried the topomax and after a few weeks it seemed to increase my headaches.  I have used verapamil with prednisone to help break a cycle.  I have a low tolerance to bp medicines, it doesn't take alot to lower mine.  Once a cycle ends I am pf for 6 to 24 months before the next one.  I continue my vitamin regimine and bp medicine.  Depending on my blood test results in Septmber will determine if I continue with the crestor.  Thanks for the reply, I am just trying to figure out if something new is causing my cycle to increase in length.  I have never tried the Lithium and will discuss it with my doctor during my next visit.  He is very understanding to my problem and has fought hard to get me O2 and more than the 6 imitrex shots a month that my insurance wanted to cover.

John, who knows really, but I have found that as I get older (43 now) that my episodes increase in length (use to be 4-6 weeks, but last time was 13 weeks and this time 9 weeks and counting).  Some on here have speculated its an age thing, while others suggest that its maybe a result of preventatives (and for me indeed my episodes starting increasing in length right around the time I started using verapamil).

Who knows.  It could be diet, or age, or meds.  Or it could just be that the Beast is simply unpredictable.