I have recently been diagnosed with CH. After having tried several drug combos (prednisone, verapamil, sumatriptan) I have reached the o2 stage.

Initially my doc suggested a high flow with a nasal canula for use while sleeping to use as a prevent. I suggested high flow with the mask for abortive as I have seen suggested here.

Curious if anyone has any experience using o2 as a prevent?

Chris

Hi CDog & Welcome Home

   . . . and ditto what Joe said re the nasal canula.

  Your doc is on the right track with the other meds.  The Prednizone is usually to control the attacks and taper down from high dose to low/no dose while the Verapamil gets in your system and tapers up to an effective dosage . . . 240 mg considered to be minimum effective dosage . . . that's when I had my first PF day (had three attacks that night, but had high-flow 02 to kill them before the "dance" stage).  I got as high as 480 mg, then back to 360 mg which reduced the frequency/intensity of the attacks to a level I could easily abort with 02.

  What form of sumatriptan did your doc prescribe?  Pill form is considered useless because CH attacks ramp up to massive pain in minutes and the pills just take too long to be effective.  Also comes in a nasal spray which I understand works within 15 min.   The injectibles (see "imitrex tip" . . . link on left) work in 5-7 min.  I personally haven't used either as I have some artery blockage and high cholesterol, so triptans are not an option for me.

  Most here who have access to Imitrex (very expensive and insurance companies limit dosages, plus your not supposed to use more than twice a day) abort with 100% high-flow 02 with non-rebreather mask and save the Trex for hits the 02 doesn't reach or for situations where they don't have their 02 available.

  Read, read, read . . . . ask any questions you might have.  We DO understand your pain.

    Be Safe,    PFDANs

       Richard

The pill form doesn';t work for most CH'ers as our attacks ramp up much faster then your tummy can absorb the meds. Injector is fastest, the nasal works for many. Crossing my fingers the 02 gets there soon. Has all but eliminated my use of trex.

Joe

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This was a good proactive move with your knowledge and great that the doctor complied, some can be resistent.  It's a BIG difference and improvement being able to abort most hits.


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Preventives meds are also helpful for less hits, but like oxygen, can be found to be more effective when used correctly.  RichardN, above, has made mention of this.

Your doctor was interested in preventing when he suggested the cannola tubes.

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In higher flow, oxygen is a good abortive.  Just as using oxygen at higher flow rates will be more effective when it may not have been effective otherwise, working a little more with the verapamil as a prevent could become effective.  Using different doses or with the two different kinds of release tablets may also help further. 

Preventive meds like verapamil do not work for everybody, but it is beneficial sometimes to make sure it has been given a chance to work at levels gradually increased in the 360mg to 480mg/day over several weeks before giving up on something that may have worked.

I don't know how it has been applied with you or if this has been tried, only that you're recently diagnosed.  Verapamil can take some weeks working in over time.  Your doctor was interested in preventing and seemed open to your suggestions, pursuing prevention further with a preventive med may help depending on an episode's duration.

Many times cluster headaches will be episodic when first afflicted, I hope your's is short, but what you learn each cycle about your treatment could be more quickly applied to a next cycle.  Changes can be made to adapt within cycles also as they get stronger and weaker as well as from cycle to cycle.


Good luck and welcome.