Hey Lauren,

Thanks for the update...  Your husband's initial response to the anti-inflammatory regimen sounds promising.  Please keep us updated.

Using the anti-inflammatory regimen before a CH cycle makes good sense...  I've been working with some of the experts experienced in vitamin D3 therapy and they suggest increasing the daily intake of magnesium from all sources including supplements to 500 mg. 

Accordingly, I've included their suggestions in the latest anti-inflammatory regimen shown below:

Suggested Instructions For Use, Basic Ingredients and Daily Dosing for the Anti-inflammatory Regimen

Instructions  See your doctor to discuss this regimen and to have your 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, a.k.a. 25(OH)D level tested.  This is the serum level metabolite of vitamin D3.  The normal reference range 25(OH)D levels used by most medical labs is 100-200 nmol/L (40-80 ng/mL).  However, from the data we've collected from users who have had this test done after going pain free, it appears the optimum reference range for cluster headache sufferers is 150-225 nmol/L (60-90 ng/ml).  Ask for the Chemistry Panel + Complete Blood Count (CBC) lab test as well to make sure there are no indications of other comorbid conditions.

10,000 I.U. vitamin D3 a day is a therapeutic dose.  Lower the daily intake of vitamin D3 to 5,000 I.U. after three months and have another set of lab tests done for 25(OH)D as well as Chemistry Panel + Complete Blood Count (CBC).

If you take more than 10,000 I.U. vitamin D3/day you need to have a series of two lab tests for 25(OH)D done a month apart to determine how fast you're building reserves.  This is important as the the Vitamin D3 Council has studies that show an otherwise healthy body process vitamin D3 at 3000 to 5,000 I.U. per day.  In addition, a few CH'ers who have had this test done after 3 months on this regimen had there 25(OH)D levels come back at 225 nmol/L (90 ng/mL) to 295 nmol/L (118 ng/mL).

Although levels this high are above the optimum range for 25(OH)D and we don't know if or how much this increases the capacity of this regimen to prevent CH, they are well below the toxicity threshold level of  500-750 nmol/L, (200-250 ng/mL).  You would need to dose at 40,000 I.U. vitamin D3/day for two to three months to reach these levels of 25(OH)D.   See the following link at the Vitamin D Council web site:

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Ingredients and Dosing.  I buy the following anti-inflammatory ingredients at Costco for $35...  This provides a ~6-month supply at 20 cents a day... 

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Vitamin D3 - Try to obtain the 5,000 I.U. liquid softgel capsules - Take 10,000 I.U./day

Omega 3 Fish Oil - 2000-3000 mg. or enough to get at least 360 mg. EPA and 240 mg. DHA/day.  EPA and DHA are the two primary Omega 3 fatty acids.

Calcium Citrate - (500 mg. calcium) As shown above, two of these tablets are formulated with 800 I.U. vitamin D3, 60 mg. magnesium and 10 mg. zinc.  If you can't get a single tablet formulated with these ingredients you'll need the following:

  Calcium Citrate - take enough to get 500 mg. calcium/day

  Magnesium - 500 mg./day.  If you take the above tablets, take an
                                                     additional 400 mg magnesium/day*
  Zinc - 10 mg./day

* Note: most over the counter magnesium comes as the oxide.  Magnesium taurate, glycinate, citrate, and gluconate have demonstrated higher absorption and bioavailability.  Magnesium malate and glycinate are considered by many to be even more effective supplemental forms.

Some user's go for transdermal magnesium chloride or magnesium oil. Instead of oral administration, the magnesium chloride is applied to the skin where it is absorbed directly into the cells, bypassing the digestive tract. Due to this, magnesium chloride is said to be the most readily-absorbed form, though there have yet to be any studies performed.

For the first two weeks take everything in the morning except for the calcium citrate.  Take it an hour prior to bed time with a glass of lemonade or any fruit juice high in citric acid.  After that take everything in the morning.

Response times for this regimen can take as little as two days and as long as a month or more.  It all depends on the level of 25(OH)D.  Most cluster headache sufferers are pain free by the end of the second week on this regimen.

Be sure to see your doctor three months after starting this regimen to have another set of labs for 25(OH)D, Chem Panel + CBC.  Most cluster headache sufferers will need to drop the daily vitamin D3 to a maintenance dose of 5,000 I.U./day after three months on this regimen.

This is a healthy regimen with no adverse side effects or significant contraindications, so you may want to stay on it forever.  It should prevent further episodes of cluster headaches.  It's also good for the bones, heart, eyes, skin, and the list goes on...  Discuss it with your PCP or neurologist.

Take care,

V/R, Batch