Welcome Valerie.....just start asking questions....someone will pop in and answer.

Tell us about your doc: specialist in headache?; how mluch experience? What is his treatment plan for you?, i.e.,what meds/doses?

Re. your questions: try and be specific. After reading here for a few days you wil begin to develop questions which are of value to you.

Hi Valerie

Tramadol is useless for CH. It isn't going to touch the pain and being a narcotic is likely to introduce other problems.

I can't understand why he is not giving you oxygen, which is one amazing abortive. Using 25lpm and a non-rebreather mask I can kill off my CHs in about 5 minutes. There is no comparison between oxygen and tramadol in which is the superior way to deal with a CH.

The other drugs are not the most common ones used to prevent CHs (verapamil, lithium and topomax are much more common). However there may be other reasons from your medical history that dictate why this mixture has been used.

Lots of people here use welding oxygen for aborting CHs. It is just as pure as medical oxygen as otherwise welds would fail. That may be an option for you.

Also read up about how people are using vitamin D - Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or . Lots are getting good results with this.

If you get welders 02 you can't tell them it's for human consumption...silly, I know!!!

Joe

i got the vit d3, calcium citrate and fish oil. having trouble getting o2 any idea's on where else to get welders o2 batch said harbour freight but ours doesnt lease it.

So I think I'm gonna have to go on an intermittent leave for a while at work. I can't afford to lose my job over something that I have no control over. Hope my boss understands. I love my job finally... This sucks.

I feel the same way. I've made an appt with an ouch dr but earliest he has is oct. 2nd. Guess I'll have to try to teach the one I have for now.

My advice, get another doctor. That drug cocktail he has you on will help little and is likely to cause a variety of side-effects if taken long-term as it is very taxing for your liver, kidneys and brain. Some of those medications separately, may be effective, but putting you on a mix of that scale is dangerously inefficient.

The reality is that depending on the frequency and intensity of the attacks, there are few viable remedies. Oxygen is the most common and has beneficial effects for a lot of people, especially night sufferers.

Other possible drug treatments include Imitrex, Dihydergot, Verapamil, Methysergide, Cafergot, Lithium, Ergotamine, Botox, Psilocybe "mushrooms".

My scalp would have to catch fire for me to stop using the injectable.  If it works on the CH and you can get your insurance to cover it - I would stick with it.  I almost find the small side effects I get from a shot soothing.  Once I feel them I know the pain is about to go away - which is a rush in itself.  Almost like a good sneeze........

Also - the Prednizone taper I am on (started last Friday) seems to be working.  Will see what happens when I go off it.  Having a few mild side effects, but nothing near what the CH does.

Finally - I have done a massive amount of research (that's how I found this site) and have been using a Nurse Practioner for years.   The one I have now is awesome - as long as she can research what I am asking for and find back up literature she seems game for trying whatever works.  I think NP's may be a bit more open than MD's?

Valerie,

    Are you Chronic or Episodic? Treatment is kind of the same but slightly differant depending on your case. Try finding a better Neuro I cant beleave they didnt even give you some samples or anything. I am Chronic CH'r and i Take Topomax 100mg, Lithium 900mg, Sumavel Dosepro or Imitrex StatDose, zomig (Nasal) and Relpax (pill), and prednisone which im only aloud to have 2-3 times a year because it is so harsh on your body.

The NP wrote me a script for 24 shots and an additional 5 refills.  Will send that up to the canadian pharmacy I use and will have the peace of mind knowing I can get another 24 in two weeks.

Just got my next refill (which is awesome because I was down to two shots).  Probably going to do one more order and then wait.  Hopefully this pred/vermap works.  Would be nice to be in the 80%. 

On the down side - just had a CH at work.  Shot kicked its butt, but that is the third one since starting the new meds.  No panic yet - I was getting 3 to 4 a day last week.

Wish me luck - and good luck to you.

PS - the imetrix i get is called Imigran and is the name brand, but made in Turkey.  Costs between $24 to $30 per dose, which is by far the cheapest I can find.  On an HSA, so drugs come out of my pocket - no real prescription coverage till you hit max out of pocket - want to save the HSA account $$ so if something really bad happens I am covered.  I can afford the trex assuming this cycle ends someday.

I found one he just has a horrid wait to get seen the first time