Welcome to the board, we're damned glad you found us! Are you working with a headache specialist neuro yet? We have seen the best results from doing so. There are hundreds of headache types, some which mimic CH, and it’s important to eliminate those before arriving at a firm diagnosis. I’ve had CH for 35years, they haven’t killed me yet! You need an organized approach to managing them so they don’t manage your life. I use a 3 pronged approach, many use a similar approach. But first and MOST IMPORTANTLY

Follow this link to the medications section of this board and read the post 

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It’s a vitamin/mineral/fish oil supplement, all over the counter stuff. It’s up to an 81% success rate of those who try it and respond to the survey so you’re just shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t give it a shot. I’m 3 years pain free on it after a 35 plus year track record with episodic CH. Best of all, it’s healthy for you even without CH!

As of January 20, 2013, the compiled raw data indicates an efficacy of 80%. 240 out of the 300 CH'ers who have started this regimen and stayed on it for a month or more have experienced a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of their CH... 78% of the 300 CH'ers experienced a pain free response and 60% of the 300 have remained essentially pain free. Episodic and chronic CH'ers respond to this regimen at roughly the same rate.


Preliminary survey results indicate most of these CH'ers were pain free before the end of the third week with some responding in a little as 12 to 24 hours. The average time to respond is five days

So all that follows will be worthless I hope……….but still…

1: A good prevent med. A med I take daily, while on cycle, to reduce the number and intensity of my attacks. I use lithium, it blocks 60-70% of my attack. Verapamil is the most common first line prevent, topomax also has a loyal following. Some have to combine lithium and verapamil together to get relief.

2: A transitional med. Most prevents will take up to 2 weeks to become effective. I go on a prednisone taper, from 80 mg to zero over a two week period to give me a break while my prevent builds up. Prednisone will provide up to 100% relief for many CH’ers but is harsh on the system and should only be used for short periods of time.

3: An abortive therapy, the attack starts, now what? Oxygen should be your first line abortive. Breathing pure 02 will abort an attack for me in less then 10 minutes, that’s completely pain free. Read this link as it must be used correctly or it will not work

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This link will show you how to get set up with welding oxygen:

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Imitrex nasal spray and injectables are very effective abortives. I use the injectables, they’re expensive, and I rarely use them, mostly just when I get caught away from the oxygen. The pill form generally works too slow to be effective for CH’ers.


For now, get some energy drinks. Rock Star, Monster, any containing the combo of caffeine and taurine, chug it down as fast as you can when you feel an attack starting. Many can abort or at least really reduce an attack using these. Since most of your attacks start at night, consider trying melatonin, an OTC sleep aid you can find at vitamin, health food stores or pharmacies. Start with 9 mg about 30 minutes before bedtime. Some have to go as high as 18 mg, it takes some trial and error but many can avoid the night time attacks this way. The whole "Getting hit as soon as you relax" is very common.

Finally, visit our sister board for “alternative” treatment methods outside of mainstream medicine. As you’ll see from all the success stories on this board, there is something to it.

clusterbusters.com


Read everything you can on this board, if you are a CH’er, knowledge is your best ally. We’ll help you all we can.

Joe

Hi Rick and welcome

Oxygen simply is amazing at killing CHs, just read up - Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or - you'll see how we use it to amazing effect. I can kill off a CH in about 5 minutes!

The vitamin D3 method is also great, with over 80% getting a positive result. I'm almost 2 years pain free using it with some around 3+ years.

Joe's post has some great advice which really does work.

Also read up here like mad and ask all the questions you can think of. We'll try to answer anything you ask.

I hear ya with work and meds, I recently retired from a 30 year career in law enforcement. I used to keep an E-Tank of oxygen in the trunk of my cruiser when I was on cycle. Start to get hit, whip out the tank, put myself out of service for about 10 minutes, and try to beat the beast into submission with oxygen! Always a balancing act with how much you want your supervisors to know about your condition for fear it'll screw with your career. Wish I'd have had this D-3 regimen 35 years earlier!

Joe