G'day Fighter, welcome home, and we've lots of good news for you. The Immitrex shots are a great start, and there's ways to make them go further, and then there's probably the best defence of all -  oxygen. CPAP machines have never really helped much but check out the Oxygen Info button top left of your screen.

Then there's a vitamin regime that's been devised which is giving huge help to some 80% of ClusterHeads and we'll happily tell you all about.

We've plenty of other tips and tricks as well but just for the moment please give your wife a collective kiss from us all. Around here she's known as a Supporter, which is short for Pure Gold, and not one of us know how do what they do.

Ask all the questions you want because we're here to help,

Brian down under.

By the way, Thanks for the reply.

Australia is on my "bucket list" of countries to visit.  I've heard GREAT things about it there.

Thank You.  Everyone on here is AWESOME!!  I'm really glad I found this place.  I hope that some day I can give back to others.

While oxygen has a good rep here, the issues of lugging equipment around is a hassle, getting refulls, etc. are factors to be considered when we need long term soltions.

Print this and share with you doc. She can supplly you with samples and, from a cost point of view, it's likely you can afford it ou of pocket.

I fell in love with it after my first use and it was my only treatment until I aged out of having attacks.
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Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):813-6 

Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.


Rozen TD.
Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. THE INITIAL OLANZAPINE DOSE WAS 5 MG, AND THE DOSE WAS INCREASED TO 10 MG IF THERE WAS NO PAIN RELIEF. THE DOSAGE WAS DECREASED TO 2.5 MG IF THE 5-MG DOSE WAS EFFECTIVE BUT CAUSED ADVERSE EFFECTS. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and TWO PATIENTS BECAME HEADACHE-FREE AFTER TAKING THE DRUG. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. IT ALLEVIATES PAIN QUICKLY AND HAS A CONSISTENT RESPONSE ACROSS MULTIPLE TREATED ATTACKS. IT APPEARS TO WORK IN BOTH EPISODIC AND CHRONIC CLUSTER HEADACHE.

PMID 11576207 PubMed

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P.S. Contrary to the limitation in effect noted in the report, I consistently had 100% relief within 10-15 minutes.

-Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.
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sj904fighter wrote on Oct 9^th, 2016 at 4:30pm:



Hi sj...and welcome!...missing beer is a sign of intelligence.....

Over the years there have been more than a few who could not see the link list on the left side of
the site...happened to me a few times...some kind of loading glitch I suppose. I would just check out and check back in or reboot my PC....or futz around until it worked...not really knowing what was happening.

Perhaps clicking on the logo...which I NEVER considered or knew was possible.... is the "quick fix"
we need to make known in some prominent way to newcomers!!!

Best

Jon

Hi fighter, and welcome.  While you are looking at those buttons on the left of your screen, check out the "imitrex tip".  You could get 2, or possibly 3 doses from each injection.

Continue to get your injections every month even when your cycle has stopped, so you can have a stockpile.

02 is well worth having as long as you use it correctly.  Minimum of 15 litres per minute, with a non rebreather mask.  I use the 02 at home and save the injections for when I'm out.

Australia should be on everyones bucket list.  It's paradise - made all the more enjoyable by Brians company.

Well, either my cycle is done, or the D3 regime has kicked in (I just finished the loading dose, tomorrow I start the maintenance). I've been CH free for almost a week now (oh beer..........how I've missed you).  Thank you all for all your help. Hopefully the D3 keeps them away for good (fingers crossed).

On that scale I'd put it at about an 8.  My cycles normally last about 6 to 8 weeks, this one lasted about 4 weeks.  I saw the survey on here, and I will be taking it after a month on the regime.