Posted by Don M. on October 07, 1998 at 20:15:47:
Hi all,
I have officially acknowledged that my Clusters are OVER for the year....YEEHAW!!!!! Been higher than a kite...life is SO good! This is what I had, 480mg's Verapimil, 60 mg's per day prednisone...for about two weeks,.(tapering off now)Imitrex nasal spray...didn't use it much tho'.....usually didn't help if I didn't take it instantly!! The article about cold air in the face and eyes helped, Oxygen was a Godsend (1st time I tried it...20+ years) Cold packs(like used for lunch boxes)kept 5 froze up at ALL times (for the long ones that nothing would help) Also, for the first time, I took some time off work...the meds were makin' me a bit goofy, and staying indoors, in A/C seemed to help!
All in all, was not a bad cycle for once....two weeks of living hell, the rest was bearable....usually have 2 to 3 months of severe ones. Had as many as 7 in one day, did that two years ago too, before that, the yearly cycles were usually just one ...maybe two per day. Anyhow, the best treatment I found, was right HERE!!!!! I never knew anyone else who had these, it was great to see so many different treatments...and the results. I went to the Dr. this year with a whole new attitude, along with MY suggestions on what we needed to do. It was so nice to be able to feel I was taking charge, rather than being victimized by pain that most folks will NEVER KNOW!! I owe you all, and DJ, my thanks, no doubt , I WILL be back, but already, I have a lot more confidence that next summer does NOT have to be dreaded....perhaps my summer/fall seasons will no longer put the fear of Clusters in me!! This really has been a great experience, sharing with you all. Just wish we could all meet someday under "painfree" circumstances. I WILL leave the link on my homepage to here.....indefinitely.Sure hope someone gets as much benefit from it as I. Come see me at : www.bright.net/~magk9/ Best of luck to you all, never give up!!
Don M.