Posted by Chris Buckmaster (152.158.23.45) on February 10, 2000 at 09:17:56:
Hi there you guys!
I'm a CH from a long time now (some 20 years) in the UK. I was diagnosed about 15 years ago but our good old National Health Service weren't a lot of help until fairly recently when my GP (General Practitioner or family doctor) gave me Imigran tabs (Immitrex in the US I believe).
These helped some, but the episodes were still fairly intolerable. The tabs helped daytimes when I could spot the shadow - as you refer to it ( a good description!), but nightimes when I woke with it were hell!
Then I found you!! What a help! I tracked down a lot of information from your site and the various links. Printed a bunch of it and went to see the GP armed with some information. Boy was he surprised! After some initial reluctance, he began to understand (I think) and has now got me trying out Sumatriptan in nasal spray and injection form.
Results? Well the spray doesn't seem to be any more effective than the tabs. The injection on the other hand - fabulous. Last weekend I woke with what I guess from your scale would be a Kip9 CH. Good time to try the injector. CH GONE IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES! - normally this would be walking, head under the cold tap and banging on the floor for around 3 hours.
I now need to feedback the results to the GP. I am somewhat optimistic though not 100% since I've had a bit of a running battle with him over the cost of the medication - getting repeat prescriptions has been tough sometimes.
I'll let you know how I get on. Incidentally, he would not go for the O2 at all. Don't know why. Talking about seeing another neuro as well.
Meantime, anyone on the South Coast of England care to get in touch to meet? I live near Portsmouth.
Stay loose, and thanks for being there. ILY all.
Chris.