Posted by Tim on November 14, 1998 at 22:59:14:
Hi folks,
I really hate to use "folks", don't you think we should have are own club name with a club house, jackets, secret hand shake and everything. (just kidding guys, don't panic) I'll try not to make this a long " pain-o-log " or a C/H drug history novel. I've had cluster headaches for 23 years, and in that time I've damn near tried it all. The tests, treatments, scans and tricks. Scores of drugs, Rx and O.T.C. , herbs, diet, acupunture, chiropracture, old indian tricks,...! You get the idea. I was at the point to where I was going in for the surgery, as a matter of fact I was on Dr. Barrnets list at the Cleveland Clinic to have it done at one point. Thats when my wife came across a post by Dr. Gary Mellick in Feb. . It was about a new study he was doing, it was on Ritalin. I went, I saw, he conqured, in a manner of speaking. No one can beat this demon but we can keep it on a short leash. I started with Dr. Mellick on 3/11/98. I have to add that in the fall of '97 I went from episodic to chronic. You see, I asked God, aside from losing a loved one, what could be worse than this pain? He answered: To have it all the time. I HAD to ask! I started to take Ritalin as maintenance and as an abortive. It works as fast as Imitrex and you can use it safely more than twice in 24 hours, which is a plus for me when I was using up to 4 to 5 injections a day, I would have taken the stroke over the pain. The headaches would come hot and heavy for about 4 to 6 weeks, then lighten up for 2 to 3 weeks. I would take a 20SR which is a 20mg sustain release tablet, in the morning and one in the early evening, if a headache would break through I would take a 20mg regular tablet and the C/H would abort within 5 to 10 min. . That would be during the real bad times. As they would get less frequent I would take 1 SR20 in the AM and a 10mg or 20mg if it would break through. Taking it a day at a time, I would be able to judge how much and when, until I would take nothing at all. They would come back and I would start all over again. Durning this time over the last 8 months, Dr. Mellick was not satisified with just controlling the pain, he wanted to knock it out of its cycle. With this in mind he would try different combinations of different medications. Some Rx and some natural, over the counter supplements, ect. Other people I have spoken to in the study have had it knocked out of its cycle very quickly. I on the other hand, had a small war, or should I say Dr. Mellick had a little bigger challenge. (I was staying out of pain.)
During this time I was also taking Calan. But with each new recipe or combination of meds. , if I was to take Ritalin out of the equation, they would come back just that fast, with a vengence. Ritalin being the key factor. In the past 8 months, (I did the math) I was taking an average of 60mg a day, what that means is that sometimes it was more, during the bad times and sometimes it was none. Which is where I'm at today. I'm still taking it a day at a time. But who knows, maybe I'll never take another pill in my life, or maybe I'll wake up at 2:00 am tomorrow. Either way I have some sort of piece of mind knowing the pain won't last and I won't have a stroke. I have to add that in the spring when they would break through, they would go to a 9 -10 on the pain scale, I noticed that in the summer and fall (Oct. being my worse time) , not only were they not as severe (if left unattended) they were not as frequent. Normally Oct. and Nov. would be a blurr. I have only 2 things to say "hunting season" and " Happy Thanksgiving" I can enjoy them both this year. As far as side affects. The only thing I've noticed is that if I took Ritalin during the day and then again in the late evening I would have trouble falling asleep. At those times I would have something to eat (my second most favorite thing to do) and read awhile. Usually I would be sleepy within an hour or so. B.P. stayed normal, liver is fine. Dr. Mellick kept close watch on everything, even making me do homework, a daily log with all my info. (God Bless him) which reminds me I still owe him the 1 to 22 years history for his records. So I hope this may have helped someone, or if I can answer any thing else, don't hesitate to post or e-mail me. I'm sure Dr. Mellick feels the same way. I hope he doesn't mind me speaking for him. Most of all I can't leave without publicly saying, Thank you Lord and to my family for their patience, understanding and compassion, also Dr. Mellick for your determination, knowledge and over all concern by which otherwise none of this would have come about, (sounds like the oscars) and I'm sure I would be in pain, not knowing whether I was coming or going.
Thanks to all of you for taking the time to read this. I highly recommend looking into it. Dr. Mellick has been published in a medical journal, exactly which one escapes me at the moment, but as soon as I remember I will post it, so you can read all the tech. stuff. I apologies for not posting sooner, it's a product wanting to be 100% sure and procrastination. Mostly the latter.
P.S. I didn't keep it short did I? Sorry.
P.P.S. When I get the feeling back in my fingers, I'll post on how I got granted full disibility within 3 months of filing. Not the normal "6 months - then rejection - then appeal. With no hassels at all.
P.P.P.S. My most favorite thing to do in my free time is hunt and fish, just wanted to make that clear. : )
Tim