Posted by Bennie Sue (63.11.65.227) on July 20, 2000 at 08:51:04:
In Reply to: OTC Meds. - Helpful or a waste of time and money?? posted by Kyle on July 20, 2000 at 07:32:35:
A lot of people take these, sometimes to great excess, but they are still in pain when they post.
Personally I avoid them because they do not touch my pain, and they can be bad for you taken over a period of time.
A neurologist once told me why they don't work for CH. "CH is a different kind of pain," he said. I was too stupid to ask for an explanation at the time - wish I had. But after 11 years episodic with no medications I was in a hurry to get to the drug store and get my prescriptions for lithium and Verapamil filled as fast as possible.
Maybe the OTC painkillers work to ease some of the other pains associated with CH like tiredness from lack of sleep, stuffy nose, tension headache, etc.
Everyone has to find the best treatment for himself or herself. It takes trial and error.
Good luck in your quest.