Posted by Reima on January 30, 1999 at 19:59:53:
Hi all.
I am at the end of my 3:rd cluster cycle now. The firt 2 were a year apart, the 3:rd nearly 2 years.
This time I consulted a Neurologist here in Northern Queensland of Australia.
He had me take 2 Prednisone 25mg. tablets every day for a week and then taper down during 10 days to nothing. During the first week on Prednisone I did some times not have an atack for 48 hrs. but they started to come back twise a day during the tapering down period, so had to take 50mg Imigran tablets for the worst ones.
After the Prednisone cure he precribed "Sandomigran" 0.5mg tablets at the rate of two tablets three times a day. Manufacturer is Novartis and generic name is "Pizotifen" (Pharmcisit here insist on taping their own labels on all medication so sometimes it is not easy to pray them off to find out what one is being poisoned with), but it definitely says pizotifen 0.5mg in each tablet.
It is now 10 days since I started with them and found that Cluster atacks have first become less sever mostly (there were a few bad ones about 5 to 7 days after I started, and I took "Mersydol Forte" tablet and once even Imigran 20ml. nasal spray for the pain, and lately only shadows untill last coupe of days none at all, they have gradually just disapeared. I have even tested by having a few cigarrettes and a bottle of beer without any ill effects.
It is also true that my headaches usually last 1-2 months and then disapear for about a year, so who knows, is it the medication or do they just go away naturally??
Hope this helps somebady.
Regards to all suferers
Reima.