Posted by Elaine (64.12.105.179) on July 25, 2000 at 07:42:43:
Todd and I have been tossing this around. I have been on Verapamil for a year now. It took my clusters from 5 to 1 a day, some weeks I was lucky enough to just have them every other day. I am chronic and after a certain amount of time most medication wears off. Each time my clusters increased this last year the doctor increased my verapamil. I was up as high as I could go and I was so tired I could not stand it. I wanted to stay in bed and was still getting hit hard.
Being the stuborn clustershead that I am. I go P O and said to myself "Hell if I am going to get hit I will get off this medication and a lest maybe I won't be to tired to fight the pain.
I was taking four a day! What I did was take my pills and cut them in half I took a half at the same time everyday that I would normally take a whole. The first two days I got hit really hard and was getting to the point of saying ooops I screwed up. Yet I was not tired so I kept the dose at a half four times a day.
I have only had one cluster in a little over a week now. I have had a few shodows but thats it.
I am not sure if I have hit on the right dose, and by taking them in halfs four times a day is helping keep it in my system, or if its a change in my system. When I first stared taking verapamil I was on two aday and it didn't work. Why is two a day working now?? Could it be that when what works for us ,doesn't work any more instead of going to another medication just change the dose, and going higher is not always the answer maybe droping the dose is. Just making a change in our system might help. I am no where as near as tired as I us to be and no longer have to take a nap durning the day. Only one cluster in a week is good for me.
Just a thought maybe instead of increasing your medication or when your as high as you can get try cutting back, but remember you may get hit hard the first few days you change but give the change enough time to work at least give it 4 days.
I am not sure what the resaon is for this break but I am enjoying it! Thought it might help someone else and wanted to share it! I will keep you updated on this a week is really not enoough time to say but it feels good just to have this week :-)!