Posted by Dave on February 15, 1999 at 17:24:50:
I have been using the whole drug store to stop wicked clusters for the last two weeks. On a good night I was getting 3-4 hours of sleep.
I am convinced that the cluster cycle has something to do with viruses, specifically herepes zoster (shingles). The resulting outbreak causes an inflamation in a nerve branch and an adjacent artery. (I think it is the trigiminal and the internal carotid.) The nerve pain elevates blood pressure causing more iritation and inflamation of the nerve. It is a vicious circle.
First I am taking nifedipine to lower the blood pressure, (have been for 4 weeks). Taking this theory I took valtrex at the recomended dose for a shingles outbreak and the maximum dose of Duract -A strong NSAID. In two days I was sleeping through the night. It has been seven days now with no clusters.
Please someone else try this. I hope I am on to something and that my remission was not coincidental.