Posted by RichM (167.206.191.214) on February 23, 2001 at 11:02:04:
In Reply to: Relief finally! posted by Joy on February 23, 2001 at 09:29:04:
I could be described as a poster boy for cluster headaches, having survived 25 years of near annual bouts. A few years ago, I started to skip a year or so but this January started the sequence all over. It seems Cygna Healthsource and my neurologist no longer do business so I had to take another doc sight unseen from the book. What I really wanted was a "script" for more Imitrex, as that always gave relief. He also put me on 240mg of Verapamil, 300mg Lithium Carbonate, and lastly, Oxygen. Now the good news; 10 days after the start of the meds, no serious sessions for over one week. Even at the outset, 10 minutes of 9ml O2 quelled the attack. I feel so much better sucking O2 than sticking an Imitrex needle in my leg. And at the cost of $45 per injection, I was paying for the 25mg pills($15 per) when his samples ran out. The inhaler was a mild success, but the injection provided almost immediate relief. I do not feel any side effects of the drugs and I have slept through the night for almost four days now.