Posted by nick (80.62.2.75) on October 04, 2001 at 15:49:20:
In Reply to: Got it backwards posted by Bob P on October 04, 2001 at 14:56:19:
It occurred to me Bob, that some doctors may be under the impression that a cure is easily at hand.
Because of the nature of CH, patients show up at a neurologist, get some treatment verapmil/triptan, then break contact after 2 months or so.
This probibly makes the Doc think the patient is cured. Not so. They are in a state of remission.
I remember the doctor I spoke to saying that 95% of patients are cured after the treatment, but this support group is a glaring contradiction to that belief.
I too thought I was cured. I was especially confident when the Doc said (after 2 minutes), it's a classic case of CH. Don't worry, we'll get rid of this soon enough.
But it seems that the CH runs it's normal course anyway. Triptan injections ease the pain (sort of), and the verapamil might not be having any affect at all, because a CH period will run its course anyway.
I think when I first encountered it, I believed it was a long term thing that the doctor turned into a short term thing.
Now I am taking the verapamil, but no pain relief.
I am too chicken to stop the verapamil in case it extends this period by a few more weeks (or even days), if I don't take it.
I am inverstigating the O2 method. This is not common in Denmark where I live. I have a brother-in-law who is a GP, and I asked him about the O2.
He said he does not know of any patients, other than those with breathing problems that can take some O2 home.
But if this is going to continue for a month or so, I'm going to need something. (and something that wont knock me out for hours).
I hope you're right - that this is going to become less frequent.
I've even considered the Mushroom treatment, but I'm also doubtfull about that.
I noticed you've made a lot of posts, is this because you have freinds here now, or you're in the middle of a period, or are you a heavy or chronic sufferer?