Posted by Kate (206.216.188.114) on March 10, 2000 at 00:19:48:
In Reply to: I'm new here... posted by Kate M. on March 09, 2000 at 14:49:14:
Hi, its me again. I am really surprised that I have gotten so many responses...TODAY! You guys are great. I checked it out with my husband and he seems to be OK with me sharing all of this information with you. Here goes: He has had CHs since he was about 17. He almost always gets a cycle in the spring and then another in the fall. He has used egotamine drugs, verapamil, sansert, oxygen and heavy does of ibuprofen and excedrin when he gets a shadow. (See? I read the vocabulary list!) We live in Boulder, Colorado and heard about a guy, Dr. Klapper, who is supposedly the headache guru of Colorado. Personally I thought that he treated my husband like he was complaining too much about a hangnail. Anyway, he tried a study that used topomax only. It didn't work and now he is on one tab (240mg) of verapamil morning and night and two tabs of topomax (25mg) morning and night. When he started this treatment the headaches stopped almost immediately. Unfortunately it took three weeks for the dumbfuck doctor (ahem...excuse me) to try this combo. I hope that this information helps someone. By the way, I have some questions. My husband has congenital ptosis in his right eye, which is the same side that he has his headaches on. Does anyone think that is a little too coincidental? Also, Kevin (yes, lets give him a name) was just diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease. Is this bad luck or has anyone noticed a correlation between the two? Long shot, I know. I feel like he can't hack much more of nasty health stuff and I am looking for some answers. Another question. Why are doctors so damned complacent about this? Is this the one thing that they omit from medical school? I want scream when some well-iintentioned, ill-informed person says, "Oh, headaches? I have the perfect solution. Try pressing that little peice of skin between your thumb and index finger." Ha. I don't even tell people anymore and it has become this kind of gruesome dread that is always lurking somewhere. Ok, I am taking up a little too much space here so I am going to go to bed. I hope that you all sleep well...at least those of you who can sleep! Kate