Posted by drummer on April 29, 1999 at 18:30:24:
In Reply to: Hubby & Clusters posted by Pat on April 29, 1999 at 16:16:00:
OK Pat, hang on, this is going to be long. You didn't mention any preventative drugs for your husband. Here are some. Calan SR (the generic is Verapamil). Your husband sounds like where I was 15 years ago. He might be getting chronic. I hope he is not. It ain't fun. Anyway. He should be able to handle 240mg of Verapamil at first. He can probably go as high as 720mg. Check with your doc. This is a blood thinner used for patients with high blood pressure. Also check into the possibility of anti-convulsant or anti-depressant drugs. Such as Lithium, Depakote, Neurontin and Ritilin. If he is chronic like me, check out one drug at a time. You want to see what works best for him. I would suggest he stay on the Verapamil always.
To abort an attack there is Oxygen, Ercaf, which is an Ergotomine and Maxalt and DHE.
One does have to be careful with Imitrex. With that said, there also is good news for chronic cluster guys. (If there can actually be good news) Let me explain. I have been taking 3 Ercaf a day for 8 years. My liver should have been eaten away by now by that drug. I have my liver checked, (blood), every so often. It is fine. The explanation from my neurologist, who I trust is, "for some reason you chronic cluster guys seem to have no adverse affects to a large quantity of drugs".
Get a good neurologist that you trust. You can trust a doctor by looking into his/her eyes when you say, "Cluster Headache". If the doctor looks confused. Run. If the doc says that there is nothing that can be done for clusters. Run. If the doc says "well, the latest thing that I have heard is.........". Make yourself at home and mention everything from this web-site. Tell your doc the nightmare that not only your husband lives, but the nightmare for you. How you are worried that he may hurt himself during an attack. A good doctor that understands clusters will be there for you and your husband at anytime. Train your doctor well. If your doctor knows clusters, he will see your husband at a moment's notice. The only thing better for me than my neurologist is my supportive wife who trained my doctor well. When my wife says to my doctor that I can't take the pain anymore, I get to see him right after she hangs up the phone.
Good Luck!