Posted by Flash (217.32.127.251) on September 15, 2001 at 18:27:49:
In Reply to: My story posted by Bob P on September 15, 2001 at 00:11:03:
I've posted most of this before, but here it is again.
The hallucinogens are actually at their most effective taken between episodes. The problem with this tactic is that your not sure whether it was the hallucinogen or a nautral remission.
The next best thing is to take them at the onset of an episode.
The most difficult time to treat the CH is at peak cycle.
Personally I have found boh mushrooms and LSD to be equally effective.
All my treatments with hallucinogens have ultimately been successful, but I have a couple have resulted on short term unpleasantness. In my case the unpleasentness has occured when I have:
a) underdosed
b) left it too close to peak cycle
c) used past their best (weak) shrooms
On those occasions the headaches have initally become less frequent but much more painful and of much longer duration. They have been #10s on the scale of analgesic rebounds lasting 3 hours or more. Very nasty. However this phase has never lasted more than 5 days and just as I was considering a second dose - the headaches quit unexpectedly.
Most times the headaches have quit instantly. The shrooms have even aborted the last headache in full swing. I have induced headaches with alchohol to get this effect. Other times the headaches have gone out with a whimper over the course of 48 hours.
The one sure thing is that in every single instance of hallucinogenic treatment dating back to the beginning of 1993 the headaches have:
a) simply failed to materialise after dosing between episodes.
b) ceased within 15-30 mins of ingesting the hallucinogen.
c) lingered wimpily (a new word) for around 48 hours, then quit - several weeks before the cycle was due to self terminate (ha ha and sometimes in the old days that phrase took on a more literal meaning).
d) got less frequent but more painful and longer lasting for several days before terminating suddenly weeks ahead of schedule.
In 1997 I neglected to use any hallucinogens, thinking I'd procure some LSD nearer the time. Due to past hallucingen use I wasn't actually sure where I was in my cycle (the episodes used to be every 6 months for 1-2 months). It finally arrived 15 months after the last one the hallucinogens terminated. Unfortunately this was just prior to Christmas and LSD appeared to be made out of unobtainium at that time. That episode did it's dinger for the full 2 months.
That's the last time I left it too late to get hold of hallucinogens...
Hope this information is useful. One thing is for sure Bob. Something has fucked up the course of your episode. And my guess is it's the shrooms. That's a good sign.
I should also mention that I have used hallucinogens to successfully terminate 14 episodes.
Flash