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Originally Posted by ExtremeBank_Adam
I have had cluster migraines for 20 years...The best "drug" that I've found is an Imitrex injection, 6mg... and it works in minutes, but it always makes me vomit. Plus, if your insurance doesn't cover it, they are over $100 per shot... I would use 4-5 every week.
But, after reading about getting Botox for migraines, I decided to give it a try. On my next series of cluster migraines, I went to Alysha's doctor, who gave me some Botox injections in my forehead near my migraine trigger points. Within a couple of days my headaches stopped completely.
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Glad you found an answer to your clusters.
I have clusters too - so I know how incredibly bad they are.
I now see a renowned neurologist in LA who specializes in headaches - and whose father was one of the neurologists who first figured out cluster headaches back in the 70s.
If you want to try something different, easier and cheaper than Botox, here's the magic bullet...assuming that you have classic clusters that occur at the same time every night after you go to sleep.
1. Verapamil - the highest dose they'll give you (I take 240mg twice a day). I actually started this years before I saw the neurologist mentioned above - once you're in a cluster, it drastically lessens the number of headaches that you get - I went from six headaches per day when they started, to one per day once I started the verapamil.
2. Cafergot - this is the real key that he gave me. When you're in a cluster, assuming you get the headache after you go to bed (which is most common), take one pill BEFORE you go to bed. BINGO. No headache
(Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor and cafergot can have bad interactions with some drugs or medical conditions - be sure to consult a doctor first.)
It was a real life-saver for me. Obviously if you've found that Botox works for you and you want to stay with it, that makes sense. But if you want to avoid Botox (I don't trust it) and go with something you can just take at home - this is it.
PS The other thing that is commonly prescribed for clusters is oxygen - if you get a cluster headache, you turn on the oxygen and it kills the headache in minutes. I didn't go that way, but a lot of people do.
PPS (for Who) --- if you have regular migraines, see a neurologist who specializes in headaches. My wife had a rare form of migraines and he was able to pretty much take care of those, too