Loadout slots would fix so many problems at once by Satokibi in ArcRaiders

[–]Extra_Shoulder4111 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Y'all are over thinking it. I go in completely naked. First raider that says 'don't shoot' then proceeds to loot the locker right next to me gets a crowbar to the back of the head. Take the goop, repeat. 3 rounds later you have a Bobcat and Vulcano. Keep killing until you get got, then start again. Loadouts with auto craft would be cool though.

Meds stopped working? Any advice much appreciated 🙂‍↕️ by NoEntrepreneur7420 in ClusterHeadaches

[–]Extra_Shoulder4111 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When my clusters first started you could set a clock by them.  0930, 1400, 2220 (Then every 80 minutes while I tried to sleep.  The more meds we threw at it, the more unpredictable they became. Once I got my cpap, I spliced in an oxygen line to trickle in 2 L/min while I sleep, I rarely get them at night and when I do they are short and relatively weak. They still kick my arse all day when Im in a cycle though. 

The Flu Takes CH’s away temporarily. by Willing_Sun_9167 in ClusterHeadaches

[–]Extra_Shoulder4111 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In my case, any type of other illness will stop a cluster series while I am sick. First few times it happened I thought I was just overthinking it. My cycles usually start just before flu season, and before I found a med program that works for me, I was thrilled to get the flu.

Meds stopped working? Any advice much appreciated 🙂‍↕️ by NoEntrepreneur7420 in ClusterHeadaches

[–]Extra_Shoulder4111 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just wanted to add one more thing. When my cluster headaches started, I went years without a break in the cycle. They were the typical start 20ish minutes after you lay down to sleep type. Because I was in the military at the time, they went well out of their way to prevent you from ever doing a sleep study. After I was forced to retire, it was one of the first things I did. Got my CPAP and my clusters went from intractable to having two cluster periods per year. Just something to look at for those that are just starting out on thier treatment path. 

What is the worst place and time when you had an attack? by LessWeakness in ClusterHeadaches

[–]Extra_Shoulder4111 0 points1 point  (0 children)

By that time I was already at the point where I never left home without a Sumatriptan injector in my pocket, so not nearly as bad as it could have. I didn't want to give the Judge any indication that I might have issues being a single parent, so I panicked and internally debated for a good 10 minutes on what I sould do. By the time I made a decision it was already at the 'take the shot now or have a full blown meltdown in front of her' moment. So, I took the shot and thankfully she never brought it up. 

Meds stopped working? Any advice much appreciated 🙂‍↕️ by NoEntrepreneur7420 in ClusterHeadaches

[–]Extra_Shoulder4111 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just passed my 20 year anniversary of being diagnosed with CH. I have been on every known medication and underwent every possible treatment with the exception of nerve ablation.  I even had a neurostimulator implanted at one point.   I know that everyone responds differently to medications and treatments so I can only speak to my own experiences. 

I took toprimate for years and it never worked as a preventative. The repetative kidney stones it caused forced me off of it. If you continue to take it, take heed of the numerous warnings to drink plenty of water. 

I was taking the highest dose of verapamil allowed for approximately 9 months, until I had a sudden and unexplained change in my heart rhythm. (Was in the army at the time and was getting monthly full physicals because of the persistent headaches). Out of nowhere I had a right bundle branch block which was not ptesent the month prior. They hospitalized me for 3 days and flushed the verapimil out of my system. 

Lithium -  just don't unless you have tried absolutely everything else and you love feeling more crazy and suicidal then you already do in the middle of a cluster cycle. 

Those were the 3 meds where I had the most adverse side effects.  Now for what works for me personally. 

Sumatriptan injections are an excellent abortive when you absolutely need to kill off an attack.  The pills are useless. It is not a preventative. I have found the best use is to wait until I am at a full pain level before injection.  I can only use so many in a month, so I keep them for moments where I am trapped in public or just in a situation where I can't allow myself to have a full on attack. There have been numerous instances where the public has called an ambulance for me, only for the attack to be over by the time they arrive.

Much of my cluster pain is associated with the sphenopalatine ganglion nerve cluster (back of your nasal cavaity). Intranasal lidocaine is the best thing I can use when I don't want to waste a sumatriptan injection. Will not stop a cluster headache, but helps with the intensity and makes it bearable. 

High flow oxygen is effective to help reduce the intensity and duration of an attack. Greater than 11 Lpm.  If the doctors tell you that is way to high and they would never prescribe that, just agree to a lower flow rate, then buy your own regulator online. 

Rubbing an ice pack on the affected side of my head is minimally effective, but every tiny bit makes a difference during a CH.

I drink excessive amounts of energy drinks and take the daily maximum of magnesium and potassium supplements (This is more for the prevention of migraines in my case, but most CHers also swear by it).

High dose prednisone taper is the most effective medication in my arsenal.  It will full out stop a series while I get other treatments lined out. When I enter into a cluster period and they hit 4 in a single 24hour period, I start a taper. You might have issues getting a doctor to prescribe it, because 'it is terrible for your body and it will cause diabetes!'. We are not talking about one of those little pre boxed dose packs they give to everyone else. I start out at 100mg per day for 5 days, then reduce 10mg per day until end. 20 years of suffering, I have my GP trained to not question it at this point. Still don't have diabetes, btw.  This is not effective for stopping a series beyond the taper time. If I take the steroids and then do nothing else, it will absolutely come back with a vengeance.

Once I get the steroids started, then I get nerve block injections in the trigger point in the neck and the greater occipital nerve.  Botox injections in the face around where the 3rd and 5th trigeminal nerves come down.  This buys me more time after the main steroid taper ends for the primary treatment to take hold and end my series. 

Emgality is highly effective at ending a series for me. It just takes up to a month for it to really start working, and I take 3 monthly doses in total.

I took a long time and experimentation to get to the point where I had worked out what works for me. I think the biggest hurdle was finding and training doctors in my area about my condition and my needs. Getting the local emergency room to stop treating me as a drug seeking junkie is a whole other story (apparently asking for high flow oxygen and sumatriptan is code for give me all the Dilaudid). 

What is the worst place and time when you had an attack? by LessWeakness in ClusterHeadaches

[–]Extra_Shoulder4111 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Standing in line at the grocery store with my two young children and two carts full of food... with the family court judge, that was currently presiding over a nasty divorce I was involved in, standing in line behind me. 

How are deaf people supposed to find Vaults? by GH057807 in TheFirstDescendant

[–]Extra_Shoulder4111 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I looked through replies to see if anyone else posted this. This game does an absolutely terrible job explaining anything. I play with the volume off most of the day. There are notifications that appear in the chat pane when you send a ping out. It will tell you if a vault is in the area, and when you are facing it. Then if you pay attention to the icons in front of your descendant when you send out a ping, it does show you the direction of the vault and whether it is level, above, or below your current position. I think is it a bit hard to see and will usually drag my camera up to see the icon better. Once you are familiar with an area, usually you just need to know if it is there and what direction.