New Daily Persistent Headache Support Group

Hello I am the single mother of a 14 year old who has had a headache since April of 2007. We have done everything including IV Drug Therapy, Lumbar punctures, accupuncture, medication therapy, biofeedback, allergy testing, massage, hypnotherapy and others. Nothing has helped. Things seem to be getting worse. We are at our end as to what we can do. So far she has been able to continue with school and activities, but she does miss a lot of school and it is hard for her. I just hope for something. If anyone has had any luck with anything I would love to hear about it, although I feel like we have tried everything.

I looked quickly through the list of meds and didn't see Haloperidol(Haldol) The neurologist explained that since haldol works on the dopamine receptors it can help. It's an anti-psychotic drug. Along with it he used and IV steroid and benedryl to counter-act some of the side effects. This treatment was most helpful in that it stopped the "all-over throbbing" to a frontal ache. The throbbing has not returned.

Has your daughter had this treatment in the past?

Hi. my daughter, AC, got her headache when she was 14. She is now 16. The only medication that has helped her is Flunarizine. It is an extremely slow acting medication ( takes months), used widely in Europe, and unavailable in this country. Her headache specialist, who was recruited from London, prescribes it and we order it from Canadapharmacy. Their generic is called Apo-Flunarizine.

AC started with 5 mg. After 6 months went to 7.5 mg. and in the last few months went up to 10 mg. Except when she is sick or hormonal (then her headache spikes and we don't have an abortive that works), her headache now resides at a 1 or 2 (1-10) scale. A huge improvement from being on this medication! We are still hoping for her to be headache free, but are still delighted to have her pain so low that there are times when she is unaware of having a headache even though it is still there.

Her cranial sacral therapist has also helped some. She suggests the cranial sacral therapist have both advanced training as well as training at the Upledger Institute in order to work with NDPH.

We are also considering looking into the Lyme angle. I have been sick all week, so haven't had the energy to discuss this more fully with Ramilin. But she is terrific, so helpful and generous with her knowledge of Lyme disease. Several people on the Forum have become headache free since pursuing Lyme assessment and treatment.

Hang in there! It will get better.....

hagansc,

As far as I know that drug was not included in the drug cocktail she was given for IV therapy and I know she has not taken it orally. Is it an IV drug?

ACsmom,

Thank you for your response. I pray everyday it will get better and I just keep searching. I will mention that medication to her neurologist. She is always open to ideas. We just would like to know how you can one day be a perfectly healthy 11 year old and the next you have a headache that does not go away. It's just crazy.

Haloperidol can be given either in IV, pills, or intra muscular injection (they aren't likely to use this for headaches though...often used when someone is psychotic).

It would not surprise me if your daughter hasn't had it because she is so young and it is a STRONG medicine. I would not be surprised if they did not want to give it to her regularly over a long period of time (like daily pills) because the risk of side effects goes up with long term use and some of them are really bad. I don't know as much about what the risks are with a one time IV treatment though (I am more familiar with its use in mental health settings than for headaches).

Hi again vrsmith,

I'm glad I was able to be encouraging. We just got back from ACs appt with her headache specialist. We are just going to stay on the same course.

It is pretty crazy that the headache came come on so suddenly. For AC, it occurred on March 27, 2008 at 3:00 a.m. when she was awakened with a terrible headache. The first months were awful. Lots of pain, medications that didn't work and whose side effects were almost as bad as the headache itself.

We feel very fortunate to have found something that helps so significantly. Her headache specialist feels that eventually she will be headache free. Hope springs eternal.

Most U.S. neurologists will prescribe Verapamil (because it is available in the U.S. and they are familiar with it) instead of Flunarizine. They will say that they are similar. However, they are NOT. Verapamil is only a calcium channel blocker, whereas Flunarizine is a calcium channel blocker and dopamine antagonist. It is the combination, or even more so the latter ingredient, that is helpful. ACs doc told us that had we lived in Germany, it probably would have been the first medication tried.

If it is appropriate for your daughter to be on this medication, please make sure the physician is familiar with this medication. AC was not started on 10 mg. She started on 5 mg. Was on that for about half a year before he increased her dosage to 7.5 mg. She has only been on 10 mg. for 3 months. That is the dosage she will remain on until she gets off this medication. Her headache specialist wants her on it for about two years post headache (we can't wait for the post headache day!).

Hang in there! Eventually things will work out!

It can be given IV or IM. For my daughter it was given IV over a couple of hours. she also got a steroid along with it.

Yes, it is odd. Dev got her headache at 5:00 pm on April 7, 2007. It's also funny she can remember exactly when it happened. We went thru the same thing for weeks; meds, doctors, er visits. It was crazy. I am hopeful for your daughter and mine. It is horrible whatever it is. Strips them of their childhood and all you can do is keep searching and try to comfort them.

Here are a few hits I found by searching "haldol for headaches".

Headache

Pt who received haldol reached 50% reduction in pain in 30 min, while patients who ... Headache is intermittent, worse at night or on exposure to cold; Associated symptoms ...

cchseast.org/Portals/33/Residency/Headache_1_.ppt

Haldol Uses

Some of these off-label Haldol uses include the treatment of dementia, agitation, and migraine headaches. Haldol is approved for use in children as young as three years old.

schizophrenia.emedtv.com/haldol/haldol-uses.html

http://www.realmentalhealth.com/medications/ haloperidol.asp#Pharmacology

Haloperidol blocks the effects of dopamine and increases its turnover rate; however, the precise mechanism of action is unknown.