| 07 Apr, 2013 - 8:46 am |
Pete "Batch" Batcheller's Anti-inflammatory regimen for CH.
I have been in contact with Batch about bringing the latest version and facts about the Anti-Inflammatory Regimen to the Australian site. I will be working closely with Batch to bring all the latest research here, so we can implement it in Australia and try to get some of the CH relief that so many (81% of respondents) now report in Batch's surveys.
Here's the details.
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Disclaimer: The following Anti-Inflammatory Regimen, treatment protocol and dosing guide to prevent cluster headaches are provided for information purposes only. Discuss them with your primary care physician (PCP) or neurologist whoever is most aware of your overall medical health and other prescribed medications before starting this regimen.
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For CH'ers new to this regimen, having your vitamin D3 status checked is the first step. Do this by asking your GP or neurologist for a blood test for 25(OH)D. That's the serum level metabolite of vitamin D3 that's used to measure its status. Be sure to tell your GP or neurologist why you want it tested and take along a copy of this post.
The normal reference range for 25(OH)D is 30 to 100 ng/mL (75 to 250 nmol/L). Unfortunately, most physicians will say you're "normal" with 31 ng/mL... That's way off the mark for CH'ers... We need a target 25(OH)D serum concentration of 85 ng/mL, (212.5 nmol/L) and that will take the average adult 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 over a 4 to 5-month period to attain.
The latest results from the online survey Batch has been running for over a year indicate 68 of the 84 CH'ers (81%) using this regimen who completed the online survey have experienced a significant reduction in the frequency, severity and duration of their CH. 60 are completely pain free. Their response times are illustrated in the following chart:
As you can see... 75% of the CH'ers who experienced a favourable response had it occur within the first 10 days... On the other hand... some CH'ers took as long as two months to achieve a pain free response.
This isn't a regimen you take for a few days then quit... If you bail out of this regimen after just a week because you didn't have a favourable response... you could easily miss out on the benefits of a very effective and inexpensive preventative... with no real side effects.
Stick with this regimen for at least a month then see your GP for another blood test for 25(OH)D. Even if you don't respond in a month, there's still hope as there's usually a reason why, but you'll need the blood test for starters. When you have the blood test results, please take the anti-inflammatory survey. To start this survey, click on the following link:
http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=fb8a2415-629f-4ebc-907c-c
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The next chart illustrates the time 25(OH)D serum concentration response to various doses of vitamin D3:
The top line indicates the average response to a vitamin D3 dose of 10,000 IU/day. As you can see the increase in 25(OH)D serum concentration increases rapidly for the first 10 days then it takes on an exponential shape, stabilizing in an equilibrium by the 4th to 5th month. As you can also see, the higher the vitamin D3 dose, the higher the equilibrium concentration of 25(OH)D.
The green color band indicates the range of 25(OH)D serum concentrations (60 to 110 ng/mL) reported by CH'ers after going pain free while taking the anti-inflammatory regimen. Batch indicates the running tally of CH'ers at CH.com (US) who have gone pain free on this regimen is 240 out of 300 (80%) who started it. So far only a handful of CH'ers have stopped taking this regimen and that includes the episodic CH'ers. Most of them are continuing on this regimen the year round in order to avoid going back in cycle.
Most CH'ers tend get impatient when CH is hammering away and want medications to work as fast as possible. What Batch has found is that an accelerated vitamin D3 dosing schedule increases the 25(OH)D response so CH'ers can go pain free a little faster.
The most popular and well tolerated accelerated vitamin D3 dosing schedule is 20,000 IU/day plus a 50,000 IU loading dose once a week. Batch indicates you can stay on this schedule for a month or until you go pain free, which ever occurs first and then drop back to a maintenance dose of 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3.
At the end of a month on this schedule, regardless of the results, you'll need to see your GP or neurologist for another 25(OH)D blood test then adjust your vitamin D3 intake down to a maintenance dose of 10,000 IU/day. The target 25(OH)D serum concentration of 85 ng/mL, (212.5 nmol/L).
Batch indicates the rational for maintaining this serum concentration of 25(OH)D is simple... This regimen isn't a cure and the 25(OH)D half life is a week to 10 days... Go without any vitamin D3 for that length of time and you'll fall out of the "Green Zone" and the CH attacks will come after you.
In case you're wondering about vitamin D3 intoxication... the dosing schedules Batch suggests in this regimen are conservative and very safe as illustrated in the following chart.
Notes:
- The toxicity reports are generally for Vitamin D monotherapy
- Magnesium, Vitamin K2, and other COFACTORS are needed
- True toxicity (with cofactors) is probably much higher than the monotherapy line on the chart
Source: http://www.vitamindwiki.com/Overview+Toxicity+of+vitamin+D
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Finally, don't forget to take the rest of this regimen. The vitamin D3 cofactors are very important and an essential part of this regimen.
The 2000 mg/day Omega 3 Fish Oil acts as an anti-inflammatory and also aids in vitamin D3 absorption.
500 mg/day calcium (calcium citrate) helps maintain bone mineral density (BMD).
The most important vitamin D3 cofactor is magnesium. It's essential in vitamin D3 metabolism.
Vitamin D3 at the doses used in this regimen also depletes magnesium so you'll need 400 mg/day up to as much as 1000 mg/day if needed.
Magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate or magnesium citrate are the preferred magnesium compounds to take. All three have a high bioavailability. Magnesium glycinate has the least laxative effect at higher doses... Magnesium oxide has the lowest bioavailability and can also make you loose as a goose.
Vitamin K2 MK-7 helps direct serum calcium away from soft tissues and arteries towards building BMD. 120 mcg/day should be sufficient.
Vitamin A (retinol) is also essential. It plays a significant role in the extra-renal autocrine path of vitamin D3 metabolism that takes place at the cellular level throughout the body. This is the mode of vitamin D3 metabolism we think is responsible for the cluster headache preventative effect... A little vitamin A goes a long way. Don't take more than 900 mcg/day (3,000 IU/day).
Some CH'ers want to take a multi-vitamin with B12 and vitamin C. Batch takes a multi-vitamin called Centrum Silver. He uses it as his source of vitamin A and vitamin K.
The data Batch has collected from the online survey indicates this regimen can be taken with nearly all the standard CH meds; although there are a few studies that have found that steriods slow vitamin D3 metabolism. CH'ers taking blood thinners like coumadin (warfarin), rat poison as Batch calls it, for a heart condition, need to discuss the vitamin K2 with their physician before taking it. Vitamin K1 and K2 are contraindicated for people taking blood thinners.
I will keep the site updated.
Please report your experiences taking the regimen. Help Batch to help us by clicking on the survey (link above) and reporting your outcomes. The feedback data from patients will help to get GPs, Doctors, Neurologists and other Headache Specialists to sit up, take notice and bring even more hope and relief to CHers worldwide.
Pain free days to all.
Cheers, Ben.This post was edited on 10/05/2013 at 4:49 pm
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