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Topic: New to board....possible CH victim (Read 238 times) |
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mooogies
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New to board....possible CH victim
« on: Aug 31st, 2006, 6:39am » |
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Ok here goes. I've done some research on cluster headaches and I'm beginning to think I may be suffering from them. So I guess I'm looking for more info (the more I know the better I can deal with them?), support and understanding and perhaps a few tricks to help with the pain.
I've been suffering from these headaches which hit just the left side of my head, my eye, jaw and back of my neck and shoulder. They ONLY happen during the night and definately wake me from sleep. Typically this headache lasts for about 30-45 minutes and when I do get them I seem to get them every night for a period of time. Haven't tracked them as they just returned after a couple of months of remission. At first I thought perhaps it was something either in my bedroom or my bed that I was allergic to so after completely stripping my whole room and cleaning it thoroughly......I realized that's NOT the case, but at least my bedroom is clean and tidy now 
I HAVE TO get up out of bed, it seems that lying down only intensifies the pain and I've found that if I sit up, with my hand over my left eye and sort of bent over (like you were about to tie your shoes) the pain is a little easier to tolerate. However, after having 1 child (25 hour labour which ended in a c-section - which was a piece of cake, it was long and I was very hungry by the end of it) I would gladly trade 25 hours of labour to get rid of this 30 minutes of excruciating pain.
I tolerate pain well so for me to even start doing research on something its because I'm at the point where I can't handle it. Last nite was probably the worst for me, the headache woke me after only 2 hours of sleep, I was almost crying, whimpering actually (which isn't my style), rocking in my chair and just wishing I would die? Is that dramatic? Not that I contemplated suicide or anything....but the pain was pretty intense. Its the next morning now, the remnants of the headache are still there, sensitivity in my eye and the back of my neck and shoulder are achy, but tolerable.
So......I guess I'm looking for......perhaps a diagnosis? I kind of figured, as I'm going through menopause (also a piece of cake and happy to say I'm unmedicated - so far) that this was a symptom. But I'm not so sure now.
Oh, as for meds that I am on, I've been on prozac (for a work-related burn out) for about 3 yrs now and tolerate it well. If its not broke.....don't fix it is my theory with this med.
So....any comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated and I'll continue to read the board.
Take care everyone and nice to meet you.
Mooogies 
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Margi
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Re: New to board....possible CH victim
« Reply #1 on: Aug 31st, 2006, 10:00am » |
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Hi Mooogies and, sadly, welcome. It does sound like cluster to me.  Menopause onset isn't unheard of.
You really should get in to see a neuro though, get a CT Scan/MRI to rule everything else out. We have a Canadian message board just like this one and you're welcome to come post there and ask about doctors in the Ottawa area - we have a few folks from Ontario on board. I just checked our 'find a headache doctor' link and don't see one listed for Ottawa, but there are a few others in the T.O. area:
http://www.clusterheadaches.ca/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=105
Oxygen delivered at a high flow rate through the right type of mask (non-rebreather or clustermasx) really is a great abortive.
Your best bet is to read up on everything you can and educate yourself. Both our sites have good diagnostic tools but you really should formalize it with a professional.
Again, welcome and hope you find some pain relief soon. You can also try taking melatonin before bed (now that it's finally legal in Canada), or Gravol OR Benadryl. Those three things are available without prescription and can get you through the night without getting hit.
Here's the link to OUCH Canada:
www.clusterheadaches.ca - please feel free to check us out, too!!
Margi
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Callico
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Re: New to board....possible CH victim
« Reply #2 on: Sep 1st, 2006, 3:53am » |
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I would concur with Margi as to getting to a Dr, preferably a Neuro with HA experience ASAP. While it sounds very much like CH you want to rule out tumor or anuerism for sure.
O2 is effective for some, and others of us use Red Bull or another of the energy drinks with Taurine as an abortive. Melatonin works for some, but unfortunately not for me if I want to function the next day. That is one of the hard things about CH. Nothing works for everyone, and not all the time when it does work. You will have to find out for yourself what works best for you. You will though find a lot of useful information here (and on the Canadian site) plus feel free to ask questions. You wll usually find someone to answer, and don't feel like they are dumb. We all had to start at the same place. Some of us have just been doing it longer than you.
Jerry
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burnt-toast
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Re: New to board....possible CH victim
« Reply #3 on: Sep 1st, 2006, 8:28am » |
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Your symptoms are very CH, but go through the process of ruling out potenital physical causes of your symptoms.
Ruling out other potenital causes - left untreated CH can ramp up and become more active. Improving your symptoms and gaining some control is possible with some of the current treatment options. Don't suffer unnecessarily.
Best wishes,
Tom
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Would the owner of the propane torch, egg beater, pipe expander and vise grips please claim these items. They're lodged in my head and I need the space.
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