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Topic: Greetings, first CH episode last night ever (Read 315 times) |
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LSU_Freak
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Greetings, first CH episode last night ever
« on: May 23rd, 2007, 1:34pm » |
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My first thought was WHAT THE **** IS THIS???
Hello everyone, I must say that I'm happy such a support site like this exists, but sad that there is even a need for it.
I'm 36, in good shape, and have never had anything like this before. My appendix ruptured when I was 10 and I thought that was severe pain, but it doesn't come close. Here's how it happened: I had been in Las Vegas for 3 days at a real estate conference. Last night my wife and I were flying back to Dallas and all was going well. About 2 hours into the flight (maybe 30 minutes or so left before landing) I was listening to my ipod and all of a sudden I felt a twitch above my left eye. Within 60 seconds it was a full on headache, and got worse from there. Seemed as if nothing helped. Squeezed the bridge of my nose, pressed my palm against my head, nothing worked. My wife panicked and I literally thought I was dying. I never heard of cluster headaches before, so I had no idea if it was a brain aneurysm or what. I was in excruciating pain for the duration of the flight and I'm not sure how I made it to baggage claim or to my car.
Once we were on the ground my wife phoned her mother, who immediately researched the symptoms and had a printout from the Mayo Clinic waiting for us when we got home. The symptoms it listed were exact. I don't need to go into them because if you're reading this introduction you know what it's like all too well.
For about an hour and a half after the initial attack (which lasted for about 30 minutes), things were settled down a little. Just had an intense soreness, but there were no waves of panic again, until about 11:30 last night when I got my second and final attack. This one didn't last as long but was just as intense. Ice didn't help. When I put an icepack on my head, the sensitivity made it worse. My skin felt like I had been stung by a hornet or something, and then just went deeper into my skull.
Luckily, my wife has a friend who was a pharmaceutical rep to neurologists, and had given her some samples of Relpax for migraines some time ago. I probably shouldn't have taken something when I didn't even know what was going on, but at that point I would've drinken battery acid if someone had told me it would've helped. I think the Relpax did -- I was finally able to go to sleep about 30 minutes after taking it.
Is Relpax a typically effective remedy?
I have an appointment with my internist today and will speak to him about all the information I've been able to gather from your site this morning, for which I am greatly appreciative.
The Mayo Clinic information suggested that drinking alcohol, changing your sleep patterns, and a change in altitude may trigger attacks. Well, you can imagine how 3 days in Vegas may involve those factors. Has that been the case with anyone else? And do I have a prayer that this is a one-time occurrence? I just don't understand how I've gone 36 years with nothing of the sort and now all of a sudden it hits me like a ton of bricks.
I look forward to hearing from old hats, if you will, and to reading more of your experiences and suggested tips.
Thanks.
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Ray
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Re: Greetings, first CH episode last night ever
« Reply #1 on: May 23rd, 2007, 2:09pm » |
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Hello:
Sorry you've had the pain, but I'm glad that you've found us.
As an "old hat", I'd suggest that you read as much as you can here, make an appointment with your Dr, and then move on to a Neurologist to rule out other conditions. Although you have described some cluster-like symptoms, we're not able to diagnose you or elminate other possibilities.
I am not familiar with Relpax personally, but a quick google shows it to be a triptan, related to Imitrex which is used by many here, including myself.
All triptans, and all drugs for that matter, have side effects. If you have a heart condition [undiagnosed], it could kill you. It has interactions with other medications as well. [Your milage may vary].
Please read the Oxygen information on the left side of the screen. If diagnosed as cluster, it is probably the best first line abortive treatment, with the fewest side effects.
Let us know more as you know it and we'll do our best to equip you.
Wishing you PF days and nights,
Ray
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You have my prayers and compassion-I'm right there with you.
Dum tempus habemus, operemur bonum
*While we have the time, let us do good*
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BMoneeTheMoneeMan
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Re: Greetings, first CH episode last night ever
« Reply #2 on: May 23rd, 2007, 2:37pm » |
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I am sorry you are having such head pain, and i hope you can get to a doc to discuss your pain with him or her.
Not trying to rain on your parade or anything, but, the internet is not a doctor. The internet can't diagnose you as having cluster headaches. The only prudent thing to do is go to your doc and start the process of a diagnosis. There are dozens of afflictions which you might have, some of them might be serious. The point is, dont diagnose yourself over the internet and then take drugs that were not prescribed to you.
Sorry if you think I am being mean, but jeez, gimme a break. Dont self medicate or it might kill you....not figuratively.....literally.
Welcome!!
B$
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Think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half the population is stupider than that.
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Linda_Howell
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Re: Greetings, first CH episode last night ever
« Reply #3 on: May 23rd, 2007, 3:41pm » |
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Eletriptan (Relpax, Pfizer) is one of a group of anti-migraine medications commonly referred to as 'triptans'. It is a potent serotonin agonist at the 5-HT(1B/1D) receptor and is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine headaches. Eletriptan is administered orally. It is rapidly absorbed and has a bioavailability of 50% compared to 14% for sumatriptan. The relatively high lipophilicity of eletriptan compared to sumatriptan may explain its faster oral absorption and shorter time to onset of action. Results from comparative studies between oral eletriptan and sumatriptan indicate that eletriptan 80 mg was superior to sumatriptan 100 mg in onset of action, headache response rate, pain free response rate and relief of associated migraine symptoms at the 1 or 2 h time intervals. Although there was a modest increase in adverse events with eletriptan 80 mg than with sumatriptan 100 mg, eletriptan received a high patient acceptability rating (84%).
5-HT1b
None of us here are doctors so do what Brian said and please see a Dr. You might want to print off some things from here and take it with you when you go also.
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Kindness, is gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us.
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E-Double
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Re: Greetings, first CH episode last night ever
« Reply #4 on: May 23rd, 2007, 3:53pm » |
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So sorry you have experienced any pain.
Being that you have only experienced two, no one including a doctor could tell you that you have clusters.
Time will tell and Clusters of Headache with such pain will dictate...hence the name.
It is possible to have a few then they are gone as an initial cycle however you will know and so should a good headahce doctor.
Read as much as you can and start keeping a diary with regards to headache: duration, frequency and intensity.
Good luck and I sure as hell hope that it is not CH and that you have just experienced the mother of all mother sinus headaches.
If it is then you are certainly in the right place.
I would however lay off the meds because g-d forbid it is something more serious than you are at risk even further.
If you do have an attack you can try the following which are non-medicinal
Some tricks that I have used and sometimes still do are:
*Wrapping a bandana tightly around my skull (be careful)
*Filling a sink with scaulding water creating a steam bath and placing my head over it with a towel covering
it.
*Going from Steam to Frigid shower.
*Standing infront of A/C
*Icepacks or frozen veggies on the back of the neck or eye ( Peas are your friend)
*Tons of STRONG coffee.
Best,
Eric
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I can't believe that I have to bang my
Head against this wall again
But the blows they have just a little more
Space in-between them
Gonna take a breath and try again.
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LSU_Freak
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Re: Greetings, first CH episode last night ever
« Reply #5 on: May 23rd, 2007, 4:04pm » |
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Thanks for all the advice, folks. I greatly appreciate it.
The doctor did think what I experienced was indeed cluster headaches. Gave me samples of Imitrex, Maxalt and Frova, with instructions to take not more than 2 a day and do not mix the different types in the same day.
His hope was to "keep the pain to a dull roar" and not need anything further. I guess I will have to see if it does in fact continue, so I'm not looking forward to tonight. Until then, I will keep reading the valuable information on the site. Thanks again.
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Brew
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Re: Greetings, first CH episode last night ever
« Reply #6 on: May 23rd, 2007, 4:48pm » |
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Freak,
I'm so sorry you're experiencing this, but glad you found this place. Do see a competent neurologist, preferrably one who specializes in headache treatment.
As to your doc stuffing your hand full of triptans - He gave you good instructions, but they are abortives. I do hate to see when a doc pulls out the big guns first. It would be like saying, "I'm not sure if you have a bacterial infection or not, but I'm going to have you take a shit load of antibiotics." Triptans are NOT to be taken lightly, and a competent neuro would get you on a preventative first (possibly combined with a short-term transient, like prednisone).
Good luck, and keep us posted.
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Margi
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Re: Greetings, first CH episode last night ever
« Reply #7 on: May 23rd, 2007, 5:35pm » |
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Man oh man, this really concerns me. After all the years the pioneers here have worked so hard to get the word on cluster headaches out there - THIS is sadly the result. Otherwise unidentifiable head pain is being thrown into the cluster headache box and cluster meds are being dumped in there for laughs. Laughs that could honestly kill people!
OK, FIRST:
you said you had a "twitch" above your left eye...but you didn't say where the pain from the headache actually happened....location of pain is crucial in diagnosis - please don't just look it up, be honest. Was the pain on the top of your head? All over? Where?
Next,
you took a replax that night after your second attack and 30 minutes later you were better, right? Well you said your attacks only lasted 30 minutes. Were you having an attack at the time you took the pill?
Next,
your wife's friend the drug pusher should have his licensed revoked for giving out free samples!! He is NOT licensed to dispense meds - free or otherwise!!
Next,
your doctor should have his pee pee whacked too for giving you all those triptans. Ask one of our folks here, Roxy, what happened when SHE mixed triptans. (She ended up in hospital with a heart attack). GP's just don't know enough about clusters and they are told about migraine drugs from pharmaceutical reps so they think they're good to go and give a rainbow of triptans out to people who blindly put their trust in them. PLEASE SEE A NEUROLOGIST AND GET HIM TO GIVE YOU AN MRI OR CT SCAN TO RULE OUT ANYTHING ELSE.
Finally,
Why the HECK would you see an internist about something going wrong in your head??
Sorry, but this really makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Please don't take any more of those meds before you see a qualified neurologist, ok?
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LSU_Freak
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Re: Greetings, first CH episode last night ever
« Reply #8 on: May 23rd, 2007, 5:42pm » |
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Margi, thanks for the thoughts. I admit that I was a little put off by his willingness to throw those samples at me with such ease without the need of looking into it further. I literally spent less than 5 minutes in the examining room with him.
I will call a neurologist's office and see about setting something up with them before going any further. I guess the only reason I went to an internist first was because I assumed I would need to see my PCP before going to a specialist since I'd need a referral.
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MR_FLOOR
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Re: Greetings, first CH episode last night ever
« Reply #9 on: May 23rd, 2007, 8:36pm » |
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Before my doc gave me my first imitrex shot he gave me an ecogram(I think what it's called)and every 6 to 8 months I have to have another one or no SCRIP.A very good luck to you Freak and pain free wishes.
Dave
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swimchica623
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Re: Greetings, first CH episode last night ever
« Reply #10 on: May 24th, 2007, 10:34am » |
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Yeah....what all those other guys said so far. 
Sorry you had to endure so much pain. Right now the best thing to have, since Chuck didn't say it yet, is a good attitude. And some oxygen. Click the link to the left.
As far as the relpax goes, as far as I am aware of, I am the only person on the site that uses it. It's not usually used for CH, but I had migraines for about 8 years before CH so I had them around, and when we were trying to figure out what was going on with me, we used them, and figured that they worked, when I had attacks that lasted more than about 15 minutes, which seems to be about how long it takes for the pill to work for both migraines and CH. Back then we thought this was some WHACKED UP MIGRAINE so we didn't think twice to try the relpax...but then again it was medicine prescribed for me, and we thought we were using it for the same condition! So when we figured it worked anyway we continued to use it. Since the O2 aborts in 10 minutes or less generally I don't have much use for them anymore, but I take it with a Red Bull now when I'm away, in case I have one that continues for a long time. It does seem to absorb faster than oral Imitrex (and now I know why, thanks Linda!) but not as good as Imitrex shots...but it is easier to use too.
Honestly I'm just drugged up enough as it is and have just officially been diagnosed as chronic by my neuro...so I've become a bit of an O2 junkie. O2, O2, O2!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, I need to take a vacation to one of those flavored oxygen bars and just never leave.
Okay umm well welcome, glad you found us but sorry you have to deal with this..don't do anything stupid again, ok? and get to the neurologist and beg him for oxygen.
Hope your cycle is over soon.
Lisa 
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