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BB
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CH and extreme stress
« on: Mar 20th, 2007, 8:14pm » |
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There have been mentions of CH starting a new cycle or even started for the first time in association with severe stress, be it physical or psychological.
In my husbands case, it definitely was true.
I am just wondering how many of you have the same experience ?
If this is the case, would one be able to learn and master detress techniques, relaxation techniques etc and would these help reducing the frequencies of CH ?
Thanks all for your information.
Painfree wishes to everyone.
Annette
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chewy
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #1 on: Mar 20th, 2007, 9:24pm » |
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I think you'll find that most sufferers, this one included, are not triggered by stress.
The trigger is the disapation of stress.
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George_J
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #2 on: Mar 20th, 2007, 10:05pm » |
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I can't speak for others, but in my particular case I've been unable to attribute the onset of a cycle to stress, or the lack of it.
After sixty or so cycles, six to eight weeks each, since 1966, the only common denominator I've seen has been the change of the seasons. Nothing I've done or haven't done has had any effect on them, good or bad.
They just are.
Best wishes,
George
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ClusterChuck
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #3 on: Mar 20th, 2007, 10:09pm » |
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In my case, stress DID seem to start me off on the heavy hits that I have been on since. I am chronic, so I don't have normal cycles, just heavier periods than others, as all chronics do.
It was when my 30 year marriage fell apart. It was a shock to me. As I left the house to move into my own place, my two daughters told me that if Mom didn't want me, neither did they ... They told me not to call or bother them. I also had extreme stress at work that ended up with me not working for a year.
So, the woman I loved whole heartedly, threw me out, and divorced me, two of my children disowned me, and I was out of work, EXTREME stress!!!
That is when I started on the mega hits, in strength and quantity, and meds stopped working. I am still that way.
Since then, the problems with my wife and kids have all been resolved. Yes I am divorced, but my wife and I have a MARVELOUS relationship, as I also do with my two daughters. I also finally admitted to myself and the world that I am gay. Work, worked out. All stress has gone, but the hits are still the same.
So did the stress cause the new level and quantity of hits? I always thought so. But why, now that all that stress is gone, are they still like they were? Was it just coincidence that they happened at the same time? Who knows??!!??
Chuck
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Gator
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #4 on: Mar 20th, 2007, 10:22pm » |
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I was hoping that, being a doctor and all, you might have access to the full document and be able to enlighten us as to the contents:
http://jnnp.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/77/9/1097-a
As far as individual hits go, some people say that stress is a trigger and others, as chewy says, say that the relief from stress is a trigger. If Daniel is one of the former, then meditation and biofeedback and such might be another tool in his arsenal. For me, stress can keep the ch at bay, up to a point. Once I relax, though - BAM!
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Gator
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #5 on: Mar 20th, 2007, 10:28pm » |
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on Mar 20th, 2007, 10:09pm, ClusterChuck wrote:
So did the stress cause the new level and quantity of hits? I always thought so. But why, now that all that stress is gone, are they still like they were? Was it just coincidence that they happened at the same time? Who knows??!!??
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I wonder if that much stress can permanently short circuit your wiring so that even when the stress is gone, the hits just keep coming?
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Spoticus
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #6 on: Mar 20th, 2007, 10:38pm » |
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Personally I very rarely get stressed to start with. In the case of both my cycles I have definitely not been stressed, both started while I was on holidays. I figured maybe I am allergic to fun 
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ClusterChuck
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #7 on: Mar 20th, 2007, 10:39pm » |
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on Mar 20th, 2007, 10:28pm, Gator wrote:| I wonder if that much stress can permanently short circuit your wiring so that even when the stress is gone, the hits just keep coming? |
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Hmmmm ... Interesting concept! That actually makes sense.
Probably all my wiring is fried ... That must be why I am such a dumb schmuck!!! LOL
But good point Gator!
Chuck
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Redd
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #8 on: Mar 20th, 2007, 10:39pm » |
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on Mar 20th, 2007, 10:28pm, Gator wrote:
I wonder if that much stress can permanently short circuit your wiring so that even when the stress is gone, the hits just keep coming?
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Long term and or extreem or repeated stressors is known to play a role in other health conditions. For someone already afflicted or pre-disposed to this condition, it would make sense that high levels of stress could (not saying would but could) possibly trigger or worsen the condition?
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Gator
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #9 on: Mar 20th, 2007, 10:53pm » |
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on Mar 20th, 2007, 10:28pm, Gator wrote:
I wonder if that much stress can permanently short circuit your wiring so that even when the stress is gone, the hits just keep coming?
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on Mar 20th, 2007, 10:39pm, ClusterChuck wrote:
Hmmmm ... Interesting concept! That actually makes sense.
Probably all my wiring is fried ... That must be why I am such a dumb schmuck!!! LOL
But good point Gator!
Chuck |
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Don't you just love all these technical terms and medical jargon. LOL
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MikeE
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #10 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 12:11am » |
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I agree with Chewy. When you relax from stress is what gets me. PFDAN Mike
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Bob_Johnson
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #11 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 10:20am » |
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As you can from the date of this abstract, it's not a question which gets much attention.
---------
Psychosom Med. 1982 May;44(2):171-82. Related Articles, Links
Psychological functioning in headache sufferers.
Andrasik F, Blanchard EB, Arena JG, Teders SJ, Teevan RC, Rodichok LD.
The present study examined the psychological test responses of 99 headache sufferers and 30 matched nonheadache controls. Headache subjects were of four types: migraine (n = 26), muscle contraction (n = 39), combined migraine-muscle contract ion (n = 22), and cluster (n = 12). Measures consisted of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a modified hostility scale derived from the MMPI, Back Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Autonomic Perception Questionnaire, Rathus Assertiveness Schedule, Social Readjustment Rating Scale, Psychosomatic Symptom Checklist, Schalling-Sifneos Scale, Need for Achievement, and Hostile Press. Significant differences were found on five clinical scales of the MMPI--1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. Of the non-MMPI scales, only the Psychosomatic Symptom Checklist and Trait Anxiety Inventory were significant. Control subjects revealed no significant findings on any tests. The headache groups fell along a continuum, beginning with cluster subjects, who showed only minimal distress, continuing through migraine and combined migraine-muscle contraction, and ending with muscle contraction subjects, who revealed the greatest degree of psychological disturbance. However, none of the headache groups could be characterized by marked elevations on any of the psychological tests, which contrasts with past research findings. It is suggested that the present results may be more representative of the "typical" headache sufferer.
PMID: 7089156 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
============
Personally, I've had much better success using the cognitive techniques outlined here to reduce the subjective discomfort of CH -- both re. anticipating an attack and responding to one.
http://www.ouch-us.org/chgeneral/painvsuffering.htm
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starlight
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #12 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 12:16pm » |
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Annette,
Stress has triggered cycles for me before, BUT I really believe there is a background vulnerability--like the stress is occurring in the month/season that I usually go into the episode (but sometimes NOW I have started skipping years). I get my episodes in the summer now, and if I am very stressed (usually emotionally) that can contribute. But who knows is it just a coincidence? I am not sure.
Within the actual cycle relaxation is the trigger. But the trigger for the episode itself for me is stress/seasonal.
Let's put it this way--my neuro predicted exactly when my previous cycle would be to the month, but in my view it felt like stress brought it on. And I was in no way stressed about cluster headaches coming on--I take the optimistic view maybe they will never come back.
I do think that we are born with this malady. But if it is a broken hypothalamus we have set to start going whacky at a certain time, high stress maybe ensures that it will go whacky at that given time?
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Samiam
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #13 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 12:18pm » |
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Short and sweet since the long verison that I typed seemed to have gone missing.
I believe that the one thing that should be looked into is Adrenals and Cortisol. Cortisol is know to be the stress hormone and many without knowing lack what is needed. You don't need to be in full failure but enough that you could have adrenal fatigue which is what I have. I take cortef 5 mgs 4x's a day but have since weaned down to just 5 mgs in the AM which to tell you the truth I feel the best.
Many who are on this need to learn how to stress dose because the body has managed to burn out the adrenals and it could take up to 2 yrs to heal on meds if that can even be done. If you don't do this then the body doesn't have the stress horomone Cortisol that is needed to keep the body from going nuts.
Annette I'm sure if what is said and you are a doctor (not sure what type) maybe you could explain this a bit better for me.
This would play back to the pituarty thyroid hypothaums loop which we all know controls many things.
I would really like a spell check...LOL
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #14 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 12:45pm » |
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the only time i had 2 cycles at year was when i was in college (all full 5 years of it) ...
yeah you can call that stress!
but before and after college only one cycle at year...no bad...
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BrianJ
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #15 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 2:25pm » |
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Stress does not trigger my cycles now thay usually start when im on my xmas and summer breaks so it is actually when im destressing
BUT i do believe stress was the trigger to start my first cycle.
my first cycle started 3 weeks after loosing a job and i was having a really hard time dealing with not working and no being able to find a job my wife was 8 months pregnant so i do believe stress started it all but it does seem destressing starts my cycles now very strange
good topic this
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rbmb
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #16 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 2:40pm » |
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I can't seem to make a connection between stress and my HAs and I've gone through some days where the stress level was enough that you'd think that if stress were a factor, I'd get a HA and I didn't. The HAs just seem to show up at their appointed time....more a factor of season and time of day than anything else.
Rich
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #17 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 3:17pm » |
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I'm another one with Chewy. Stress pulls the hammer back getting you ready. It's when you relax after the stress damage has been caused that's when the trigger goes off.
I have not had stress trigger an episode,only aggrivate what was already there.
jb
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #18 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 4:43pm » |
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While stress will not start a cycle for me, when on cycle, sustained stress will bring on an attack. But then I've always been just a little different!!!!!
Guiseppi
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TonyG1
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #19 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 5:32pm » |
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on Mar 21st, 2007, 12:11am, MikeE wrote:| I agree with Chewy. When you relax from stress is what gets me. PFDAN Mike |
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Ditto for me. NEVER, EVER relax ....
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #20 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 7:31pm » |
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As long as I’m running at 100% I’m usually pain free. My HA’s come when I wind down and try to relax, usually between 7 and 10pm and again between 1 and 3am. Were they a result of any previous stress? Possibly, but looking back over the past two years, when I had my last cycle, I’m not under any more stress now than then. Actually, I can remember getting CH’s during the best times of my life. That’s what really sucks about these things, they can ruin a real good time.
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BB
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #21 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 9:22pm » |
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Thanks everyone for your replies.
It is interesting to see how stress can affect people differently, for some its a trigger yet for others its not.
I start to wonder if there is a difference between
1- Extreme stress and prolonged stress
2- Relaxation post stress and post traumatic stress
3- Pre-existing personality traits that predispose a person to stress.
4- Distress vs stress, ie its important how a person reacts to stress, not the stressor itself.
The question then arises as to what is happening within the physical body to produce the different effects. To answer this I would need to look at the hormones released during times of stress/distress and relaxation.
In doing so, I have come up across very interesting articles about hormones and CH. One of them is this
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&list_uids=16 539869&cmd=Retrieve&indexed=google
It sorts of explain why prednisone can work so well and why melatonin also works for many.
I find this topic extremely interesting and is worthy of its own thread so I will start another one.
Thanks all, please keep replying. 
Annette
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| « Last Edit: Mar 21st, 2007, 9:24pm by BB » |
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #22 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 9:43pm » |
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Annette,
Interesting article. All good questions that you have raised.
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #23 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 10:37pm » |
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The relief of stress can be a trigger for me.
I am just about to wrap up a huge amount of work from a beginning-of-the-year-rush and I dont have any work to follow. By the end of the month I am going to be twiddling my thumbs. I am already feeling a cycle come on, possibly cause my stress level is dropping as i am finishing this work.
Course, it could be the time change and longer days, or it could be the season change. Either way, I'm screwed.
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Re: CH and extreme stress
« Reply #24 on: Mar 22nd, 2007, 2:47am » |
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I haven’t been stressed since I told the company 20 years ago they could shove their job wherever it fitted best and then they promoted me.
What I have found is that the more active I am mentally & physically the better off I am CH wise, put the mind & body into neutral & I suffer.
Maybe I’m just using up the brain waves that would normally go into giving me a hard time on the Cluster scene.
Cheers
Barry
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