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        New Message Board Archives >> 2002 Posts >> The Silver Lining
        
(Message started by: The Quacker on Sep 25^th, 2002, 3:19am)

Title: The Silver Lining
Post by The Quacker on Sep 25^th, 2002, 3:19am

Hi clusterbuds, I have just discovered that there is a 'sort of' silver lining to having CH!

Just this weekend, I had a major malfunction with the teeth. Like a BIG abcess under one of the back teeth (which eventually burst while waiting in the surgery for emergency dental treatment).

It hurt some, but nowhere near a CH - somewhere around 4+ on the Kip scale I guess. Dentist asked why I wasn't screaming in the waiting room - he'd rarely seen a case as bad.

So, the upside is, other pains that come along and would knock most people off their perch, leave us unfazed! I knew there had to be an upside somewhere - though the Sunday night was a bit bad with the tooth giving me grief AND a Kip 8 CH!

Other good news, I go to Prof Goadsby and his team next Monday - for examination/recommendations plus to take part in their study of CH. Could be nasty if they want to induce CH for the MRI stuff - but that's the price you pay to advance the understanding and as such I'm 'happy' to do it!

Cheers, PFDAN to all, Chris B.

Title: Re: The Silver Lining
Post by SteveY on Sep 25^th, 2002, 4:16am

The pain they induce is via capsican by a needle and drip into the forehead.

It reaches about a kip 5/6.

It's not as bad as a CH.

Let us know how you go on.

Steve

Title: Re: The Silver Lining
Post by SteveY on Sep 25^th, 2002, 4:19am

I've just noticed I have another star. Not a newbie any more.

Need to be a vetran, so need to post more.

Dannyboy, Nasser, where are you?

Title: Re: The Silver Lining
Post by The Quacker on Sep 25^th, 2002, 6:07am

Thanks for the words of encouragement - still sounds unpleasant. Though I always thought that they induced the real thing with nitro-glycerine. That's a thought that worries me a bit - my old mum has angina and they give her NG for that. Touch wood, my ticker's OK at present, but if I get angina later - what do I take?

Cheers, Chris.

Title: Re: The Silver Lining
Post by Jim R on Sep 25^th, 2002, 8:34am

Good luck with your doctor's appointment. Please let us know how it goes. Jim R

Title: Re: The Silver Lining
Post by Karla on Sep 25^th, 2002, 1:17pm

I hear ya on taking nitroglycerin. I had severe chest pains and had blood pressure of 198/121. They thought I was having a heart attach and wanted me to take nitro for the pain. I told them I had ch and there was no way in hell I was going to take a nitro and have a cluster. They gave me morphine instead. That took care of the chest pain and eventually my b.p. lowered back to normal. I have since had a stress test and everything came back ok.

Title: Re: The Silver Lining
Post by The Quacker on Sep 30^th, 2002, 11:23am

Well folks, had my appointment at Queens Square with Prof Goadsby's group! I'm now officially under their wing which is great news.

Likliest outcome is that I'll be on O2 therapy and/or Verapamil (ECG first) as a preventive measure. Meanwhile, I'm enrolled as a live guinea pig. First study is to be on Nitric Oxide - it seems that this may be implicated in CH. This thinking being based on the fact that Nitroglycerine is almost always a trigger for CH.

They're also writing to my GP (local or family doctor for those outside the UK) which should put him (and his buddies) firmly in their box! On this note, I'm about to create hell with them as one of the group put the following comment on a repeat prescription form:

"Please make an appoinmtent to see Dr Xxxxxx if your MIGRAINES don't diminish"

Now, I saw red at that point. What I have is CH. This has been diagnosed 3 times by neuros. This guy plainly didn't check my notes, other than to see how many Imigran scrips I'd had recently, and jumped to conclusions. This same practice also informed me I had 'cost' the National Health Service £2000 the previous year (this on a separate occasion). I constantly get small digs over the amount of scrips I fill. Anyway, I plan to complain.

Still, I have to be grateful when I think of some of the problems my fellow ClusterHeads in the USA have to face! Makes my little moan pale into insignificance I guess. NHS may be a pain, but it seems far better than your HMOs!

PFDAN to all, Chris B.

Title: Re: The Silver Lining
Post by Ted on Sep 30^th, 2002, 12:36pm

After all the Dead and Max Creek shows I've been to, not to mention all the N2O parties, I can tell you without question that nitrous oxide is a trigger. But oh, what a wonderful, albeit short, high it gives you.

Title: Re: The Silver Lining
Post by NancyMcFree on Sep 30^th, 2002, 2:52pm

Good luck to you in the study. I for one thank you for participating as I would never have the guts to let anyone induce a CH on me. Just not that brave I guess. Thanks and keep us posted on how it goes.