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        New Message Board Archives >> 2002 Posts >> Dialated pupil & Cluster HA
        
(Message started by: emilysmommy on Oct 10^th, 2002, 8:02pm)

Title: Dialated pupil & Cluster HA
Post by emilysmommy on Oct 10^th, 2002, 8:02pm

Hello again.

I wrote a couple weeks ago regarding severe ha that I believe to be ch. I have been in the ER twice, the latter for a dialated pupil on the left side, where the ch have been occuring. I didn't have a ha at the time, but the ER MD was a total moron & told me it was all related to ch. My GP for some reason thinks I have a migraine. If anyone read my post before, she is the one who said "a cluster ha is just any type of ha clustered together". IDIOT. She told me this morning that crying & being upset will only make my ha worse & harder to treat. I have been hitting my eye with an ice pack, banging my head and screaming. It's so frustrating to not have this pain recognized my doctors. I can't see a neuro for another month. I'm on elavil & celebrex. Just got some samples of Imitrex injections and some phenergan. I have no clue what the phenergan is for. Have you guys ever noticed anything different with your eyes? I for one, do not believe this eye thing had anything to do with the headaches, but I wanted to ask. I'm suffering severly from this pain. She gave me vicodin, but it does nothing. I'm really at the end of my rope. I feel like I can't take another day of this horrid pain. I feel like ripping my eyeball out!!! Do these headaches normally last for a short period of time? It's been over a month with at least one a day, except for 2 days symptom free. Thanks for helping.

Michelle

Title: Re: Dialated pupil & Cluster HA
Post by Jim R on Oct 10^th, 2002, 8:10pm

Michelle,

Many of us here have one eye either dilated or constricted - it goes with the territory of CH's - very common. Your docs sound like morons - they need continuing medical education! You can be a part of this - print out some materials from this site and OUCH and hand them to your docs - let THEM know YOU are educated, even if they're not - it'll challenge them and maybe they'll do some homework (I work in hospitals...) Phenergan is an antinausea drug. It is often dispensed with narcotics (like you vicodin) to quell the nausea so often associated with narcotic use. Beware that narcotics are highly addive - physically and mentally - and many here do not feel they help (I'm not one of them) much but rather mask the pain. Personally, without starting another whole thread on the subject - they do help me but I ONLY EVER use them after all other preventatives/abortives have failed. Hope this helps and you get to see some decent docs and find some relief. Jim R

Title: Re: Dialated pupil & Cluster HA
Post by eyes_afire on Oct 10^th, 2002, 8:44pm

Hi Michelle. Sorry you're having a bad time. I can only speak from experience. My left eye turns red, itches, waters, twitches, and burns furiously during CH. Yes, the eye thing is related to CH. It's because the nerves leading to the eye are effected. There's no way to tell how long a cycle will last. Usually mine would last for 6 or 7 months. However, my current cycle has been going for 12 months. Damn. But there are also those who experience extended remissions between cycles. There's really no way to tell how long it will last.

Title: Re: Dialated pupil & Cluster HA
Post by rickc. on Oct 10^th, 2002, 8:56pm

Michelle: I broke my cycle almost 3 months ago, but just to share: my right eye always gets red and tears on the side I get my c/h. I wasn't on any meds last cycle except indocin which was worthless. Do you get nasal congestion on one side during ha? During peak, I would use an icepack and when I used Afrin, my pain level would drop from a 9-10 down to about a 3-4 (tolerable). I did that out of desperation and it helped, but i'm sure others here will tell you that is probably not a healthy solution. Mine come every 3 years for about 4-8 weeks, so next time (2005?) I want to be ready, perhaps trying oxygen.
Good luck w/ the pain.
rick c.