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        New Message Board Archives >> 2003 Posts >> confused
        
(Message started by: Bridget57 on Jun 12^th, 2003, 1:50pm)

Title: confused
Post by Bridget57 on Jun 12^th, 2003, 1:50pm

Hi all, i'm new here and i'm confused as to whether or not i am a migraine suffer or a cluster suffer i am getting migraines/headaches about every day. I am getting really down by this if anyone can help i would appreciate. God bless -- Bridget

Title: Re: confused
Post by Live4Fun on Jun 12^th, 2003, 1:59pm

Bridget,

First thing you need to do is take these two tests...

http://www.headachecare.com/self.cfm

and

http://www.clusterheadaches.com/quiz.html

They will help you determine if they are clusters or not. Also read up under the med info and cluster traits buttons. GREAT information there.

You can also tell us what you symptoms are and we can all try to help you :)

Bryan

Title: Re: confused
Post by 9erfan on Jun 12^th, 2003, 2:00pm

Hi Bridget,

You need to give us more information than that. :-/ What are your symptoms? What triggers these h/a's? What do you take for them? What makes you feel better or worse? What do they feel like?

We're not Dr's, so you should probably go see a neurologist right away. Also, try taking the cluster quiz on the left side and let us know how you score.

Sorry I can't be more helpful. Hope you don't have clusters!

Virginia

PS: Sorry that you have ANY type of headache at all! :-[

Title: Re: confused
Post by cootie on Jun 12^th, 2003, 2:27pm

Hi Bridget57...jus steppin in a minute to say hi to ya and so sorry yer down. Hope things pick up for ya and get a bit brighter ! Pam that could use brighter in gloomy Ohio !

Title: Re: confused
Post by Bridget57 on Jun 12^th, 2003, 2:29pm

I get these about three - four times a week, right now its about gone but i have them often, i'm going to see aneurologist but not until the 2nd of july.

Title: Re: confused
Post by kissmyglass on Jun 12^th, 2003, 2:32pm

take the test to the left & let us know how you make out

Kev

Title: Re: confused
Post by Bridget57 on Jun 12^th, 2003, 2:34pm

Hi all, i'm kinda embarrassed here but it said i have rebound headaches ?? what should i do.

Title: Re: confused
Post by ZAIRA on Jun 12^th, 2003, 2:43pm

:'( Welcome Bridget... none headache is nice, but I wish you not to have a CH... Good luck from Zaira :-*

Title: Re: confused
Post by Live4Fun on Jun 12^th, 2003, 3:23pm

Bridget,

Don't answer questions 29 and 30 "YES", and see what it gives you. Those 2 questions are a little misleading...

Bryan

Title: Re: confused
Post by Bridget57 on Jun 12^th, 2003, 4:16pm

It says i have tension headaches, the 30 quiz questionnaire. Thanks Bridget

Title: Re: confused
Post by Bridget57 on Jun 14^th, 2003, 10:52am

Hey all is it normal to get depressed with these ?? :'( Any one have any clues here, also how does one get in the chatrooom ??

Title: Re: confused
Post by Karla on Jun 14^th, 2003, 1:54pm

Yes I suffer from depression along with my cluster headaches and migraines. Living with chronic pain every day can depress a person. A group of us get together every night at www.headachesupportgroups.com to chat. This is a chat set up for people that get all sorts of headaches not just clusters. You will feel very welcome there. We chat around 8pm-11pm cst. Hope to see ya there.

Title: Re: confused
Post by Mark C on Jun 14^th, 2003, 2:21pm

Welcome to te board Bridget. I hope you fail all the HA tests if you know what I mean. Look here (http://www.clusterheadaches.org/comparison_table.htm) for some information of the classes of HA's.

PFDAN's
Mark

Title: Re: confused
Post by Bridget57 on Jun 14^th, 2003, 6:17pm

Mark, Thanks for the info -- i checked it out, sounds like i got migraines, i go to a neurologist on the 2nd of July :), so maybe he can help then. Thanks Bridget :).

Title: Re: confused
Post by Opus on Jun 14^th, 2003, 7:48pm

Hey Bridget,
I get Migraines, CH, tension, and sinus. It took a while for me to realize which was which and how to treat. The sinus can usually be treated with a decongestant antihistamine type pill. The tensions go away with a combination of Ibuprofen and Tylenol. Migraines pound with my heart beat and get better when I lay down flat. CH is a constant pain behind the eye that gets worse when I lay down. There is a lot more differences that I can tell you if this doesn't help.

Opus/Paul

Title: Re: confused
Post by Bridget57 on Jun 15^th, 2003, 3:38pm

Paul, thanks how did you finally decide or determine i should say which was which ?? Thanks Bridget

Title: Re: confused
Post by Opus on Jun 15^th, 2003, 8:14pm

Bridget,
Research, and reading this board. I have had headaches all my life, I always thought they were tension or sinus, every so often I would get real bad ones that were treated as sinus infection. The last bad cycle I had was the first one without bad sinus problems and I was diagnosed with CH at the ER. That cycle also started migraines in between the CH's that I misdiagnosed as shadows (lesser CH). It is important to treat them correctly, as example not to take pain meds of any kind ( even narcotics) for a CH because it will make the pain worse and causes nausea, not to drink coffee or smoke with a migraine because they will make it last longer ( both help with CH).
I hope this helps and I hope you don't have CH, but if you do there is a lot of help here.

Opus/Paul

Title: Re: confused
Post by Bridget57 on Jun 16^th, 2003, 5:52am

Thanks Paul, God bless, Bridget

Title: Re: confused
Post by Bridget57 on Jun 27^th, 2003, 6:17pm

Okay can someone please shed some light here please please :). I am not complaining but i went for three weeks with practically having a headache or a migraine every day and now PRAISE GOD i have not had a migraine in two plus weeks is that a cluster headache then or would you call it i a migriane, still confused. Thanks Bridget

Title: Re: confused
Post by OneEyeBlind on Jun 27^th, 2003, 6:28pm

They call them "cluster" headeaches because for most they tend to come in "clusters" or cycles. A person may suffer 3 - 4 headaches a day for a month and then go for 11 months with no headaches. Hence, the name "cluster". Clusters really do have different attributes than migraines though. With cluster headaches, the sufferer can rarely stay still, sometimes thrashing and banging their head against a wall to find releif. With a migraine, most people find silence and laying down helps to alleviate them. With a cluster, the normal length of a headache is about 30 minutes to an hour ... with a migraine, it is much longer. Clusters on the pain scale are much more servere than migraines. They are many different types of headaches, and determining which type you have will enable you to best treat your condition. Read up, and when you get to that neuro on the 2nd, take with you any info you have found that is pertinent to the pain you are experiencing. It helps when you are well informed and can help your doctor diagnose you.

Good luck. Whatever the pain ... hope it goes away !!!!!!!!

Title: Re: confused
Post by Opus on Jun 27^th, 2003, 6:39pm

Cluster headaches is called so because they come in clusters, for example an episodic person has a cycle that starts about the same time every year, lasts for lets say 8 weeks with at it's worse, 4 headaches a day, rated at a 10 that last 1 hour long, and these headaches happen at about the same time everyday. Then at the end of the 8 week cycle the headaches diminish then the person is pain free for 10 months.

Typically a migraine can last from 6 to 72 hours and are usually triggered and many people have an aura before hand.

The biggest difference between the two is how the pain is reacted too. Migraines the person wants to lie down in a dark quite place. in Clusters the person will "dance" which is rocking, pacing, screaming, and sometimes hitting their head to escape the pain. Read the Kip scare on the left to get another example

Hope this helps

Opus/Paul

You beat me Nan

Title: Re: confused
Post by Wendy the Brit on Jun 27^th, 2003, 7:25pm

Bridget

I and quite a few others here get migraine and Ch as you can see. Ask away about the differences if you still have questions, you can use the message system if you prefer

W the B