Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Waking up as a trigger?
        
(Message started by: Jabeen on Feb 18^th, 2004, 10:54pm)

Title: Waking up as a trigger?
Post by Jabeen on Feb 18^th, 2004, 10:54pm

Hello- anyone else get "zapped" if they open their eyes too quickly in the morning? This happens to me so I have become very cautious when I wake up. Otherwise they only happen at night or about 6 am...never during the day. I do get residual eye pain in the eye of the attack that can last all day - but Fiorcet generally helps that. Just curious if anyone else experiences this?
Jabeen [smiley=huh.gif] [smiley=huh.gif]

Title: Re: Waking up as a trigger?
Post by Flsunshine on Feb 18^th, 2004, 10:57pm

I never noticed that but my episodes are same as yours...early A.M. & during night

Title: Re: Waking up as a trigger?
Post by KevinD on Feb 19^th, 2004, 7:42am

Its probably by biggest trigger. I get hit more when I wake up then I do during a sleep. I too will try to lay in bed for a little while until I know I am OK. ahhh...the day in the life of a clusterhead

Title: Re: Waking up as a trigger?
Post by jmorgan52 on Feb 20^th, 2004, 2:16am

Jabeen

I get often this too. Wake up at 2am with no pain then lie awake for 10 mins and then WHAM. Take trex and get back to sleep until 7am. Wake up, no pain then 10 mins later WHAM. It's as if your brain has an early warning system and wakes you up ahead of time. I tried setting my alarm an hour early. Woke up at 6am and within 10 mins WHAM. I hate this bastard!

If I don't use the trex and tough it out, I have CH pain for several hours which then goes away but I am left with a "bruised feeling" in my eye and temple which can last all day and gets worse or better depending on the beasts mood!

Fortunately I am 6 weeks PF for now. Hope you get some PF time soon

John

Title: Re: Waking up as a trigger?
Post by floridian on Feb 20^th, 2004, 8:23am

My headaches usually start when I am asleep. I don't think of waking too quickly as a trigger - I think I wake up because the headache is about to start (or already has). I get somewhat manic right before a cycle - I wake up earlier and earlier and am completely awake in the morning, no matter how late I stay up.

Some people here think that antihistamines are helpful because they change sleep patterns. Not sure on any of this (and there are probably different patterns among us) but whatever helps you stay pain free is good.

Title: Re: Waking up as a trigger?
Post by justasound on Feb 20^th, 2004, 3:09pm

I also usually het hit at night when I'm asleep. The headache is more like a trigger for the waking up problem for me.

Title: Re: Waking up as a trigger?
Post by celtspirit on Feb 22^nd, 2004, 10:20am

I, too, am often hit right after just waking up. Mostly on mornings when the beast hasn't been to visit more than once during the night.
DAMN what a pain in the ass that is when you are trying to get ready for work!
floridian mentioned antihistamines. I discovered, quite by accident during my first cycle, while misdiagnosed as having a sinus infection, that Actifed and Ibuprofen, if taken at the first signs of a CH when waking from sleep, or being woken up from sleeping by a CH, it will most generally knock the CH down (abort the attack) within about 10 minutes. I did also discover, the longer I wait to take them, the less effective it is- if I let the pain get over about 5 or 6, I will probably get no relief at all, unless I take it again about 15 min later. (this time reference is all based on having an empty, or nearly empty stomach)
Maybe this will work for you, maybe not, we all react differently to different things suggested by other CHers.
Another suggestion that has been posted once in a while is taking 2 or 3 Dramamine tabs before going to sleep. It's supposed to interupt REM cycle of sleep, where most of us get hit at night.
This didn't work for me. Actually, I get hit even harder, probably because it makes it more difficult to wake up at the first twinges of an attack, resulting in being at a higher pain level before awakening to try to abort it.

This cycle has been one nasty mother***** because nothing is working like it used to do. Prednisone, verapamil, my actifed coctail, nothing is working right, this time, so I gotta save my 'trex for the worst ones. I had never gotten CH upon waking up in the morning until this weird cycle that I am in now, but the actifed coctail seems to help them, most of the time.
Hope this helps ya a little.

Title: Re: Waking up as a trigger?
Post by Jabeen on Feb 22^nd, 2004, 9:44pm

Thanks for your input-I just want to clarify that (in my case anyway) there are 2 scenarios I am talking about. Scenario 1 is when the regular CH hits in the middle of the night-it jolts me out of a dead sleep. But there is a 2nd type-if I open my eyes too quickly in the morning (in daylight). It's weird, but then again nothing about this disease makes sense. When I had my 1995 attacks (they were my first) I didn't have this "open eye" problem-it has been part of this cylcle which is now 2 years old. I also had them on the left side before and the right side now...I know there is no answer-I was just curious if anyone else vcould identify with this?
Jabeen :) :) :)

Title: Re: Waking up as a trigger?
Post by violet on Feb 23^rd, 2004, 12:17am

[quote author=floridian My headaches usually start when I am asleep. I don't think of waking too quickly as a trigger - I think I wake up because the headache is about to start (or already has). I get somewhat manic right before a cycle - I wake up earlier and earlier and am completely awake in the morning, no matter how late I stay up.

Hey Floridian, my headaches have been just like that for 17 years!
Vi

Title: Re: Waking up as a trigger?
Post by amen on Feb 26^th, 2004, 6:26pm

Mine are pretty similar to that too. When I am in cycle, I get one just before I go to sleep. Like when I am starting to relax. then I get one that last about 2-3 hours in the morning when I wake up. Makes getting ready for work and kids off to school seem like.... I can't even think of anything bad enough to compare it to.
Andrea