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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Question about CH behaviour.
        
(Message started by: FruitbatsAngel on Mar 25^th, 2004, 5:55am)

Title: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by FruitbatsAngel on Mar 25^th, 2004, 5:55am

Hi...

Does anyone know why we (as in people with CHs) seem to almost universally pace around and find some relief (if that is the right word) from hitting our heads (with something or onto something)? It seems bizarre to me that hitting my head when it hurts is something I feel compelled to do, as logic would suggest that would cause more pain, and yet, I still do it when a CH hits.

I'm just interested as to whether there is an explanation for this.

Thanks

Ali

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by pubgirl on Mar 25^th, 2004, 6:02am

Good question!

Don't think anyone has a definitive answer to that one, but it IS one of the things that differentiates us weird Ch sufferers. Migraine sufferers lie quietly in the cool and dark, we do all kinds of bizarre things. The archives here are full of people running around in the snow, hitting themselves with dead fish and putting blue cheese up their noses ;;D

Sorry don't have a serious and informed answer to this one!

Wendy

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by t_h_b on Mar 25^th, 2004, 7:06am

Well, you can do a Google search for the "gate theory of pain" but the bottom line is it helps. It is a bit paradoxical but it's like accounting for people's tastes. In the end you just have to accept it.

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by kissmyglass on Mar 25^th, 2004, 7:17am

Well it's nice to know I'm not alone W the B....I felt like a real idiot the night my wife caight me naked, in front of the Air Conditioner in Janruary,banging my head with a book with Red hot peppers up my nose and a mouth full of Blue cheese an an oxygen tube up my ass.... ;;D

Seriously.. Ali, Of course I don't know the answer to your question but if it feels good do it.

Kev

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by wsnyder on Mar 25^th, 2004, 8:13am

How did somebody find out that I run around in the snow?

Title: hRe: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by Filbert on Mar 25^th, 2004, 9:01am

Somebody posted about this the other day only I can't remember where.Its something to do with the part of the brain which receives pain signals During a CH attack if other signals from other sources of pain arrive at the same time then the brain can't deal with them all so relief is experienced allbe it very briefly. I apologise to the person who posted this originally.

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by Superpain on Mar 25^th, 2004, 12:55pm

I don't like to pace. Or bang my head. It just makes it worse for me, and I take the chance of falling down or breaking something. I have before, but I've found it helps to keep as calm as possible. Although in the thoes of a bad one it's fairly common for me to writhe, maybe fall on the floor, and otherwise looks like someone with ms(you know how they lose control of their arms and stuff, and make those weird jerky gerstures) having an epileptic seizure or something...

Luke suggestd we video tape ourselves... Maybe we could have a contest. You know, style points, stamina, etc... [smiley=laugh.gif]

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by FruitbatsAngel on Mar 25^th, 2004, 1:58pm

Thanks for those thoughts!

I'm not sure I follow the theory about the brain not understanding the CH pain messages and the others at the same time. I have FMS and RSD so my body has pain signals all the time. It still knows how to have a bastard CH as well though (even if I am flaring in the FMS and RSD).

Actually, I had a flare of that last week. Wonder if there is any correlation with now having a bout of the CHs.

Ali

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by CJohnson on Mar 25^th, 2004, 3:19pm

My personal experience is that a well established routine is best. Find out what gives you most effective REAL relief and get to it as soon as the pain starts to creep up, no fucking around. My abortive technique has evolved into getting right up and going right to the fridge where I have ice cold water, taking it downstairs, and alternating drinks of water with dumbbell squats (Thanks BobP).
Again, no fucking around, get right to it. Weasling around in self pity, hating the fact that you get clusters will only prolong the agony and give the feedback loop more time to become more firmly established. You don't want that to happen. When you are lying in bed feeling the pressure build and you are hoping its not going to build into a killer, but you know it will, you are only allowing the neurotransmitter feedback loop that is generating and sustaining the cluster attack to establish itself. You've got to nip that shit in the bud. There are a number of things that block certain aspects of the cluster attack that can break the loop and abort the attack. Find out what does it for you and do it right away, every time, like its your job.

Regarding the hitting the head etc.. There are different kinds of nerve fibers that carry different kinds of messages, at different speeds, even. They all go to the same place, and the can interrupt/interfere with one another. Any sensation is better than the sensation of a cluster, therefore it is logical to interrupt the cluster sensation with another sensation, regardless of what it is.

A-beta fibers, the largest fibers, mediate the sensations of touch and mild pressure, as well as the sensation of position of joints and vibration, at a conduction velocity above 30 m/sec.

A-delta fibers, smaller than A-beta fibers, mediate the sensation of cold and the first components of the sensation of pain, at a conduction velocity between 2 and 30 m/sec.

C fibers, the slowest and smallest, mediate the sensation of warmth and the main component of the sensation of pain, at a conduction velocity less than 2 m/sec. In addition, C fibers subserve most of the autonomic peripheral functions.

PFDANs
-Curtis

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by ave on Mar 25^th, 2004, 5:31pm

For me, it is a matter of
A) it hurts me, I hurt back. Kids do it too. It hurts here on my arm, I press in the point of a pencil there.
B) My very first cluster, the pain was so unbelievable, I just wanted to get away from it .

Maybe for me life is simpler than for others...

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by FZfan on Mar 25^th, 2004, 6:26pm

Awesome post, Curtis, and I couldn't agree more. I'm like a robot when I feel it coming on. I go through the same exact routine everytime, both while aborting and "winding down" so to speak.

DO NOT FUCK AROUND! Especially important if you're using o2 only! I gave up long ago waiting to see if it was going to pass, or not get any worse, or whatever. As soon as that ol' familiar feelin' starts, I'm in full cluster battle mode. This is the time when a good offense will beat a poor defense.

The idea here is not to eek out a victory, the idea is to totally destroy the enemy. Sometimes bashing yourself in the head is one of your weapons. There are many others and let no weapon go unused against this hideous creature.

Kill the beast!! Kill! Kill! Kill! ........ ok, testosterone levels dropping ...... breath in, breath out, ..... ok, I'm better now. Sorry about that.

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by BlueMeanie on Mar 25^th, 2004, 7:20pm

It's like 2 different ways to divert the pain.

1. By hitting your head you divert one major pain to a less intense pain in one area thereby making it seam as if the major pain is not as bad.

2. It's like running through the house a stubbing your toe on the coffee table. You hurt like hell, but you run around jumping, screaming, & cussing. Just another way to divert the pain. ::)

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by sandie99 on Mar 26^th, 2004, 5:35am

For me, hitting my head is false comfort. I mean, I know it really doesn't help for that long, like 2 secs, but CH makes me so restless that I have to do something....

Best wishes,
sandie99

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by Luke63 on Mar 26^th, 2004, 8:34am

If it's real bad...I'm to the point..Im not going to beat myself.. I ususlly find something to break or throw...in a fit of rage...but something that is replaceable...Luke

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by Luke63 on Mar 26^th, 2004, 8:35am

P.S...CJohnson...awesome post man [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Title: Re: Question about CH behaviour.
Post by Filbert on Mar 26^th, 2004, 9:03am

Just want to say-excellent post Curtis .The part about the fibres is what I wanted to say but couldn't.

Thanks

Filbert