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

        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >>  How does your HA start?
        
(Message started by: rbmb on Apr 27th, 2004, 3:17pm)
Title: How does your HA start?
Post by rbmb on Apr 27th, 2004, 3:17pm
Mine starts as a feeling of a stiff muscle in my lower neck on the left side that moves up the left side of the neck to my head. The pain begins as a generalized pain in the left side of my head that becomes more focused behind my left eye and increases in intensity and sharpness until it's a boring, burning sensation directly behind the eye. If I don't use an abortive, as the HA subsides, the symptoms reverse themselves.......the pain becomes more generalized on the left side, the neck feels stiff on the left side and is somewhat tender and finally the pain goes away.
My wife wants me to see a chiropractor (I have seen one for lower back pain and he helped) but I don't think there's anything wrong with my neck....had an MRI and nothing negative was found . My sister-in-law wants me to see an acupuncturist but I've got my doubts(I'm not afraid of needles.....God knows I've stuck myself enough times with one giving DHE shots).Do others notice their HAs start the same way?
                                   Rich
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by ExplodingEyeBall on Apr 27th, 2004, 3:36pm
My bad ones normally hit me while I'm asleep. The first sensation I have then is pain just above my right ear. This is what initially wakes me up. I used to try to go back to sleep at this point but have found that to be impossible.

Within about five minutes, the pain has spread to the entire right side of my head with the main focus being directly behind my right eye and above my right ear.

The daytime HAs start and get going pretty quick right in the same place above my ear. They usually aren't as bad in the day and stay focused there with only minor discomfort behind the eye.

If I get a BAD one during the day, it looks more like a sinus/allergy attack but I know better than that. I'll get the drippy sinus thing (Gross!!!), the red eye/droopy eyelid thing, the excrutiating pain behind the eyeball, the pain above the ear, the whole nine yards. All of this comes on in a matter of just a few minutes.

I have a good buddy who is a chiropractor. He has offered to help me (for free) with these HAs and swears up and down that he can. He helped me before with a tension headache. I must admit that his help was very effective and fast. On the other hand, I don't think that he can help me at all when it comes to these HAs. I don't think that the nerves that are involved with these are nerves that can be tweaked by a Chiro. But I'm not an expert there so I may be wrong.
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by floridian on Apr 27th, 2004, 3:52pm
Not much (if any) success reported with chiro for aborting or preventing clusters.  I sometimes go to the chiro in cycle because my neck gets so stiff (and I have spondylitis arthritis in the neck). But if its a friend helping out for free, go for it.
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by ExplodingEyeBall on Apr 27th, 2004, 3:57pm

on 04/27/04 at 15:52:31, floridian wrote:
Not much (if any) success reported with chiro for aborting or preventing clusters.  I sometimes go to the chiro in cycle because my neck gets so stiff (and I have spondylitis arthritis in the neck). But if its a friend helping out for free, go for it.


I told my Chiro buddy that I don't know if he could help with CHs and he said 'What do you have to lose? It's free.' I'll go to him and try it just so that I won't offend him.

I will let you all know if it helped at all, but I don't think it will.
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by miapet on Apr 27th, 2004, 4:31pm
D's start on the right side of his nose (his h/a's have been on the right for the past several years), anyway, he gets a knot there (he says it feels like a golf-ball sometimes).  I know the sign, he reaches for his nose . . .He also gets the sinus thing and the eye thing . . .
miapet
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by thomas on Apr 27th, 2004, 4:39pm
At the beginning, it feels like someone just lit a match behind my right eye...... then I wait and see how bad it's gonna get from there.
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by HypnoticFreddy on Apr 27th, 2004, 6:36pm
My CHs begin ALWAYS the same. the pain starts strictly behind the eye. The pain starts there totally. As time goes on (minutes, it then spreads to other parts of left side of face perhaps jaw but usually higher towards frontal lobe (I think thats the part). Either way the lower part of the temple.

-Scott
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by UN_SOLVED on Apr 27th, 2004, 6:47pm

on 04/27/04 at 16:39:45, thomas wrote:
At the beginning, it feels like someone just lit a match behind my right eye...... then I wait and see how bad it's gonna get from there.

Mine feel the same way. It's a very specific pain. I know in a matter of just a few minutes (2-3) if it's gonna be full blown hell. Imitrex is ALWAYS close at hand.

Unsolved
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by Redd715 on Apr 27th, 2004, 7:18pm
Always starts as pressure in and around the entire eye socket. Left side.  Eye starts to water and swell, Left side of nose gets shut off.  Sometimes runs like crazy sometimes not. If the pressure and pain hits the eyeball itself and starts stabbing daggars to the back of the skull it's going to be a min. of and 8 for sure.  Lesser hits simply spread quickly threw the face on the left side feeling like it wants to pop my eyeball out. Some hits spred down into my upper teeth and jaw with a sharp pain just near the ear.  (the reason I've tried to yank my teeth out at times).
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by joesf on Apr 27th, 2004, 7:22pm
I feel like the right side of my head is sore. This can last for some time. Later I get a pain above the right side burn , in front of the ear, sometimes behind the eye and over the eye. pain levels increase pretty quick once they get going. The pain then can move around to behind the ear over the eye, right bridge of nose, sometimes the back of the head and also into the jaw and teeth.

Recently I was seeing a Physical therapist for my right leg. He stretched my leg and because i had a CH pain level 7 at the time i never stopped him. ( i wasnt focused on the leg pain from the stretch and he didnt know I had a ha.) All at once  I felt a pop in my arch, ankle leg and on the right side of my head at the same time. The number 7 CH was gone and I felt fresh. All from a really deep stretch.
However I got a CH that night. I was never able to get relief again that way, probably because I could never possibly reproduce what te PT did.
So there may be something more to all this. Maybe you need to see a chiro  or PT anyway.  
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by rbmb on Apr 27th, 2004, 7:44pm
Joesf,
    Your story about having your leg stretched and having your HA go away at the same time is really interesting. It's making me rethink the chiro thing.......he has certainly helped me in the past and I know that misalignment of the bones, especially the spine, can lead to all kinds of problems.
                                  Rich
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by Racer1_NC on Apr 28th, 2004, 1:23am

on 04/27/04 at 15:17:55, rbmb wrote:
Mine starts as a feeling of a stiff muscle in my lower neck on the left side that moves up the left side of the neck to my head. The pain begins as a generalized pain in the left side of my head that becomes more focused behind my left eye and increases in intensity and sharpness until it's a boring, burning sensation directly behind the eye. If I don't use an abortive, as the HA subsides, the symptoms reverse themselves.......the pain becomes more generalized on the left side, the neck feels stiff on the left side and is somewhat tender and finally the pain goes away.
Do others notice their HAs start the same way?
                                   Rich


That's me about 99% of the time except mine are on the right side.

I tried the Chiropractor route. Only thing he did was remove cash from my wallet. At first he told me "we can cure this headache thing". After a couple of months of treatments with no positive results, he made the comment "I think you'll have to change your lifestyle". Resisting the rather strong temptation to change his lifestyle right then and there, I walked out and never looked back.

Bill
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by Jimmy_B on Apr 28th, 2004, 7:48am
Mine usually starts as a stuffed-up right nostril...then I get this "twinge" in the muscle that runs along the back (right-side) of the neck. Like someone is yanking on it. Then my right nostril becomes completely blocked & the pain starts behind my right- eye, nose, forehead. Forehead gets sweaty...then the pain ramps up to unbearable very quickly. Then it's time to get the tissues & rock n roll.

Jimmy
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by UN_SOLVED on Apr 28th, 2004, 8:45am
A Chiro is not gonna help your CH.  ::)

UNSOLVED
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by Big Dan on Apr 28th, 2004, 11:04am
Take Thomas'... and add the following:

Ever drive a nail into a 2X4, and have to hold it with your fingers to start it...

My temple is the 2X4, and our little pain buddy is the nail...



-Big Dan
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by purpleydog on Apr 28th, 2004, 9:00pm
I know when I'm going to start getting ch because one eye or the other gets red on one side of the eyball. This goes on for up to 3-4 weeks. After a couple-3 weeks have gone by, I can press on my eyeball (through my eyelid) on the red spot and it will hurt. The headaches start within days of testing pressure by me. I totally lose focus in that eye.
My eyelid droops, my nose runs (on one side only) and my eye waters. The pain is behind my eyeball, it is non-compromising, like a steel rod heated up and thrust into my eye. It's a searing burning boring don't fuck with me please kill me pain. There is a kind of connection from my eye to a spot a little above and behind my ear. It doesn't really hurt, it's more of a numbing, warm buzzing, tingling connection.
As for joesf comment about PT and getting his leg stretched and hearing a pop in the arch of his foot, I saw a show on the travel channel, I think, two people, one gets a luxury vac, the other is on a budget (in China/ Hongkong). The budget guy went to some place that did foot massages and the girl was really working his feet. He had a real tender spot in the same place on both feet. The masseuse said those sore spots were pressure points for the head. He then admitted to getting a lot of headaches.
I am on my feet most of the day, and I sometimes come home and ask my husband to "squeeze my feet". He squeezes the sides all up & down and it feels great!
That wasn't a scientific show, but it sure feels good, and has gotten rid of more than one headache for me.
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by wingnut04 on Apr 29th, 2004, 12:06am
I get a pain in my jaw back by the wisdom teeth and within 10 mins. I'm full blown...........
Just yesterday I got some Imitrex nasal. I've had to use it 2x already and both times I was PF within 10 mins.
I feel better just knowing I have them!!!!!!
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by Superpain on Apr 29th, 2004, 4:43am
A "tightening" at the left side of the base of my skull and within a minute or two a feeling like something is gripping the left side of my head.
Hotter, harder, faster, stronger....
The extent varies.
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by Tiannia on Apr 29th, 2004, 7:52pm
Burning behind my left ear.  Then it moves up and front to the ear and temple. Then I get the sweats. That is when my kids can tell it is starting.  If I dont take something at that point, nothing is going to help.  Eye swells and tears and the nose stuffs up after the sweats, then it is time to dance.  
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by maokitty on Apr 29th, 2004, 9:40pm
[smiley=laugh.gif]You stole my headache and put it on the left side of your head!  Mine usually wakes me out of a sound sleep.  My eyes pop open, I wonder why and then say uh oh.  Then it's "Let's get ready to Rummmmble!"
Then, classically it reverses itself and slinks back to its dark waiting place.

When I am with friends and am writhing and twisting, cursing and moaning and it suddenly abhorts, and I am suddenly back from the dead, my friends and family all take one step back and murmur, "shades of Sybil, how is this possible?"  Well, we all know it is!
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by KateA on May 2nd, 2004, 5:29pm
Mine always start the same way...as though I am really dehydrated, or hungry and haven't eaten in days. It starts behind the left eyeball, a mild pain, that you think if you just eat something, it will go away, but within a short time, it escalates and feels like there is some little annoying thing inside your head that is toturing your eyeball, tying to twist it, push it out of your head. Eventually, the pain moves to the base of my head at my neck.

My headaches are at their worst in the late morning, like 11 am, and in the middle of the night, like 3am, when they wake me up.
Title: Re:  How does your HA start?
Post by notseinfeld on May 3rd, 2004, 2:37pm
My H/A has class. It'll usually call about 30 minutes prior to visiting and has been known to write extensive emails detailing the attack. Figures it's always <em> collect </em>


Clusterheadaches.com Message Board » Powered by YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.3.1!
YaBB © 2000-2003. All Rights Reserved.