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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Things I noticed
        
(Message started by: Mac_Muz on May 12^th, 2004, 9:57am)

Title: Things I noticed
Post by Mac_Muz on May 12^th, 2004, 9:57am

I am a total newbie here and to CH. I hope none of what I begin on offends anyone, but a part might.

About a month ago I came down with these head aches, and thought is was sinus as Spring is sprung.

I also use some nasty chemicals doing a wide variety of metal working, such as silver, steel, copper, brass, and others. I also use automotive paints with some real nasty chemicals in them as well.

I tried sudafed with no results, and other common pain relievers any one can get over the counter. You guessed it, none of that stuff helped.

I did notice that smells indicated the event of a CH was soon to be, and for me smells and oders of things is not normal. My nose has for all my life been more ornament than functional. I have a deviated septum, and my nose is genereally more often clogged than not.

So flowery Spring smells was new.. So was this sting in my right nostril before an attack. To me it was the sting of a super sneeze with out the sneeze, and then comes a clogging in my right nostril like the Hoover Dam.

Still having no clue that what I had was shared with many others, I thought I was alone, and maybe had poisoned myself.

These damned CH's would come on strong with vengance, and I would find myself laying in dim light writhing in pain behind my right eye, which began to weep. I began rubbing, or perhaps clawing at the bridge on my nose, and temple and a place just above the right eye orbit hurt like Hell to even touch..

At that exact spot, and I think everyone has this spot, there is a dent/depression apx 1/3 out/ away from the bridge of the nose. During an attack pressing there will tend to wake one up.

I noticed just behind the temple more pain running back, and there is something there I can feel, as a vessel like structure, when pressed creates a pain.

I would rub and or massage these ares trying to get myself to sneeze. I was still thinking sinus, and maybe infection.

Ok, this is where things get strange... I have no wish to be deemed a wacko nut case, and as anyone here must know, when a CH comes on, one might do and or try anything.

It happens I have been hurt really bad before 2 times.

May 10 1979 I was in a motor bike crash, where my neck, collar bone, and all the ribs on my left side were broken. 3 ribs impaled my left lung 2 times each, for a total of 6 holes/tears in my left lung. I also lost my spleen, and herniated lower discs in my back.

In 1987 while working for a B&B I was once again hurt saddling trail horses. The last horse being set up for a impromtoo trail ride was spooked by one of the customers who was drunk, while I was bending over cleaning out the left rear hoof. The horse was in cross ties, which broke, when the horse pulled back, fell, and crushing my back. This resulted in a shattered disc, and reinjured the others from before. ( A shattered disc with free floating frags is a whole new meaning to pain, which still is #1 on my scale of pain. These CH's are # 2.)

This lends to why I have a personal vibrator..... I have several in fact and so out of total desperation one day last week I decided to try to create a sting so I might sneeze, and relieve the stuffed sinus.

I placed a pointed tip type.... Ahhh You know what I mean, and I ain't goin there.... At the bridge on my nose, and worked it to a place which created that sting, and in a few moments I did bring forth the sneeze from Hell.

During this time with no other meds, and not understanding at all, I noticed lesser pain just from the vibs...

I caught this sneeze in a paper towel, and the amount of chrystal clear fluid that emitted was astonishing!

Pretty much it looked like a brown bat in size and shape, covering most of the paper towel, and in a few seconds time I sneezed again and the pattern was duplicated with a near amount of fluid.

The CH was far from gone, but it was far more tolerable.

I know this seems about as nutty as it gets, but when you are all alone and believe you are the only one in the world with these you might well try anything.

Please don't flame me for this, and if you happen to try it I would like to know.

I am at War with this thing, and I will be damed if i don't win it.

I lost my job, and my wife has been layed off for a long time as well. With this the insurance goes out the window. So seeing doctors and spending money we don't have for meds is not an option.

I make and or fix things, and I use large amounts of junk and stuff I find for free, and I will cure this for far less than most folks think, if I have my way.

I tend to be creative, and do come up with some strange ways to fix things.. This is just not a metal thing, so I have a wee set back, but I will find something, probably in Nature. My woods here in NH USA provides me with many things. It is a matter of finding the right ones.

Laughing at me is an option, but please the Mods and I need no flames... I don't want to be banned from here. Hell I just found this place yesterday!!!
Oh yes.. Since last night with my readings here, I need to know "How To" make a non-re-breather bag...

I do gas welding, and have O2 for that... I need to be made to understand what the device does in function, and the materials to make my very own from common house hold items and perhaps items any metal, wood, or leather worker would use, and that could count some plastics.

I need to adapat a "Rose Bud" or a cutting head to this device asap.

Mac

Title: Re: Things I noticed
Post by floridian on May 12^th, 2004, 11:20am

1. No mods here - everybody has their say. If someone is selling snake oil, they get thoroughly chewed out, but their posts stay up as a record and a lesson. Real clusterheads with real questions and ideas are what this is about.

2. The sinus connection has been discussed, and there are lots of people that relate sinus activity to clusters. There is some research that there is a link, but only for some people. Deviated septums and chronic sinusitis is more common among clusterheads than the general public. Perfumey and flowery smells are a trigger for some.

3. Hydrocarbon solvents and alcohol are recognized as triggers. Pseudofed messes up the thyroid and hypothalamus function, and probably makes clusters worse in my opinion. I was using pseudofed heavily for sinuses in the two years before my clusters started.

4. Lots of us get massive drainage (clear). One person living in Poland recently claimed that a tuning fork on the forehead could reduce their cluster pain. Maybe your vibrator works in a similar way. We would try just about anything to lower the pain. Most of the creative desparation won't work, but as long as you are not causing damage, its ok to try. By trying everything , somebody will find something that does help.

5. Oxygen - you need a high volume, non-rebreathing oxygen delivery system. There is a link to the info on the left of this page. Basically, you need to breath pure oxygen.

6. Brain trauma may increase the risk or cause CH in some, but at this point, there is nothing that we can do. The past is the past.

7. Magnesium and melatonin are inexpensive OTC meds, relatively safe, and have helped many of us.

8. Welcome. Glad you found us. Keep asking questions and keep us posted.

Title: Re: Things I noticed
Post by Mac_Muz on May 12^th, 2004, 4:17pm

A question about Shadows... In error I took shawdows to be a hangover effect after the CH is gone..

I read now since I acted in some haste to post, that a Shadow is a pre tell tale to a coming CH.

So then since these have come to me, I have a all day dull as in normal garden variety head ache, which I never get, never had many before until these CH's came into my path.

My CH's never really leave me Pain free, but leave to a point where I can function with it running in the background.

Evidently I do not yet get the shadow. But is there a name for what other wise appears to be a hangover?

Are you totally clean of pain when the CH stops? Mac

Title: Re: Things I noticed
Post by miapet on May 12^th, 2004, 10:50pm

D is chronic. . .but he does have p/f times . . .and when he does, he knows it (so do we!!) and they are very much appreciated and enjoyed . . .

The vib and sneezing made me think about a conversation D and I had . . .something about feeling like sneezing would feel better . . and I told him a story about a friend's son who could make himself sneeze, and would, after going to bed, so he would appear sick and not have to go to school . . .he would pinch (with a lot of presure) a particular spot of his nose, and he would sneeze . .everytime.

Anyway, your question about the non-rebreather mask . . there is a picture of one on one of the links over to the left . .. .looks kinda like a plastic bag feed bag attached to a plastic mask that covers your mouth and nose . . .(that's the closest thing to a description I can come up with, the picture is much better *g*)

Sorry for your pain . . .
*positive light and energy*
miapet

Title: Re: Things I noticed
Post by HypnoticFreddy on May 12^th, 2004, 11:52pm

I get the hangover feeling from having multiple CH attacks during a day or night. Feels like I was in a boxing match......and lost.

In cycle I experience shadows constantly. I know when a shadow is going to eurpt into a full-blown attack.

They are, as you said, often precursors to a CH.

Maybe you will get them. Maybe you won't. But if you do, you'll know exactly why we call them shadows.

-Scott

Title: Re: Things I noticed
Post by Racer1_NC on May 13^th, 2004, 12:56am

on 05/12/04 at 23:52:40, HypnoticFreddy wrote:

I get the hangover feeling from having multiple CH attacks during a day or night. Feels like I was in a boxing match......and lost.

If I get one or two real bad hits in a day I get the head in a cloud feeling......and it seems to lower my IQ a bit for a day or so. Instant dumbass. :-[ From my conversations with others, this is a common side effect.

While this related to my statement above, I sometimes find that I have trouble getting the words I wish to speak from my mind to my mouth. I find I have to concentrate to say what I wish to say. Talk about pissing me off.....

Shadows....yep....although I call them ghosts.

Man I hate this crap.....

Bill

Title: Re: Things I noticed
Post by BlueMeanie on May 14^th, 2004, 6:13pm

Welcome MAC. Glad you found us. Keep reading and learn all you can. Lots & lots of experience with Clusters here. We can't stop a Cluster or a cycle, but it sure helps knowing others are out there and you're no longer an alien to the Beast.

PFDAN to you.

Title: Re: Things I noticed
Post by Wendy1 on May 14^th, 2004, 8:41pm

Although I am relieved, as if I've just given birth (but much more pain)... to have a h/a go away, I do feel completely exhausted. Could be the meds... who knows but this magnitude of pain does tend to leave one feeling 'beat up', wiped out.