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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Alcohol
        
(Message started by: Ronny on Jul 10^th, 2004, 4:37pm)

Title: Alcohol
Post by Ronny on Jul 10^th, 2004, 4:37pm

Why is alcohol such a sure trigger? What does it do to provoke an attack? I used to love a glass of wine in the evening, but not anymore (hehe). :P

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by purpleydog on Jul 10^th, 2004, 5:06pm

I can drink alcohol, but not when I'm in cycle.

When I'm not in cycle, I can drink whatever I want, but I'm not one to drink alot anyway.

I posted on another thread that I don't know what triggers my CH. Actually what I meant was I don't know what triggers my cycles. Alchohol and smoke are definite triggers for me when I'm in cycle. Don't know why though.

purpleydog

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by Ronny on Jul 10^th, 2004, 7:10pm

yes, whenever i'm not in a cycle, i could also drink whatever i want, but this cycle is lasting forever. I just wondered what the alcohol does to provoke an attack.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by bluesunshine on Jul 10^th, 2004, 8:13pm

When in cycle, I can't just have a beer or two because chances are it will trigger a CH. When I start drinking, I have to get real drunk (like yesterday night) to avoid the CH.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by jonny on Jul 10^th, 2004, 8:22pm

Like different medications dont work for everyone.....

Not one trigger. triggers all.

Ive been chronic close to 30 years and alcohol has never triggered me, actually, I have no triggers what so ever.

Fucken beast plays many games with all of us at his own pace.

.................................................................jonny

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by Redd715 on Jul 10^th, 2004, 8:38pm

on 07/10/04 at 20:22:16, jonny wrote:

Fucken beast plays many games with all of us at his own pace.

.................................................................jonny

Amen brother!

Title: Re: AlcoholA
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Jul 10^th, 2004, 8:45pm

Alcohol seems to be a trigger for almost all episodics. I actually think I'm pretty rare, because it isn't for me - THANK YOU!

Sorry to say, you're probably going to have to be dry until your episode is over. On the bright side, maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones who can avoid a HA by getting totally blotto!

Kris

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by forgetfulnot on Jul 10^th, 2004, 10:33pm

on 07/10/04 at 19:10:12, Ronny wrote:

yes, whenever i'm not in a cycle, i could also drink whatever i want, but this cycle is lasting forever. I just wondered what the alcohol does to provoke an attack.

Alkehaul is a major vasodilator, this seems to be a factor for episodics but not so much with chronics, for some unknown reason. Me be chronic depending on the definition you choose. Before I went chronic it was a no shit trigger every time.

Lee

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by don on Jul 11^th, 2004, 11:51am

Vasodialation is the response to alcohol. What property of alcohol is the culprit? Dont know, but it is vasodialation that is causing the CH.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by Biker on Jul 11^th, 2004, 5:05pm

Sometimes, I can have some light beer, and on occasion, even some clear liquer, or white wine, with out getting the headaches started. I have learned that any regular beer, red wine, or brown liquer, will bring on a headache even when I have not had any for awhile. Either way, I fear that alochol can, (and often will) bring on a series of headaches. I found I can drink past the part that starts the headaches, but I feel bad the next day, and the headaches start as the alochol wears off. I cannot say for sure what triggered a real head banger yesterday, but I did have some beer battered french fries. I must have been quite a site before the imitrex kicked in. Then whos to say what triggered that attack. Its been a shadowy day for sure.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by Jayne on Jul 11^th, 2004, 6:13pm

on 07/10/04 at 20:13:21, bluesunshine wrote:

night) to avoid the CH.

That happens to me too. If I get sloppy drunk, no HA. If I have just one or two drinks = HA.
Mind you since I have been taking Lithium, alcohol is no longer a trigger for me.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by 911please on Jul 11^th, 2004, 7:04pm

I am canadian and a canadian beer lover. ;;D

I do find two beers = big problemo= ha

I have yet to get past the two beer plateau in this

2 cents in....

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by Redd715 on Jul 11^th, 2004, 7:41pm

Not a trigger for me either...least that I can tell. I usually have a glass or two of wine nightly, and have for years. Only thing I can say for certainty is that when Redd gets sloppy drunk...never a CH. Otherwise the beast just comes knocking whenever he damn well feels like it.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by floridian on Jul 12^th, 2004, 10:16am

Vasodilation is one way that alcohol triggers - but ethanol also stimulates Substance P, nitric oxide and CGRP, chemicals that are overproduced in CH and migraine. These are involved in pain transmission.

Quote:

Nat Neurosci. 2002 Jun;5(6):546-51.

Ethanol elicits and potentiates nociceptor responses via the vanilloid receptor-1.

Trevisani M, Smart D, Gunthorpe MJ, Tognetto M, Barbieri M, Campi B, Amadesi S, Gray J, Jerman JC, Brough SJ, Owen D, Smith GD, Randall AD, Harrison S, Bianchi A, Davis JB, Geppetti P.

Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Headache Center, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 19, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.

The vanilloid receptor-1 (VR1) is a heat-gated ion channel that is responsible for the burning sensation elicited by capsaicin. A similar sensation is reported by patients with esophagitis when they consume alcoholic beverages or are administered alcohol by injection as a medical treatment. We report here that ethanol activates primary sensory neurons, resulting in neuropeptide release or plasma extravasation in the esophagus, spinal cord or skin. Sensory neurons from trigeminal or dorsal root ganglia as well as VR1-expressing HEK293 cells responded to ethanol in a concentration-dependent and capsazepine-sensitive fashion. Ethanol potentiated the response of VR1 to capsaicin, protons and heat and lowered the threshold for heat activation of VR1 from approximately 42 degrees C to approximately 34 degrees C. This provides a likely mechanistic explanation for the ethanol-induced sensory responses that occur at body temperature and for the sensitivity of inflamed tissues to ethanol, such as might be found in esophagitis, neuralgia or wounds.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by Prense on Jul 12^th, 2004, 10:22am

I am boggled with this topic. Alcohol as a trigger has been discussed here many times. Is it so hard to lay off it for the duration of an episode?

I am chronic, and once I realized that alcohol was a nasty trigger for me, I quit drinking. Through experimentation on my own, I found that vodka is not a trigger for me, but I still don't drink. It's just not worth it for me.

BTW, it seems that wine (esp red) and beer are the biggest triggers for many folks.

Happy drinking!

Chris

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by Margi on Jul 12^th, 2004, 10:25am

on 07/11/04 at 11:51:55, don wrote:

Vasodialation is the response to alcohol. What property of alcohol is the culprit? Dont know, but it is vasodialation that is causing the CH.

I believe it is the fermented yeast that kicks you guys into high gear, Don. But there I go again on my http://www.deephousepage.com/smilies/soapbox.gif about the yeast/candida connection.

However, I notice that my sinuses stuff right up after just one beer - my body's reaction to the fermented yeast. I think it's doing the same thing to clusterheads. Just my .034 cents worth (Cdn equivalent). ;)

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by don on Jul 12^th, 2004, 10:36am

The yeast thing would be my guess to.

I'll bet you bake a lot of bread up there in the tundra dontcha?

Nice diversion from the sled dog races.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by Margi on Jul 12^th, 2004, 10:40am

we call it bannock, cuzzin. It's real good dipped in whale blubber. ;)

look it up.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by don on Jul 12^th, 2004, 10:48am

Quote:

A Saskatchewan firm markets a bannock mix, and recipe books from coast to coast upgrade bannock with butter, oatmeal, raisins, cornmeal and dried fruit."

Saskatchewan? Isn't thast the big hairy guy people keep seeing riunning around in the woods?

I aint eating nuttin he bakes!

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by floridian on Jul 12^th, 2004, 10:50am

Beer and wine are more than just alcohol - red wine is loaded with things that affect the blood vessels. Yeast could be a factor, but alcohol itself also has an effect.

on 07/12/04 at 10:40:39, Margi wrote:

we call it bannock, cuzzin. It's real good dipped in whale blubber. ;)

It's been years since my freezer was stocked with whale meat - hard to find in the lower 50. Some of my friends from the Faroe Islands were raised up using whale blubber as a pacifier. Never actually ate the stuff myself - ended up pitching it out when I moved back to the US.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by don on Jul 12^th, 2004, 11:23am

Whale Blubber. MMMMMMMMM!

Should go nicely with some fresh tripe on the old sish-ke-bob.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by farmboy on Jul 12^th, 2004, 11:57am

Alcohol i drink and i have a headache with in an hour. Found that out just after i had started to get these headaches again. before that drank thousands and never a problem. i used to be able to drink anything beer , wine and hard liquor all in tha same evening with no problem and hardly ever a hangover. now if i take one drink i am going to get a headache.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by Chronic on Jul 12^th, 2004, 4:20pm

I really surprised at how many people say Alcohol doesn't effect them. One small drink and POW, I'm screwed. Also the same thing with a smoke regardless of cig or joint. One toke and I'm a gonner.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by floridian on Jul 12^th, 2004, 4:23pm

on 07/12/04 at 16:20:29, Chronic wrote:

I really surprised at how many people say Alcohol doesn't effect them.

Alcohol doesn't affect me (ten months of the year). In cycle, any type of adult beverage gives me a grown up headache.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by Redd715 on Jul 12^th, 2004, 9:07pm

on 07/12/04 at 16:20:29, Chronic wrote:

I really surprised at how many people say Alcohol doesn't effect them.

Actually very few of us are not triggered by alcohol...I'm one...and damn I drink the red wine too...

I'm just guessing...but there has to be some slight difference in the manifestation of this in chronics...because it appears that us chronics are less likely to be triggered. Some still are but I don't think the percentage is as great as with episodics. Maybe fate has allowed us a bit of a trade off? Who knows...

The human mind has a way of recognizing the patterns in things that cause itself discomfort. Classic conditioning. Pavlovian behavioral theory.

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by 911please on Jul 12^th, 2004, 9:26pm

just thoguht I'd get a couple of more pennies in,
I started this bout 21 days ago, and I am on beer #5 for the first time since the onset, damn I love beer.

I just thought I'd brag being I have not had more than 1 beer in a row since this shit came back.

anyhooters hoping pfd's to all

Doug...

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by forgetfulnot on Jul 13^th, 2004, 12:08am

on 07/11/04 at 18:13:45, Jayne wrote:

That happens to me too. If I get sloppy drunk, no HA. If I have just one or two drinks = HA.
Mind you since I have been taking Lithium, alcohol is no longer a trigger for me.

That seems to be the common denominator that allows chronics to drink freely, good point.

Lee

Title: Re: Alcohol
Post by forgetfulnot on Jul 13^th, 2004, 12:12am

on 07/12/04 at 10:25:49, Margi wrote:

I believe it is the fermented yeast that kicks you guys into high gear, Don. But there I go again on my http://www.deephousepage.com/smilies/soapbox.gif about the yeast/candida connection.

However, I notice that my sinuses stuff right up after just one beer - my body's reaction to the fermented yeast. I think it's doing the same thing to
clusterheads. Just my .034 cents worth (Cdn equivalent). ;)

Margie, all we drink down here is moonshine :o

I don't think yeast of any kind can live inside one of these quart jars. ;)

Lee