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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Temporary relief???
        
(Message started by: GAMom on Jul 20^th, 2004, 6:18pm)

Title: Temporary relief???
Post by GAMom on Jul 20^th, 2004, 6:18pm

Can anyone suggest some temporary relief for my headaches while I await my appointment on Monday with the doctor? I appreciate the earlier advice to seek another doctor or neurologist. I will certainly look into that...whatever it takes to remedy this painful situation.

But until then, any suggestions on how to relieve the pain temporarily? Heat? Cold? Any OTC medicine? Sleep? Are there any foods/drinks that you think may trigger CH and that I should stay away from? My headaches are erratic. I get 10 or so per day during an episode. My last remission lasted 2 weeks and oh how wonderful those 2 weeks were. I was a different person. I just want something to ease the pain over the next week or so until I get more information and a more dependable remedy.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Tonya

Title: Re: Temporary relief???
Post by Ronny on Jul 20^th, 2004, 6:26pm

Hi,

Have you never been to a doc / neuro for your head?

Some people benefit from a cold shower, some from a hot.
O² is good to abort an attack if u can get it without prescription
.
Any kind of painkillers wont help !

For real CH medication, you need a prescription. (well, over here you do)

10 HA a day, god that is a lot.

I wish you relief soon.
Ronny.

Title: Re: Temporary relief???
Post by IndianaJohn on Jul 20^th, 2004, 6:33pm

Hi Tonya, Sorry you have to be here.

As not temporary relief and what to avoid. I absolutely avoid alcohol in ANY form. One sip off of a beer or glass of wine will give me an intense CH. Even OTC meds that contain alcohol will just send the beast screaming after me. Another thing to try is a cool shower. Sometimes this works for me sometimes not, but its free. Also it has once in a while aborted a CH. Also a cold wet washcloth sometimes works. Icepacks work about 25% for me. You may find that you have better or worse luch with any of these.

Ibuprofen may work for the phantom HA's, it does for me sometimes. Not all the time, but sometimes. Be careful of a OD on that, I think that one can take up to 600mg 3x/day.

Caffeine helps keep some CH's away (depending on the intensity). I have noticed that if I get a CH and I drink something loaded with caffeine that it will help get rid of it. Pepsi works for me. I get up in the middle of the night and have a cold one and use the cold can on my head. I don't get much sleep, but it's better than being in pain.

Other than that, if you can find someplace quiet, cool and dark to deal whail an attack is going on. that helps me alot.

I've had to deal with CH's without meds and I know how hard it can be. I'm kind of in the same boat now. I have an appointment with my GP and have to educate him about CH and it's treatments. Haven't found a neuro in my area yet.

Best of luck,

John

Title: Re: Temporary relief???
Post by eyes_afire on Jul 20^th, 2004, 6:39pm

Hi Tonya,

Personally, I prefer putting an ice cube on my eye... but since the pain is so massive it's only a token measure. If I were you, I would fully prepare myself before visiting a neurologist. 10 a day is quite frequent... please check out this link:

chronic paroxysmal hemicrania
http://www.upstate.edu/neurology/haas/hpcldx.htm#cph

Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (CPH) is very closely related to CH, but the treatments are vastly different. Indomethacin is highly effective for CPH. Because of this, and because it is dirt cheap and doesn't have some of the bad side effects of more common CH meds, maybe it should be tried early on to rule out CPH.

No matter what, you should see a neurologist. I don't diagnose. I'm no expert... I'm just giving you some extra things to check out so that you're prepared to the max... cause you're gonna need the preparation.

Hope this helps,

--- Steve

Title: Re: Temporary relief???
Post by cathy on Jul 20^th, 2004, 6:43pm

Tonya IF you suffering from CH which I hope and pray you are not then Alcohol for a lot of people is a trigger, as is sleep, 10 headaches a day does sound a lot so here's crossing my fingers that it's not CH. The best advice is get your headaches a firm diagnosis, in the meantime it's trial and error unfortunately different things work for different people as far as pain relief goes but if you can get hold of O2 then this helps a lot of clusterhead sufferers. There is a link to the left.

Wishing you PF times, let us know how your getting on.

Cathy

Title: Re: Temporary relief???
Post by Superpain on Jul 20^th, 2004, 7:03pm

I get 20 headaches a day in the peak of my cycle. It could be cph, but 10 a day isn't that many for some of us....

Melatonin before bedtime might give you some relief.
Otherwise, pick up a tank of O2 at your local welding shop...

Title: Re: Temporary relief???
Post by UN_SOLVED on Jul 20^th, 2004, 7:38pm

Temporary relief = steriods [Prednisone, Medrol Dose Pak, or a Dex Pack] ...by prescription only !!

Something to think about anyways...

Goodluck,
Unsolved

Title: Re: Temporary relief???
Post by Giovanni on Jul 20^th, 2004, 8:20pm

Ditto on Superpain. Melatonin is worth a try. Also, 5-HTP 50s a couple times a day (please see warnings on 5-HTP with other drug combinations before using). B-Complex 50 vitamins could help. I liked ice when under attack. If CH, avoid alcohol. Stay as cool as possible and avoid the heat. Avoid naps during the day. Lots of coffee helps me. When you feel an attack coming...do a brisk walk (the dance as we call it).

Surely hope you have relief soon.

Lots of Luck,

John

Title: Re: Temporary relief???
Post by don on Jul 20^th, 2004, 9:36pm

Click on the link. It is full of proven, non mediaction, pain management techniques.

http://clusterheadaches.org/resources/non_script_treat.htm

Title: Re: Temporary relief???
Post by E-Double on Jul 20^th, 2004, 9:50pm

Quote:

Melatonin before bedtime might give you some relief.
Otherwise, pick up a tank of O2

Melatonin practically wiped out my night time hits.
The O2 has been a godsend as have all of you guys (but that's more than temporary)!!

Best,
e

Title: Re: Temporary relief???
Post by pam s on Jul 24^th, 2004, 1:08am

[quote author=don link=board=chspecific;num=1090361545;start=0#8 date=07/20/04 at 21:36:49]Click on the link. It is full of proven, non mediaction, pain management techniques.

http://clusterheadaches.org/resources/non_script_treat.htm[/quote

This is a great link!

I was able to abort quite a few milder CHs by gulping water and hyperventilating (as the article mentions).

Pam