Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


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

        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> help
        
(Message started by: davidCH on Aug 4^th, 2004, 10:37am)

Title: help
Post by davidCH on Aug 4^th, 2004, 10:37am

Sorry for the confusion. Several of the neurologist I have seen diagnosed the pain as CH, it was just the recent hospital printout that had (diagnosis chronic cephalgia). As for symptoms it feels as if someone has poked a knife in my left eye with the pain radiating from my forehead down the left-side of my face. The worst pain is at night, which usually wakes me at 3:00-4:00 A.M., so sleep is very limited if any at all.

Title: Re: help
Post by IndianaJohn on Aug 4^th, 2004, 11:07am

Hello David,

What you wrote sounds a lilke like CH. However, you may have more than one thing going on. Some of themembers here have both migrains and CH. The waking you in the middle of sleep is a classic CH symptom. All of us clusterheads have that. Sometimes we also get "shadows" which are lower level HA's that last a long time.

It is surprising that the triptans are not helping you. Most migraines and CH respond to it. I don't know which ones yu have taken but there are several. Oxygen is also popular here (which is a treatment I am trying to get on now).

Keep searching for a good Neuro or "headache specialist" in your area. The best doc I found was a woman who suffered from migraines herself and understood how debilitating HA's can be. She wasn't a neauro, but she was well eduacted and informed and was the first physician that gave me a proper diagnosis.

Best wishes,

John

Title: Re: help
Post by thomas on Aug 4^th, 2004, 2:27pm

Nighttime hits?
Ch is a terrible condition and they hurt no matter what time of the day you get hit. Personally, the ones that kill me the most, are the ones that come while I am sleeping. Many people have had success avoiding the nighttime hits by using melatonin, which in the U.S. is available over the counter. The dosage varies from person to person, but most usually have success with anywhere from 6-9mg. Some have had luck with much lower doses as well; you may have to experiment with the dosage, in order to find the one that is best for you. As with any medication, check with your doctor before you start using it.
PFNAD to all.

Title: Re: help
Post by BillyJ. on Aug 4^th, 2004, 2:31pm

Start with this- http://www.clusterheadaches.com/quiz.html

Title: Re: help
Post by Bob_Johnson on Aug 4^th, 2004, 2:32pm

The hospital diagnosis is not inconsistent with a Dx of Cluster; depends on the coding system they are using the and number which the medical librarian assigned to the Dx which the doctor wrote.

Re. night time attacks: an old but effective preventive is Ergomar at bed time. It's a 2mg tab you dissolve under your tongue. Relatively inexpensive, too.