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(Message started by: IndianaJohn on Aug 21st, 2004, 10:07pm)

Title: CH switching sides (mini-CH)
Post by IndianaJohn on Aug 21st, 2004, 10:07pm
Hi folks,  Just need a little input here.  I've read in different threads where Ch can switch sides.  I tried searching for it, but I'm not getting anywhere.  Ever since I started the pred on Wednesday, I feel like I got a very tiny CH in my left eye, opposite from my "normal" side.  It feels like a CH because my eye hurts like a CH, but its lasting a long time.  It's been going off and on for a couple days now.  The pain lasts much longer, almost several hours.  So I guess I'm just getting confused.  It's as if the beast can't give me a major HA an the right so he's poking at the left.  Most of my HA's have diminished in intensity and severity since starting the pred, which I think is pretty typical.

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated....

Thanks,

John

Title: Re: CH switching sides
Post by lionsound on Aug 22nd, 2004, 5:38pm
Mine switch sides, but this sounds kind of odd.

Anything different from the norm FOR YOU is worth checking out...at least a phone call to the doc who wrote the script for the pred.

(I don't take pred so I don't know if this is a side effect.)


Title: Re: CH switching sides
Post by PerryGR on Aug 22nd, 2004, 5:52pm
Hello John,

I'm glad to know that Pred seems to work some for you. I hope that it will continue to do it's job and ultimately lead you to some seriously pain free time.

I don't have any experience with Pred, that's why i held back from replying to your post earlier today hoping that someone with more experience would chip in. I do have experience with CH switching sides though. I would go on  telling you my full story but i don't think that will be of any help. I can tell you though the my HAs on my "atypical" side started while i was on beta-blockers and oral DHE and that their frequency and intensity escalated (to a point of matching those of the ones on my "typical" CH side) while i was on Topamax. My doctor suggested that the beast (he called it that although at the time i wasn't diagnosed with clusters) was trying to fight back, so it changed tactics and started hitting me harder on my "atypical" side. Bottom line being that maybe medication can play a part in CH switching sides.

However, the duration of my hits on the right (atypical fo me) side matched that of those on the left (about an hour with the odd one now and again of 2 1/2 hours). Maybe someone more knowledgeable could give you some thoughts on the account of duration. Allow me to pose some questions though:

Quote:
almost several hours

Could you be more specific (even though it's hard to tell with only a couple of days of experience with those)?
How many of those do you get per day?
Do you have any of the usual CH symptoms with them?
Do you have any other "symptoms" before or while having one of those that you might have overlooked thinking that they where due to the meds?
How do they relate to your HAs on you "normal" side? meaning: Are there intervals between a HA on the left and a HA on the right? Have you experienced pain on both sides at the same time?

I don't know if any of this helps -hope it gives you or anyone else on this board some thoughts.

Sorry for you "newfound" pain :(. PFDAN to you and everyone else for that matter,
Perry.

PS. Ditto to lionsound -contacting your doc is not at all a bad idea.

Title: Re: CH switching sides
Post by judyw on Aug 22nd, 2004, 7:28pm
It seems the more I read here the more complicated and individual CH becomes...First, definitely discuss the situation with your doc...my experiece has been after over fifty yrs of CH, I have been through many different scenarios...but did not switch sides or have "tooth" pain until after doing the shroom treatment...interesting for me for two reasons...finally had a fair break from any pain especially in the CH eye and having the changes, since I do not have any upper teeth to hurt...so, now when time to dose is coming, I wait to see what changes will come with it...This "Beast" will not be forgotten it seems...143

Title: Re: CH switching sides (mini-CH)
Post by IndianaJohn on Aug 22nd, 2004, 9:30pm
Well I finally had a PFN! :o..I know it's from the prednisone.  The little CH went away when I woke up today.  It still doesn't make any sense to me what was going on.  That little eye pain that so mimiced my CH was very strange.  Like having a little needle in your eye all day.

Anyway, got some good sleep for the first time in months - WOW.  I forgot what that was like...lol...

PFDAN to All and my thanks!

John

Title: Re: CH switching sides (mini-CH)
Post by ExplodingEyeBall on Aug 23rd, 2004, 8:45am
John...

I had a very similar experiance although it does differ from yours.

I've had the  'eyeball' headaches for as long as I can remember. I finally went to see a neuro about it this year after doing some research and finding out about cluster headaches.

I always had my CHs on the right side of my head as long as I can remember and almost always at night.

Since I am episodic, I chose not to try any preventives. He did give me some samples of Maxalt which is usually used for migraines but he told me that it sometimes helps with CH.

The next two nights after seeing him, I had bad CHs in the middle of the night. I took the Maxalt both times and it did actually cut the CH down from the normal 2 hours to about 30 minutes.

The cycle I was in seemed to suddenly end and I thought 'Wow, this is great!!'.

A couple days later I got the familiar feeling again but it was different this time. It was on the other side of my head and it was happening in the day time.

These have been lasting longer than any other rare daytime ones that I have had in the past though they are not that bad... K3-4 at most. Once in a while a K7-8 will hit me on the right side now during the day. Fortunately, these are very brief.

Pat (Also from Indiana)


Title: Re: CH switching sides (mini-CH)
Post by Jonny on Aug 23rd, 2004, 4:13pm
23 years in the right eye, switched to the left for a few years and has been back to the right since......make up your fucking mind.....LOL ;;D

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



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