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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> The beast switching sides?
        
(Message started by: Renee on Sep 14^th, 2004, 5:34pm)

Title: The beast switching sides?
Post by Renee on Sep 14^th, 2004, 5:34pm

After 23 years of suffering clusters on the left side only, chronics since 1997, today I am having a cluster on the right side. First time ever this has happened to me.

This occurred 24 hours after receiving an IV of Keppra to abort a stubborn cluster on the normal left side.

There are thunderstorms above, which is a BIG trigger for me, and I'm pf on my left side? but the right side is ramping quickly. I'm at a kip 5 and see no end in sight.

Anyone else ever have them switch sides? If so, is the not usual side less painful, less often, a one time fluke or what?

Clueless with clusters on both sides,
Renee

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by clarence on Sep 14^th, 2004, 5:45pm

I have been episodic for almost 4 years now. Only once, maybe twice (can't remember) did they hit me on the left. Other times it is always the right. The beast is a strange one, just when you thought you had him figured out...

Casey

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by PerryGR on Sep 14^th, 2004, 5:58pm

Hello Renee,

I trust it's different for everyone but here's how it went in my case. For the first year and a half of being chronic my attacks were only on my left side. Then i started getting hit on the other side as well. In the beggining hits on my "atypical" side were less frequent and painfull. That changed through the course of time and i've reached a point where the frequency and intensity was the same on both sides. This past month (ever since i started taking 360mg of verapamil) i've been getting hit mostly on the "atypical" (not really anymore) side with only a handfull of breakthroughs on my "typical" side.

Hope this helps.

PFDAN to all,
Perry.

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by Tom K on Sep 14^th, 2004, 6:26pm

Am episodic, but mine will flip sides almost every time. Mostly they are on the right side, if I had to guess but they go to the left almost 40% of the time. Just lucky, I guess.

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by Renee on Sep 14^th, 2004, 6:43pm

thanks guys.

Just yesterday they were on my left and today I have this one on my right. [smiley=huh.gif]

I just spoke to my neuro and he said switching sides is not abnormal so I guess I've been lucky the past 23 years. I just hope I NEVER get hit on both sides at once.

Renee

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by Jonny on Sep 14^th, 2004, 7:07pm

Your CH thinks its John Kerry......LMAO ;;D

Like you, after 23 years mine went from right to left for awhile and then back. I like to think of it as giving one side of the head a break ;)

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

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by lionsound on Sep 14^th, 2004, 7:26pm

Mine switch up all the time.

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by StanTheMan on Sep 14^th, 2004, 8:59pm

It has never switched sides for me (I'm a lefty in more ways than one!), but as the saying goes...

"The only predictable thing about clusterheadaches is their unpredictability"! ::)

StanTheMan

Don'tcha just LOVE surprises?!?! ;)

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by Renee on Sep 14^th, 2004, 10:28pm

Jonny,

I do see something positive about all this after your post. It is just giving the left side a MUCH needed rest. I like that thought. ;)

Has anyone ever been hit on both sides at once? [smiley=huh.gif]

I don't know if any amount of meds could not that one down!

Stan...I hate surprises by the way, unless of course it is a gift as in a present as in something I have asked for! ;;D

At least we got some rain,
Renee

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by clarence on Sep 15^th, 2004, 4:45am

on 09/14/04 at 19:07:09, Jonny wrote:

Your CH thinks its John Kerry......LMAO ;;D

[smiley=crackup.gif]
That made my day...

Casey

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by rubberplant on Sep 15^th, 2004, 6:07am

on 09/14/04 at 17:45:01, clarence wrote:

Totally, only the once have I switched to the right. Don't know if it was more painful but it was like everybody ran to the other side of the boat. My balance was out and Mentally I felt disorientated from the sudden switch.

James

(Yippee just managed my first quote!!!)

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by Renee on Sep 15^th, 2004, 8:10am

Congrats James on your first post. I have found it is easiest to highlight all and then hit the command rather than try and copy and paste quote between commands...make sense?

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by ExplodingEyeBall on Sep 15^th, 2004, 8:49am

I've been episodic for as long as I can remember.

I also remember CH on only the right side.

When I started trying abortives this year for the first time. It seemed to end the cycle.

A week later....Wham!!!!!! Left side.

Maybe the change in body chemistry or something freaked it out and it went running for safer ground or something.

CH on the left side is way different. Not as powerful K6 at most. Right side K8-10 always except for the shadows.

Left side hits are daytime and early evening. Right side hits are middle of the night wake up beating your head against the wall.

I'm still waiting to see if the right side ones come back in mid fall and start waking me up like usual.

I hop not. Maybe I got to trade the right side ones for the left side ones and got less powerful HAs in the trade off.

Wishful thinking...

Pat

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by PerryGR on Sep 15^th, 2004, 9:18am

on 09/14/04 at 22:28:27, Renee wrote:

Has anyone ever been hit on both sides at once? [smiley=huh.gif]

The IHS states that cluster headaches is strictly unilateral but i've read somewhere (don't remember where so i don't know if this is valid information) that bilateral cluster attacks are extremelly unusual but not unheard of. I've also read that bilateral attacks are more common in migraines.

This will probably cause more questions to rise but here we go... In the last 12 months i've had about a dozen of attacks where the pain was on both sides. The pain felt like my usual headaches(only it was on both sides), their duration was the same and all the symptoms were there on both sides. I don't know if it's clusters or some other kind of headache coupled with clusters. My doctor said it doesn't affect my diagnosis or the medication i should take. Any input on this one will be greatly appreciated.

PFDAN to all,
Perry.

Title: Re: The beast switching sides?
Post by lionsound on Sep 15^th, 2004, 9:38am

on 09/14/04 at 22:28:27, Renee wrote:

Has anyone ever been hit on both sides at once? [smiley=huh.gif]
I don't know if any amount of meds could not that one down!

Yes, I have. And you're right...........went to the ER.... and even that didn't knock it out well. That was my first CH dx.
I remember after the first dose of whatever IV yummies they gave me the doc asked, "so from one to ten...how's the pain now?"
I replied "an eight...close to a nine."
"What! That's it?!" said the doc
"sorry." I said.
And was given another IV something.

Thankfully, it doesn't happen very often. And now I'm better prepared to battle at home and to advocate swiftly in the ER. Due in large part to this place :)

-L