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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Caffiene?? Cure??
        
(Message started by: Meghanm on Oct 17^th, 2004, 8:05am)

Title: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by Meghanm on Oct 17^th, 2004, 8:05am

HI everyone, I'm a new member. I have one little question. Does anyone else find that caffeine works to relieve clusters? Or am I the only one? I wouldn't say it works all the time, but about 95% of the time for me a few sips on my coffee takes all the pain away. I know lots of medications contain caffeine, but when I take these meds I seem to get more headaches. I know clusters can be associated with caffeine withdrwls, but can it take them away (for the time, until the next one comes.)

Meghan-

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by Kevin_M on Oct 17^th, 2004, 9:09am

on 10/17/04 at 08:05:02, Meghanm wrote:

I know clusters can be associated with caffeine withdrwls,

Not on this planet.

Kevin M

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by nani on Oct 17^th, 2004, 9:15am

Some people find that coffee or other caffeine drinks help ease them, but no, not a cause and not a cure. There is no cure. :(

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by yikes_another_one on Oct 17^th, 2004, 9:22am

A few times I tried Excedrine Migraine,
when I ran out of Zomig, and got a major kip scale of 10

but I was never sure if it went away on it's own or not,
because it took more than 30 minutes to take affect....

and four hours later I had another headache...
and that's my usual cycle length....

(Excedrine has caffeine in it.... but most agree, it does not work for them....

Some said try a REb bull or Mountain Dew....

but really just time is what works, if you don't have O2, meds or a talent at meditation....while dancingaround or banging your head....

I hope you find a good doc to help you
find what works for you.

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by Bob_Johnson on Oct 17^th, 2004, 9:30am

It's a paradoxical drug! Over the years, some people have reported (here) that a couple of cupss of very strong coffee will abort an attack--if they can get it in at the first sign of an attack.

But there are also reports that, for some people, caffeine can trigger an attack if they are in an cluster cycle.

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by Guido on Oct 17^th, 2004, 12:38pm

I drink a lot of coffee. I feel if coffee took the pain of cluster headaches away I or this site would not be here.
Just a newbies opinion.
Guido

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by Tom K on Oct 17^th, 2004, 4:40pm

As stated before, works for some, not for others. Slamming 2 Mt Dew AMPs right one I feel one coming works, 80% of the time. It is worth it to me to give it a go. May or may not work for you. Caffine withdrawl, while painfull in it's own right, is not a cause of CH. Drinking caffine everyday, while helping wake you up, will not cure you.

T

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by maria9 on Oct 17^th, 2004, 8:13pm

hey all,

Over the last few years I read alot about you CH'ers brewing a pot of coffee, so you were ready. I typically get most of my CH's at night, so I never would even think about trying the coffee cure, as generally I only have 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning. But during this last cycle I would get these very low grade CH's around 3 pm and then around 6 pm. What I did was have a very large cup of coffee around 2:30 and 5:30 and it seemed to take care of those little annoying beasties. But then I got to wondering, as I often do, was it just the vaso-constrictive properties of coffee, or was there something else? It turns out that coffee is actually an herb with a concentration of chemical stimulants to the mind. Caffeine actually increases the activity of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine.

Just thought you all would want to know.

Marsha ;;D ;;D ;;D

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by don on Oct 17^th, 2004, 9:34pm

I drink so much coffee I get invited to the family picnics of Juan Valdez.

Still have Ch.

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by thudpucker on Oct 17^th, 2004, 11:02pm

on 10/17/04 at 21:34:00, don wrote:

I drink so much coffee I get invited to the family picnics of Juan Valdez.

Still have Ch.

Yup.

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by rubberplant on Oct 18^th, 2004, 5:40am

on 10/17/04 at 21:34:00, don wrote:

I drink so much coffee I get invited to the family picnics of Juan Valdez.

Still have Ch.

Must have seen you there!

Really strong coffee can give an extra half hour to pack up and get home but never remove the pain entirely.

James

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by athos on Oct 18^th, 2004, 5:44am

can't hold still long enough to get a cup down

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by Opus on Oct 18^th, 2004, 8:53am

I have found that coffee will help abortives work better. I will drink a cup even at 2am if the abortive doesn't seem to work.

Athos,

Use a travel mug, it's the only way.

The hard part I have found is making it while being hit, I save a jar of instant for this.

Opus/Paul

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by vig on Oct 18^th, 2004, 9:30am

The neuro said to drink 3 caffeinated beverages a day.
Not as an abortive, just to help overall.

It's the only order of his that I didn't disobey.

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by floridian on Oct 19^th, 2004, 8:27am

If you are episodic and not in cycle, caffeine in the evening is probably not a good idea (reduces melatonin production, disrupts sleep). If the beast is banging on your head, coffee might help some - it is a vasoconstrictor. For some, it might turn down the pain, for others it is just soothing.

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by thebbz on Oct 19^th, 2004, 10:31pm

Caffeine is a doubledged sword. I use it alot to cut down on the trex, one should never consume more than one case of Mt Dew per day..LOL I like to have a cup or more anytime to stay one step ahead of the demon. ;;D
BB

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by dafreeman on Oct 20^th, 2004, 7:32am

I think I found it was a "trigger" for me (at least last night anyway). I started getting a CH and took my nasal imitrex asap. Unlucky for me was that we were just about to have a "showing" for our (we're selling) and I had to be away from the home for this one. The CH put up a good fight this time (toughest to date for this cycle) and so I thought I'd try a caffinated pop also. It seemed like the CH was dissipating normally and was pretty much gone :D, then it came back [smiley=mad.gif]. Never had that happen before. It didn't come back as strong, but it was pretty weird. I started to wonder if the caffine had an affect. [smiley=huh.gif]

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by Charlie on Oct 20^th, 2004, 4:50pm

When I was a kid of 23 in the distant past, about all I consumed was coffee and that was the age that my CH began. When I was 45, and was probably drinking more than Don, they disappeared and have been gone for 13 years. I'm not sure what this means. Caffeine seems to be a good and bad thing here.

I'm really pissed that Juan never invites me though.

Charlie

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by Big Dan on Oct 21^st, 2004, 8:47pm

Excedrine Migraine has only taken the edge off of low level HA's for me in the past....

... during on of my favorite 10's, I took a litteral handful of Excedrine Migraine at about 2:something in the am, out of desperation, before I ever had any effective meds...

... just made me not as hungry.

-Big Dan

Title: Re: Caffiene?? Cure??
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Oct 21^st, 2004, 9:15pm

I find that MAJOR coffee - only that found in a strong espresso, etc., will help with shadows that are intensifying a little during the day. Wouldn't dream of trying it on a full blown episodic CH - but mostly because my full blown ones happen during the middle of the night.

Most of the time I'm awake I'm with Don at Juan's house.

Kris