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(Message started by: Dereks_little1 on Jan 26^th, 2004, 5:39pm)

Title: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headaches
Post by Dereks_little1 on Jan 26^th, 2004, 5:39pm

My husband Derek was diagnosed with cluster headaches in August of 2001 by his internist. He had been living with these awful headaches since high school and they would come every February and last about 10 weeks. Some years they would also show up in August.

By 2003 (when he was 34) they were happening every day and not going away after 8-10 weeks like they usually did. They were always on his right side and they were unbearable. Nothing was working at this point.

On December 3, 2003 my husband died of hypertensive heart disease. He had high blood pressure and the wonderful doctor who diagnosed cluster headaches never revealed to him that his blood pressure was high over the last 2 years. The stress of dealing with the headaches didn't help his blood pressure, as I am sure anyone suffering from those headaches know.

My husbands heart was twice it's normal size because of the untreated high blood pressure. And the headaches not going away at the end was due to the high blood pressure also. Did the cluster headaches and the stress that went with living with that beast cause his early demise? I am sure it had a lot to do with his blood pressure being high, and if the headaches could have been controlled perhaps he wouldn't have had so much stress.

I just wanted to relay this because I would hate for anyone else to go through what I have losing my soul mate at such a young age. At least now he isn't suffering any more. I never felt one of his headaches, but it killed me to watch when he was in a cycle. Now he is at rest. I just wanted to let all of you out there who suffer from these headaches to please please keep an eye on your blood pressure.

When Derek went to the doctor during a particularly bad headache day I found on his medical records that his blood pressure was 140/102 on that day. I wish I would have known that before now, maybe he could have been saved.

Thank you for listening. I just wanted to let you all know that living with these headaches can actually kill you if you arent careful. Christin

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by echo on Jan 26^th, 2004, 5:41pm

Sorry to read of your recent loss.

Clusters can do so much to distroy life and those who share it with the sufferer.

Me -- yes, high blood pressure. Presently being treated to get it under control.

Thanks for sharing.

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by thomas on Jan 26^th, 2004, 5:43pm

I'm sooooooooo sorry to hear about your loss...... It is the most horrible pain to loose someone that you love. Thank you for being there and supporting him through his pain. If you ever need to talk to someone there are plenty of ears to listen here.

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by Tiannia on Jan 26^th, 2004, 6:03pm

I am so very sorry to hear about your loss. These headaches take so much away from our lives and from those who watch us suffer. Please stay with us and know that if you ever want to talk that we are here and we always will be. :'(

Tiannia

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by Sean_C on Jan 26^th, 2004, 8:26pm

How do I respond to a thread like this......my heart goes out to you and your family. My blood pressure during my cycles can go that high also, usually from the pred, and trex. With out question high blood pressure can be dangerous.

If you need us, where here 24/7.....the lights always on.

We wish you and your family all the love needed to carry through this..

Sean and family

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by Cerberus on Jan 26^th, 2004, 9:03pm

My Condolances Christin, The loss of a spouse is a great tradgedy, And to learn after the fact that both may have been treatable is, well..........wrong.
I have to ask though, If your late husband was diagnosed by the Internal specialist, and that same specialist knew his BP was too high, then why did he/she not prescribe a medication to lower his BP.
Fact is, most of us landed here as the result of a search for information on CH and a great deal of the same, find relief from their cycles with Verapamil a medication clearly ordained for its blood pressure lowering quality.
Pardon my inquisitiveness, on this, but I fail to understand how a Doctor could be aware of CH as a problem without having ANY knowledge of how to treat it, especially if one or more of the medications used to treat CH are actually beneficial to one who also suffers from high BP? Namely Oxygen and Verapamil? How in the world did the high BP escape treatment? I'm not accusing just curious.

Again, My condolances...
Ramon

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by Little Deb on Jan 26^th, 2004, 9:22pm

Thanks for sharing your story. Please stay with us as a supporter. And we are here to support you also. So sorry for the loss of Derek. Prayers to you and your famiy.

Little Deb
25 years of CH
Raleigh, NC

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by Renee on Jan 26^th, 2004, 9:34pm

Christin,

There are NO words I can say to change your pain nor mend your heart. I am truly so sorry for your loss and hope you find peace that he is no longer suffering.

My bp is normally low, like 90/55 to 90/60 but when in the throws of a CH my bp rises substantially to around 140/95. I think the pain and stress from the pain raises my bp at these times.

I can't take verapamil because it knocks my bp down too low, even at low dosage.

I truly wish that you and Derek had found us here at ch.com sooner.

Stay with us! There is quite a support group here!

My prayers for you and your family,
Renee

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by brad267 on Jan 26^th, 2004, 9:39pm

Christin,

I have nothing witty to say. I am very sorry for your loss, and I WILL have my BP doublechecked next visit.

Thank You,
Brad

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by t_h_b on Jan 26^th, 2004, 9:50pm

Christin, I am very sorry that you lost your husband, especially at age 34 with your life together ahead of you. It is good that Derek is no longer suffering but I know that you must miss him with more pain than you have ever felt in your life. We all appreciate you warning us about the dangers of hypertension, especially now, and our thoughts are with you in your grief.

There is usually someone here if you ever want to communicate about the headaches that caused him so much trouble.

Sincerely,
Thomas

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by TxBasslady on Jan 26^th, 2004, 9:54pm

:'(................so very sad

I hope you know that you are very welcome to stay here with us.

Jean CH Sufferer/Supporter

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by ClusterChuck on Jan 26^th, 2004, 10:07pm

So sorry! I am at a loss as to what else to say! Such a tragedy!

You, my dear lady, are a wonderful person, to come here with your very important warning! Bless you! What a giving, caring, and supportive person you are.

Thank you.

Chuck

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by Patrick_A on Jan 26^th, 2004, 11:17pm

Hello Christin, I offer you my deepest sympathies. Losing a loved one is a hard thing to deal with.
I have to agree with Ramon though, Why didnt the Doctor recognize that your husband had high blood pressure? Easily treatable and in fact would have possibly knocked out 2 birds with 1 stone. I am not being critical of you or your husband. Its just that Doctors have a tendency to drop the ball and i was just wondering how!

Patrick

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by Charlie on Jan 27^th, 2004, 12:12am

I can't add much to this other than I think it's wonderful of you to come here with this sad story. I don't know how we can thank you.

There is something to blood pressure and CH but it's just as likely that high blood pressure wasn't the primary cause of these terrible headaches.

Feel free to post again as you'll find some good support here. Let us hear from you.

Charlie

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by Turts on Jan 27^th, 2004, 1:43am

Sorry to hear of your loss.

And thank you for advising of these dangerous side effects.

Our thoughts are with you and as Sean C said, the lights here are always on.

Turts

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by Callico_Kid on Jan 27^th, 2004, 1:59am

I'm terribly sorry about the loss of your husband. Please believe that we feel the loss with you. To be sure it is not to the same degree, but we have become family here, and the loss of another clusterhead is felt by us all.

Thank you so much for coming on line with us and sharing your story with us. As others have said, please feel welcome to stay with us if you care to. Someone is almost always on line, or if not, give us an email or an instant message. We are here for you too.

Jerry

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by Dereks_little1 on Jan 27^th, 2004, 12:15pm

Thank you all so very much for your kindness and your support. It has been a very difficult time for me and our 8 year old daughter. We were both watched him die right in front of us. He was a truck driver and we were in a rest area when it happened.

We were together for the last 11 years, our 10 year wedding anniversary would have been in April. I always dreaded this this time of year (February) because that is always when the headaches would happen, now I dread it because he is not here. I always thought it was so hard seeing him suffer through a cycle of headaches, but it was worse seeing him die.

As for the doctor not diagnosing the high blood pressure, I don't know why he never said or did anything. There are a few lawyers asking that same question. When he was going in for the headaches he was givin Midrin at first, then Altenilol, amytriptiline, and Ultram. None of these things really helped. Nothing ever truely stopped the cycle in its tracks.

Most of the time he would just suffer through the cycle and hope that he didn't go crazy during it. I know the doctor was wrong in 2 aspects, actually 3, he never did really do a whole lot for the headaches, he never said or did anything about the high blood pressure (I never knew any of his blood pressures until I got his medical records after he died), and his final act of negligence was telling my husband the day before he died that the reason his chest hurt was because he had bronchitis and gave him antibiotics.

The reason my husbands chest hurt was because his lungs were filled with blood from congestive heart failure from the high blood pressure. I lost my husband because this doctor let him die.

I am sorry for venting this way, I am still very sad and it hurts a great deal. Thank you again for being so kind. Christin

Title: Re: My husband was diagnosed with cluster headache
Post by Patrick_A on Jan 27^th, 2004, 12:23pm

And Doctors question why their malpractice insurance is so high. Geeeesh! I hope you sue the pants off of him.
Christin, I hope you find solace here at CH.com. We will always consider you as part of our family. I wish you the very best!

Patrick