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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Posts >> NO attacks after bed
        
(Message started by: toddlouky on Apr 26^th, 2004, 2:26pm)

Title: NO attacks after bed
Post by toddlouky on Apr 26^th, 2004, 2:26pm

My headaches are always during day or early evening. Ive never woken up to a cluster. Could this mean I dont have CH? is this a defining characterristic

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by john123 on Apr 26^th, 2004, 2:29pm

no, only a doctor can tell you if you do or do not have ch's. But in my mind, it is suspect. Waking up to ch's was always a possibility for me.

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by thomas on Apr 26^th, 2004, 2:30pm

If you haven't been woken up by a headache, that doesn't mean you don't have ch. If you've been able to go to sleep with a headache, THEN you don't have ch. ;;D

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by toddlouky on Apr 26^th, 2004, 2:32pm

but how, really, does a doctor know if I have CH, since there is no known cause. isnt it all subjective speculation.

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by echo on Apr 26^th, 2004, 2:33pm

Personally for me, I truly believe that the only time a CH will not awaken me from sleep is when I'm dead. But at this point that is suspect as well.

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by john123 on Apr 26^th, 2004, 2:35pm

subjective speculation? I really don't know much about that, but maybe. Doctor's are the only one's who can get you meds though ;)

Did you try taking the cluster quiz on this site?

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by Lizzie2 on Apr 26^th, 2004, 2:41pm

Yeah I don't think I'd go for subjective speculation. There are a lot of diseases with no known cause or medical test, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I don't think if you don't get them in your sleep, it doesn't mean you don't have them, necessarily...because there are always deviations, but it definately is a characteristic for the majority.

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by Big Dan on Apr 26^th, 2004, 2:43pm

on 04/26/04 at 14:32:12, toddlouky wrote:

subjective speculation.

... Am I the only one that thought that sounded dirty?...

Seriously...

Ask the Head Doctor what gives... he'd be the only one that can tell you for sure...

Hope it 'taint....

-Big Dan

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by floridian on Apr 26^th, 2004, 2:44pm

Cluster headache is a specific condition. It hits a particular spot on the trigeminal nerve behind the eye, and has associated swelling and tearing of one side of the face. The pain is a constant searing, generally not a throbbing pain. The attacks are a few minutes to a few hours (15-45 minutes most commonly), and the headaches usually occur in groups or clusters. The 'alarm-clock' pattern is common and helps distinguish if a person has clusters, but not everyone gets waken by the headache - they can come at different times. Calendar rhythms are also a feature that can point to CH, but some of us are chronic, others skip years or move from CH in the winter to CH in the summer.

Other 'related' conditions include CPH, which can be treated effectively with inodmethacin, and a Trigeminal Neuralgia, which is experienced as sudden, electric like jolts. Cluster headache usually responds to triptans and oxygen, but not to aspirin, tylenol or other analgesics.

Some diagnoses are made with incomplete information and are subjective, but there are too many people here with the same thing to say its a subjective disease. There is lots of variation, but the type of pain is the same.

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by BlueMeanie on Apr 26^th, 2004, 6:14pm

Most CH sufferers DO get woke several times during the evening while sleeping. Even though it may not necessarily be true to get woke up, there is a chance you may NOT have clusters. Talk to a neurologist about your symptoms. Keep a log of when they occur & lenghts they stay. It may help evaluate your condition. What meds work for you ? Does Imitrex and/or O2 abort your CH's ?

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by eyes_afire on Apr 26^th, 2004, 7:45pm

Look here for diagnostic criteria for cluster headaches:

http://www.upstate.edu/neurology/haas/hpcldx.htm

http://www.regence.com/trgmedpol/drugs/dru52.html

Diagnostic criteria (IHS) (abbreviated and slightly altered)

a. At least 5 attacks

b. Severe unilateral pain in the orbit or surrounding areas, or both, lasting 15-180 minutes untreated

c. Headache is associated with at least one of the following signs on the side of the pain:
conjunctival injection (reddened eyeball)
lacrimation (excessive tears from the eye)
nasal congestion (stuffy nose)
rhinorrhea (runny nose)
facial sweating
miosis (smaller pupil)
ptosis (lowered upper eyelid)
eyelid edema (lids become puffy)

d. Frequency of attacks: from 1 every other day to 8 per day

e. Secondary headache types neither suggested nor confirmed

IMHO, nightime attacks are generally characteristic of cluster headaches, but certainly not definitive.

...Rocking on the floor next to the oxygen tank, thinking 'please god kill me now' while banging your head with a shoe (I was there the other night)... that helps me define a cluster headache as well.

--- Steve

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by Linda_Howell on Apr 26^th, 2004, 8:00pm

Banging your head with a shoe Steve? Boy! That's a new one on me. I thought banging my head into the garage door was pretty kinky...but shoes,hmmm.

Toddlouky, what are the symptoms when you DO have a headache. Not that we're doctors here or anything, but between all of us we've sure got the time in on finding out about them. Do you have the diagnostic criteria that eyes-a-fire stated?

Linda

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by Kevin_M on Apr 26^th, 2004, 8:02pm

on 04/26/04 at 19:45:25, eyes_afire wrote:

...Rocking on the floor next to the oxygen tank, thinking 'please god kill me now' while banging your head with a shoe (I was there the other night)... that helps me define a cluster headache as well.

--- Steve

This is certainly in relation to what Floridian commented on, being in his last statement too, that the pain is the
same, or as descriptive like the above quote. Linda adds the garage door technique. You will not find the pain subjective speculation.
Though waking at night is common with clusters, as it is with me, the pain is perhaps a definitive characteric. Use the kip scale, check that out too on the left.

Kevin M

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by Roxy on Apr 26^th, 2004, 8:10pm

When we were in New England and working up the ID Cluster questions with Dr. Sheftell, I believe he said that the diagnostic criteria (IHS) had changed. Two of the listed criteria were the inability to remain still and being awakened at night with a ch.

This is what I remember, but I don't have my notes handy.....and I could have been in a trex fog at the time.... ::).

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by Charlie on Apr 26^th, 2004, 9:39pm

Sorry if you have to deal with this horror but if you stick around you will find lots of support and good ideas.

Cluster headaches will wake you out of a sound sleep. It never failed. They also caused me to go though some bizarre contortions and create new curse words. You cannot sit still during a cluster attack. The pain is the center of your universe until it dissipates. There is nothing to compare clusters with another so my hope is that you have something more manageable.

Let us know how you are doing.

Charlie

Title: Re: NO attacks after bed
Post by Weldon on Apr 26^th, 2004, 10:16pm

Todlouky; You would'nt by chance be sleeping on a bed with the head of the bed higher by about 6 to 8" ? Thats how I control my nightime one's . Weldon