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(Message started by: EmpressJMB on Oct 10^th, 2004, 9:21am)

Title: Family Connection
Post by EmpressJMB on Oct 10^th, 2004, 9:21am

I'm sure this has been discussed before...is there a family connection with CH? The reason I ask is; I was having dinner with my 5 brothers and sisters (I'm the youngest) last nite and we were talking about HA's. They all get HA's but none has CH except me. Or so I thought. My sister told me my Dad (he died when I was 6) had really bad one-sided HA's. He used to call them sinus headaches. As we were talking I recalled how when I lived with one of my brothers, I would sometimes come home late at night and find him downstairs on the couch holding his head and rocking back and forth. So I asked him if he still had HA's. He said he hadn't in years. I asked him what they were like and he said it was like "someone jabbing an icepick in his eye". He said they went away after having a bone in his neck put back in place. He was convinced that's why they were gone. I tend to think that was a coincidence. I told him if they come back, let me know. I know I've read here that some people's Dad or brother have them but how common is it? Links? [smiley=huh.gif] Thanks, Janet

Title: Re: Family Connection
Post by Redd715 on Oct 10^th, 2004, 9:37am

It was only this summer at the convention in Nashville that Dr. Volcey (sp) made a connection to hereditiy, which is the opposite of all the diescriptions thus far which state there is no hereditary features to this. My grandmother, and her mother both had CH, I was aware of the stories my mother told me about grammas headahes as I was growing up. When I got hit in the waiting room during my mothers cancer surgery, my Aunt was with us, and afterwards she said the great gramma had these as well, and was once stopped from taking a spoon full of mercury to off herself. My aunt said that G Gramma said that she knew it would take her because that was how they put down the sick cows.

One brother and one sister gets migraines, and I get CH. I do believe the two conditions are cousins.

Title: Re: Family Connection
Post by Pegase on Oct 10^th, 2004, 9:42am

Hi ;)

I know there's a slight family incidence... I think the stats are talking about 7 % of the case.

In my case, I know one of my cousin is having CH too... He seems to be in remission now though...

Weird enough however... I have an identical twin brother and he doens't have CH [smiley=huh.gif]

Hope this helps...

PFDAN

Pegase

Title: Re: Family Connection
Post by floridian on Oct 10^th, 2004, 9:47am

If a close blood relative has clusters, your risk is 5x to 20x greater of getting clusters. There is a genetic factor. Genetics also predict the response to lithium and other preventives - if a med helps one person, it is likely to help their blood relatives.

Quote:

Lancet Neurol. 2004 May;3(5):279-83.

Epidemiology and genetics of cluster headache.

Russell MB.

Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. m.b.russell@klinmed.uio.no

Cluster headache, the most severe primary headache, is characterised by unilateral pain, ipsilateral autonomic features, and, in many cases, restlessness. Recent epidemiological studies indicate that the prevalence of cluster headache is about one person per 500. Genetic epidemiological surveys indicate that first-degree relatives are five to 18 times-and second-degree relatives, one to three times-more likely to have cluster headache than the general population. Inheritance is likely to be autosomal dominant with low penetrance in some families, although there may also be autosomal recessive or multifactorial inheritance in others. To date, no molecular genetic clues have been identified for cluster headache. Identification of genes for cluster headache is likely to be difficult because most families reported have few affected members and genetic heterogeneity is likely. Future focus should be on ion channel genes and clock genes. This review summarises the epidemiology and genetics of cluster headache.

Quote:

Headache. 1994 Jul-Aug;34(7):400-7.

Inheritance of cluster headache and its possible link to migraine.

Kudrow L, Kudrow DB.

California Medical Clinic For Headache, Encino 91436.

We evaluated the possibility that cluster headache may be a transmitted disorder, influenced by migraine genetics. In the first part of a two part study, 24 female cluster headache probands having at least one first degree relative with cluster headache were evaluated for familial histories of cluster and migraine headache. Headache histories of most parents, siblings and children were satisfactorily documented by either direct interview or by information provided by knowledgeable relatives. In approximately a third of relatives, the headache history could not be properly ascertained. The second part of the study evaluated occurrence rates of cluster and migraine headaches among first degree relatives of 200 female and 100 male cluster headache patients, and the proportion of affected relatives. These data were compared to those of 200 women and 100 men with migraine headache; family history data were, for the most part, provided by headache patients. Twenty-four of two hundred cluster headache women (12%) had at least one first degree relative with cluster headache. Three generations of cluster headache were found in 7/24 kindreds (29.17%). Parental cluster headache was found in 19 of the 24 probands (79.17%); in 14/19 (73.68%), transmission was from father to proband. fifty percent of cluster probands also had migraine headaches, and almost 50% had a family history of migraine. Similarly, of the larger population of 300 cluster patients, approximately 45% had a positive family history of migraine. f 1652 relatives of all cluster patients, 3.45% had cluster headache (thirteen times the expected frequency of cluster headache in the general population) and 17.55% had migraine headaches.

Title: Re: Family Connection
Post by nani on Oct 10^th, 2004, 9:53am

Yep- I think hter is. My mother suffered from "migraines" for years. When I think about it, they fit the cluster profile- episodes that lasted weeks long, one sided, etc. Her last cycle must have been around 1989 though, she hasn't had one since. (she's 78 with Alzheimers now) My younger sister gets clusters, too. She thinks she's cured them by giving up sugar. I gently reminded her that she could just be out of cycle...

Title: Re: Family Connection
Post by alleyoop on Oct 10^th, 2004, 12:50pm

My paternal grandmother had headaches so bad, she'd wrap hot peppers around her head.

I've got two brothers diagnosed ECH. I'm diagnosed CCH.

............................alley