Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 General Board Posts >> Standards of Care for CH
        
(Message started by: don on May 26^th, 2005, 1:47pm)

Title: Standards of Care for CH
Post by don on May 26^th, 2005, 1:47pm

http://www.guidelines.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=6582&nbr=4142&string=cluster+AND+headache

Title: Re: Standards of Care for CH
Post by Lizzie2 on May 26^th, 2005, 2:31pm

That's interesting...

I would like to comment on the intranasal cocaine thing-a-ma-bob. They use that for ENT and also certain other surgeries. Both times after my ENT surgeries over the past couple of months, I woke up with the worst headache of my life. I couldn't even control the tears streaming down my face. They gave me so much fentanyl that I would actually stop breathing when I'd fall asleep - so unless they could keep on tapping me awake to breathe, they were ready with the Narcan in hand - which definitely would have made things worse!

I've never had this problem with other surgeries - and even in the article it has very little mention and does talk about its addictive properties. However, I definitely wouldn't recommend trying it! It was one of the worst things I've ever experienced. Had they not knocked me out and given me everything in the arsenal and been standing at my side as I threw up for over 5 hours from pain, I would have killed myself - no doubt about that. So I'm stayin away from the cocaine!

In my recent honors presentation, one of the presentation binders I had was on nursing management. I know it doesn't sound like much (and keep in mind this was part of one of 6 binders), this is what I wrote for nursing management of clusters:

Quote:

-Pain intensifies quickly, so interventions cannot wait
-If patient uses oxygen treatment, be sure this is set up and functioning early so the patient can access it easily
-Ice packs may be useful for some
-If they are using a fast acting abortive such as Imitrex or DHE injections, this needs to be given as soon as possible
-Almost always, the sufferer prefers to be alone during an attack

So I know it ain't much - but I was trying! I have lots more on CH in some of the other presentations. :)

Carrie

Title: Re: Standards of Care for CH
Post by don on May 26^th, 2005, 6:51pm

Quote:

So I'm stayin away from the cocaine!

Me to but back in the day it would stop my CH in its tracks. (Along with many other things.)

Title: Re: Standards of Care for CH
Post by Jonny on May 26^th, 2005, 7:00pm

on 05/26/05 at 18:51:37, don wrote:

Me to but back in the day it would stop my CH in its tracks. (Along with many other things.)

Ditto......I was my own best cutomer when selling it ;;D

Title: Re: Standards of Care for CH
Post by ClusterChuck on May 26^th, 2005, 8:30pm

Thanks, Don! There is a lot of great information! Some of it, I disagree with, but on the whole it is GREAT!!!

One statement I disagree with is:
Quote:

Oxygen seems to be most successful when administered at the maximum pain intensity.

To me, the sooner the better! Grab it as soon as I feel it starting! Many times, it never gets full blown. Although, there are some hits, that the O₂ does not do anything for the first 15 minutes. I then shut it off, and then wait till it IS full blown, and then take it, again. A lot of times, this does break it, but there are also those times where even then, it still does not work.

But good article, thanks for posting it.

Chuck