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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> How long can a cycle last?
        
(Message started by: Connie on Mar 8^th, 2005, 8:22pm)

Title: How long can a cycle last?
Post by Connie on Mar 8^th, 2005, 8:22pm

I was wondering if anyone had longer cycles then usual as the years go on. My husband's cycles started 11 years ago with cycles one-two times a year lasting about 6 to 12 weeks. His last one was four years ago, was very severe, and lasted 4 months.

This cycle is now coming up on six months and we are getting scared that this may never end. Has anyone out there been in this situation.

Just trying to give him a little hope that he is not going chronic.

Thanks
Connie

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by E-Double on Mar 8^th, 2005, 8:33pm

Forever...............or they can stop and never reappear

It is what it is...

There are people here who have been chronic for 25 yrs. and still fighting

There are people here that have been chronic for 20 yrs. and have broken their cycle and remain PF for nearly 1 yr. :)

Some have brief cycles ( weeks)
Some have cycles of 9-10 months.....

Some like me have had a history of brief cycles twice a yr ( approx. 1 month each) and this go around remain in cycle for nealry a year....

Who the hell knows.....

Whatever the reason or unidentifiable variable is.....

Hang in there and stay strong and armed.

Wishing the best!!!

E

edit to add.........Chronic by IHS criteria is essentially no less than 1 yr without a consecutive break of 30 days PF and med free.

He has 6 months to go........Either way don't worry about it just FIGHT!

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by vig on Mar 8^th, 2005, 8:35pm

good answer e-dub...
it's very unpredictable in many cases.

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Mar 8^th, 2005, 8:38pm

Hi Connie,

There's been much speculation here on the board about how our medication cocktails can make our cycles longer. It's almost like the beast doesn't want to give up until he's done his damage one way or the other. We feel better with meds, but it seems to take longer to end.

You might want to check out the thread on Kudzu under "medications and treatments." It's showing some great promise for cyclic and chronic sufferers. It's a long thread, but worth reading all the way through - kind of like our own double-blind study.

Keep up your support. We sufferers wouldn't know what to do without you behind us.

Hugs,

Kris

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by unsolved1 on Mar 8^th, 2005, 8:44pm

4 years and 5 months for me (So far) this 'cycle'

Unsolved

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by Redd715 on Mar 8^th, 2005, 9:11pm

Officially it was one year today..... :-[

edit to add: but working on kicking the f*cker to the curb. Hail the fungus.

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by Gator on Mar 8^th, 2005, 10:02pm

on 03/08/05 at 21:11:05, Redd715 wrote:

Officially it was one year today..... :-[

edit to add: but working on kicking the f*cker to the curb. Hail the fungus.

Sorry to hear that Redd. Hoping the fungus kicks ass for you.

How long can a cycle last? 17 months for me so far - I'm just a pup in the ch world.

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by jokrs2 on Mar 9^th, 2005, 1:48am

I have been chronic now for over 20 years :(. I am always in at least a shadow and get hit everyday. My hits seem to be shortening in duration and maybe a little in severity since I started on Kudzu 5 days ago. Hope it keeps on getting better. I am also finding out what foods, etc.. can help trigger and avoiding them. I hope that his cycle ends soon. Joe

Quote:
Chocolate is not good for dog's either.
A CH Person

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by Bob P on Mar 9^th, 2005, 9:41am

For the first 20 years of my cluster life I would get hit about every 8-9 months with a 4-6 week cluster.

When I turned 40 the remissions jumped to 2 years long but the clusters, when they came, were unpredictable in length. My last remission was 2yrs. 7mos. long but the cluster was 15 weeks long.

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by EvertBoer on Mar 9^th, 2005, 5:38pm

Hi Connie,

As you can see from the other replies, it seems to vary for everyone so it is hard to predict for your husband. In my own case, the first 20 years I had a cycle each year, lasting maybe two months maximum. When I hit my forties, I started having cycles every other year or so that lasted about the same length of time. Now, in my fifties, I have up to 5 year remission periods, but the cycle itself lasts much longer (the last one lasted 7 months but was milder - I was able to abort every single HA with oxygen and sometimes 3 mg trex shots).

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by Belle on Mar 9^th, 2005, 5:40pm

Hey Connie!

Mine started almost fifteen years ago. My first cycle was two weeks in one year. They kept getting longer and longer. The longest I went was six months, just after I had my first child. Yes, it was hell. After that they started to get shorter and now they are just all over the place. Two months here, three months there. I hope and pray for the both of you that it stops soon. I couldn't imagine being chronic. As you can probably tell they are some of the toughest people in the world.

My thoughts are with you!

Belle
::)

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by Connie on Mar 9^th, 2005, 8:40pm

Once again, thank you everyone for your responses. I guess I was just hoping that many of you out there may have a good answer for us, but I know everyone is different.

For those of you that are chronic, does one cycle just never end or were you always chronic? I really sympathize with you guys, it really sucks. You cannot plan anything for fear of what if.

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by Connie on Mar 9^th, 2005, 8:46pm

Now, in my fifties, I have up to 5 year remission periods, but the cycle itself lasts much longer (the last one lasted 7 months but was milder - I was able to abort every single HA with oxygen and sometimes 3 mg trex shots)

Sounds just like my hubby. Most of the time the O2 works and he has not taken an injection in quite some time, although he has been using the pills. You are encouraging though as your cycle did end eventually after 7 months. We can only hope.

P.S. I cannot get this quote thing down pat. What am I doing wrong.

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by PCMCCK on Mar 9^th, 2005, 8:55pm

[b][/b]
I had a 5 year unbroken cycle, followed by a one year spontaneous remission which ended 3years ago and I am still in that cycle. There is no predicting how long one will last nor how long or if one will get a remission (though they usually do come for some period of time). The cycles and remissions seem to have minds of their own, doesn't matter what you do or what medicines
you take or treatments you undergo. good luck!

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by Redd715 on Mar 9^th, 2005, 9:22pm

Quote:

For those of you that are chronic, does one cycle just never end or were you always chronic?

I was undiagnosed, therefore unofficially, chronic for the at least the last couple years, but I've had these bastages for a good 12 years but because I never tracked them, I couldn't tell you if I ever had a PF 30 consecutive days or not. I doubt it, but thats not to say it never happened.

I know doesn't help much.

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by survivor13 on Mar 21^st, 2005, 11:36am

my first bout was 10 years straight. only predisonne would temp. take it out of cycle. :'(

Title: Re: How long can a cycle last?
Post by sandie99 on Mar 21^st, 2005, 12:56pm

Well, Connie,
this "cycle" has been going on since November 2003...

I wish the best to your husband. :)