Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


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

        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Excercise Worked
        
(Message started by: Maestro on Sep 19^th, 2005, 2:09pm)

Title: Excercise Worked
Post by Maestro on Sep 19^th, 2005, 2:09pm

I am a new member of this board. I have had CH since the mid '80's. No medications ever worked but I did obtain relief through 10 minutes of Oxygen.
My CH disappeared after Open Heart Surgery in 1995. Wow, 10 years CH free.
After two other Open Heart Surgeries this year they returned. However, it did take three months before they returned so I am not certain if there is a relationship.
After going to the Neurologist's office who previously treated me it was determined that due to my heart condition and the fact that meds had no worked in the past that I should rely on oxygen until the cycle ran its course.
After lurking on this site for a few days I read about the use of excercise as an abortive technique. I have a treadmill in my home and at the first sign of a CH I began to excercise to push my heart rate up. Lo and behold the CH never materialized. I began yesterday and have been CH free since the first excercise. I had been getting 4-5 CH a day prior to that.
What this means is that I am not tied to having to be in reach of oxygen should a CH arise. After all, as odd as it might be I can do jumping jacks on the golf course or at the mall.
I will keep the group updated if this changes.

Title: Re: Excercise Worked
Post by vig on Sep 19^th, 2005, 2:14pm

keep up the good work, I hope it continues working for you

Title: Re: Excercise Worked
Post by seasonalboomer on Sep 19^th, 2005, 2:28pm

that's great Maestro! some report that they are successful, like you, at aborting through raising their heart rate a notch. Sadly, I'm in the other group that is triggered by aerobic exercise and since i'm a hard core distance runner I deeply envy your succesful abort method.... ;)

scott

Title: Re: Excercise Worked
Post by sandie99 on Sep 21^st, 2005, 1:39am

It's wonderful that you've found something which works for you! I hope you stay PF! :)

In my case, exercises didn't make any difference. But I'm glad that they helped you.

Best wishes & PFdays,
Sanna

Title: Re: Excercise Worked
Post by Maestro on Sep 21^st, 2005, 10:26am

I am still in a CH cycle but have been able to use exercise to abort the CH at its' outset. I have been successful at this since 9/18 and have aborted 10 CH's up to 10:30AM today. None have taken place during sleep. WOW!!!

I just hope the cycle ends soon so that real life can go on.

Title: Re: Exercise Worked
Post by stevema on Sep 25^th, 2005, 8:51am

Years ago (i suffer once yearly or every other year episodic 4 week cycle, going on 20 years now...) in response to my throat closing up and the attempts at blowing nose, etc, I started to breathe deep, real deep, made me dizzy so deep. That worked a little. Then I read on this site about exercise. Tried running. Worked. But I gotta hit the road at the outset or forget it, hard to run when you're a piece of jelly quivering on the floor. Looking at Kip scale, I get mostly 8 and 9, might have had a coupla 10s. So I gotta run before it passes 7. But ! Though it aborts the present attack, it may come back soon, like in 60 to 90 minutes. And I also read that exercise is a trigger, so this is a fine pickle. Running stops the pain (gotta run at least half mile , sometimes a mile before feeling real relief...the trick is to KEEP GOING no matter what) but did over exertion start my present cycle? (started the morning after a loooong hike and sore muscles to the max). I don't know. It's my hypothalamus. No wait, It's the trigeminal. Oh, wait, It's in my stomach. Or Pancreas. Or Dehydrated. Or Neck artery muddy and blocked. Who the fuck knows! Anyway, running helps me, major freaking abortion of attack, but I have been out 5 times today and how much can the legs take? Oh, and I like to run North. Anyone else find you face North when you dance or otherwise do stuff you don't know why you're doing?

Title: Re: Exercise Worked
Post by stevema on Sep 25^th, 2005, 8:53am

Title: Re: Excercise Worked
Post by Sean_C on Sep 25^th, 2005, 8:56am

Have you tried o2 (oxygen) Stevema? It might give you the same effect for relief.

Welcome to Ch.com ;;D

Sean....................................

Title: Re: Excercise Worked
Post by joey_the_grip on Sep 25^th, 2005, 10:33am

I have a couple behaviors that seem very odd to people that don't live inside my head. My clusters are often paired, a month on the right followed immediately by a month on the left. I spin in circles, anti-clockwise for a right brain sprain, clockwise for the left. I don't know why except that the beast told me to. When I can force myself to remain still enough, I assume the position. That is I make a tripod of my body with my forehead(never the top) pressed to the ground supporting most of my weight. I rock gently in this awkward postion and the HA often aborts in about 10 minutes. I have sometimes had to pull over at a park and do this. Once it attracted a cop, one of the most horrible experiences of my life.