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Title: Looking for help... Post by DP on Sep 21st, 2005, 9:33am Hello all. I don't know if I am doing this correctly, but I hope so. I'm looking for some help. I'm new to all of this. My husband began having these episodes two weeks ago. He's had headaches since I've known him, but never this bad. They come in the middle of the night, every night. He fits the "cluster" quiz perfectly. I don't know how to help him during these 1-3 hour nightmares each night, but I hate seeing him in this much pain. I've been doing as much research as possible the last few days, and it seems the only resort is to taking prescribed medications. Do you have any advice or alternate methods to get through this? Please help. What can I do? |
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Title: Re: Looking for help... Post by nani on Sep 21st, 2005, 9:41am on 09/21/05 at 09:33:30, DP wrote:
Yes, we do. :) Start here for traditional treatments: http://www.brightok.net/~mnjday/chtherapy.pdf Look here for oxygen info http://www.maplefallswebdesign.com/misc/oxygen/oxygen.htm Kudzu is a promising alternative treatment (read it all) http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=meds;action=display;num=1110584362 Another even more alternative treatment (but very effective) www.clusterbusters.com Also look for threads on the Medications Board about Melatonin. It helps many with those night time hits. Now that you've found us, you'll find a lot of info and support. Pain free wishes, nani |
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Title: Re: Looking for help... Post by marlinsfan on Sep 21st, 2005, 9:48am Hi DP, I'm sure your husband has thanked you for supporting him. Us clusterheads would be minced meat without great supporters like you. There are few things you need to do: 1. see a neuro, get him diagonsed properly. Bring this with you, it will help you to educate him: http://www.brightok.net/~mnjday/chtherapy.pdf I personally use oxygen as an abortive. It's safe, cheap and effective. 2. since he is getting the nightime hits, get him some Melatonin from your supermarket or drugstore. It helps many of us. I take 9 mg every night, 30 minutes before bedtime. It has helped cut down the number and intensity of my hits, 3. watch his diet. Alcholol triggers headaches for many of us. For me, also chocolate, tomato, nuts, aspartame (the stuff in equal), are all triggers 4. other things that help with the attacks are some of the things people do. Some will use heat, others cold. Caffeine works well for me. If I feel one coming on, I'll chug a cup of strong, black coffee, iced down so I can drink it quickly. This doesn't work at night cause you wake up in the middle of the hit. You're in the right place. Ask all you want, we're here for you. PF wishes. |
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Title: Re: Looking for help... Post by Maestro on Sep 21st, 2005, 10:31am I think the first thing is to gain immediate relief from the CH. Get a Neurologist to give you an Rx for oxygen which works for me and seems to work for about 70% of all CH sufferers. This may well provide immediate relief. In the meantime read my post on excercise which is new to me but has relieved the CH after I have excercised following the immediate onset of a headache. I am able to stop the headache at the begining where I could not use the oxygen successfully until my headache was full blown. |
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Title: Re: Looking for help... Post by Frank_W on Sep 21st, 2005, 10:41am Be sure you get over to the supporter's board, too! http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=supporters Very best wishes to you and to your husband. So sorry that you've had reason to seek us out... Pain-free wishes to you both. -Frank |
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Title: Re: Looking for help... Post by jcmquix on Sep 21st, 2005, 2:43pm Hi DP.... Welcome to the site, sorry you had to find us this way, but its nice to meet you... Check out the tip to the left on the O2, I got it in the middle of this cycle and the O2 cut my TREX use alot, I got to where I was only using the TREX once a day, at my 1am hit... The O2 usually works in about 10 minutes for me.. just got to push your Dr really hard for it... even print out the information and take it to him. For the night time hit, you may want to ask your Dr about trying the Melatonin.... I started that also in the middle of this cycle at the advice of a few of the Veterans here.. it cut my hits to almost nothing at night.... Its available OTC... you can get it in the Health Food Section of any Major Store... Get the 3mg pills... I take the Melatonin (9mg) 3 pills about 30 minutes before bed time and I can usually sleep through the entire night, if I do get a hit, its usuall pretty light.... It take about 3 or 4 days to get into you system and start working, I'd say if your getting the night time hits, give it a try... its cheep... Other than that I am sure someone who is good with the Meds will be along soon to ask a few questions... I suggest that you Read, Read and Read more. This site has the collection of many of Hundereds of years of experience of dealing with CH.... The Support System here is Great, if you need to Rant, Rave or just need someone to talk to.. the lights are always on here 24/7/365.... See if you can get the Hubby to Log in also... It was alot of relief for me to know that I was not alone and I was not going crazy.... Pain Free Days to YOU !!! God Bless Charlie |
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Title: Re: Looking for help... Post by lionsound on Sep 21st, 2005, 7:38pm Hi DP, Has your husband tried ice or heat? I like to hold ice on my neck/head. A bag of frozen peas works nicely too. You can also try the opposite heat...some prefer heat. Putting my head with a towel over it over a sink full of hot water and breathing steam. Geting in the shower and going from hot to cold water on my head. These may or may not help the pain for him, but do help the comfort and distraction factor. You should try get and get to a neurologist. even if he has had headaces before, if something has changed in his pattern it's important to get it checked out. We are here to help. :) be well and PF! -lionsound |
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Title: Re: Looking for help... Post by unclejake127 on Sep 21st, 2005, 8:19pm so sorry u r here this way i found the site last month very very helpful take all advice get husband to NEURO try Melatorin it seens to work for a lot of us everybody so far on this site has been wonderful use it all hope it get better :) jim |
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Title: Re: Looking for help... Post by wip5150 on Sep 22nd, 2005, 9:44am Hi DP, Sorry to hear your hubby has joined our little club here - even though it's fairly exclusive, the benefits suck. The best way you can support your husband is to be there for him when he needs you, but also to recognize when he needs to "dance" alone. It's taken a long time for my bride to intuitively understand my needs without me telling her but her support is invaulable to me during a cycle. Best of luck to both of you. Bill |
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Title: Re: Looking for help... Post by joey_the_grip on Sep 25th, 2005, 3:32am I've suffered through 20+ years of this, the last 10 with no health insurance so no prescriptions. There are numerous home remedies I use, none works every time but I have discovered enough different ones that I just keep trying until something works. Pay attention to general health, That is eat well, try to get enough sleep, reduce emotional stress, drink a LOT of water, get some exercise. These seem to reduce the frequency and intensity of attacks. To abort an attackhere are some things I've found effective. BenGay or similar on the affected temple. Ice cream/cubes held to the roof of the mouth. Habanero peppers. LaMaze type breathing. Hot shower with water falling on closed eyes. Masturbation. Swinging. Spinning in circles. Intense pressure to middle of forehead. Acetaminophen/aspirin/caffeine pills taken at first hint of trouble. Experience will help identify triggers, but I don't believe that ch can be averted simply by avoiding all triggers. |
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