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(Message started by: imnotbub on Nov 10th, 2005, 11:11am)
Title: Trigger survey?
Post by imnotbub on Nov 10th, 2005, 11:11am
Has anyone ever put yogether a list of things reported to trigger a CH?
I have read alcohol,  and I can vouch for that, my usual shopt and beer during Sunday ond Monday night football games are a definate no no during a cycle, but ice cream in the evening also seems to intensify that nights attack. I wonder if it's the sugar.
Also, I find that the attacks happen quite often during a dream. Again, I have read something about the correlation to REM during sleep. I wonder if there is a medication that would block dreaming, there bye reducing this as an agent of 'IT'.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by imnotbub on Nov 10th, 2005, 11:25am
Just found an old thread that many readers state their triggers in. Man, it seems it could be anything.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by vig on Nov 10th, 2005, 11:58am
dayum, I thought this was about Roy Roger's horse...
but seriously folks...

alcohol
exhaust fumes
cleaning CHemicals (bleach, ammonia, etc.)
perfume
too much sunlight on the noggin'
naps
CHaos
MSG
pressure CHanges...
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by echo on Nov 10th, 2005, 12:08pm
Time zone changes.
Day light savings time
Air travel above 28K feet
Any beer other than Miller High Life
Chardonay wine
Large swings in temperature.
Fall
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by imnotbub on Nov 10th, 2005, 1:09pm
That is not good news, I leave for Vegas on monday and I doubt the cycle will be over. I thought I was getting off without a hit last night. Thought I fooled the beast. No ice cream, no alcohol, slept sitting up. All it did was make him hit the snooze button. Got hit at 6:40 instead of 2 am. Wasn't as bad as usual though. It's all good as they say.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by MJ on Nov 10th, 2005, 2:03pm
Triggers,

Everything especially alcohol, or salad dressings, perfumes, Intense and glaring light, TV, Relaxation.

Interesting about flying. Last week I logged about 6000 miles and not once did I get hit on the planes. It was a real fear. So I upgraded from biz class to 1st class at the gates. (only 75.00 each flight, Told them I had severe claustraphobia one upgrade was free when I said I go into a severe state of panic, I dont) Had front row seats with noone next to me. I lost the social fear of an attack and they never happened on the plane. It was worth every penny.
I did get hit pretty hard in the PHX airport about an hour before flight. I gave some entertainment for those waiting. with my bag on my shoulder I paced so hard up and down the terminal I think I wore a trail in the rug.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by Lastdaddy on Nov 12th, 2005, 12:19pm
Alcohol a definite , especially Dark Rum and in Cycle for me , cheap perfumes like Avon, Very stressful times which I believe brought this current cycle on, as soon as I disassociated myself from this problem they seemed to dwindle to an end With a big help from my 1st shot of o2. Bright light and noise may not bring it on for me but definitely make it worse. I ran a Meat Dept in a supermarket. During one cycle I closed it down everyday for 4 weeks for an hour. The noise of the Grinders and the Band saw's were too much for me to handle  !!I feel basicly when you're in cycle Just about anything can be a potential trigger Just some of the things I listed more than others.

  Have a Regular Head Day,
                           Nico
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by Billy_Ray on Nov 15th, 2005, 4:56am
Hi.New here. Many times just talking to much will trigger pressure that will then go into a Cluster. Also the weather can be a big trigger. Billy
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by jangus on Nov 21st, 2005, 1:34am
any kind of nuts, cheese, tomatos, alcohol, coconut (including the milk which is in a lot of Asian style cooking) msg (Chinese food), nicotene, shell fish, chocolate, video screen, ... yeah, I'd have to agree with the "talking too much" comment, or just plain too much activity in too short a period of time. It seems these headaches are sending a message like, "... take it easy... slow down your life a bit... too much too fast is not good.... Yoga helps... breathing exercises help... visualize the bad energy leaving your body on the exhale... good energy entering on the intake.

Hope this helps some of you.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by BobG on Nov 21st, 2005, 2:07am

on 11/21/05 at 01:34:26, jangus wrote:
or just plain too much activity in too short a period of time. It seems these headaches are sending a message like, "... take it easy... slow down your life a bit... too much too fast is not good....

Not for me.
For me it's the "take it easy...slow down your life a bit" that brings on the attacks. It's always after the "too much activity". The attacks come on after the stress.

Here's what imnotbub said at the beginning of this thread.

on 11/10/05 at 11:11:52, imnotbub wrote:
Also, I find that the attacks happen quite often during a dream. Again, I have read something about the correlation to REM during sleep.

There's not much stress during REM sleep, but a lot of relaxing after to much activity.

imnotbub....try melatonin or Benedryl Benydrl Benadril Oh, screw it, try melatonin to help keep you out of the REM sleep mode.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by MJ on Nov 21st, 2005, 2:19am
Ditto what Bob said.  ;)

Stay stressed, never relax, "never sleep".
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by kkaye on Nov 21st, 2005, 2:28am
Actually, ice cream related headaches (brain freeze) is a pleasure as it ends so quickly :)  I use susceptability to that as an indicator for impending CH period.

In my experience dreams are not a cause, but remembering them a result of the headaches is an effect as you are being woken up during them ... and of course the headache insinuates itself into the dream in most cases.

I fly a lot through the country and have noticed low pressure on planes and in some cases regional weather does have an effect, but not as a trigger for a CH series ... only as such for a particular or limited number of specific episodes.   It's obviously not a concern if you are at the point of having 6+ headaches per day anyway, but a definitely a consideration if starting a series or otherwise not at that level in a cycle or of CH in general.

Alcohol, yes (again specific instances), but it seems to be sporadic.  I've also heard coffee as a cause but never experienced any problem there.  
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by MJ on Nov 21st, 2005, 2:52am

Ice cream headaches as an indicator.

I never really paid much attention to that.
Now that you have mentioned it K. Seems I was getting them fairly often before this cycle just by eating cold applesauce or a cold beverage. hmmm

Nah I'm gonna forget about it or I'll be expecting a CH every time. Interesting point though.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by BarbaraD on Nov 21st, 2005, 3:29am
Back in 2000 a guy named Arnold made up his mind to find a common trigger for CH. He tried and tried and tried and tried. As far as I know he NEVER found a common trigger. But he was amazed that some of us could drink, while others couldn't go near alcohol, some of us could smoke, while others couldn't be around smoke, and so on and so on.

I'm with Bob G -- give me stress -- I'll usually stay pain free, but let me relax and WHAM!!!!! I'm down for the count! One time I got hit at a Chinese Restaurant - never again, so I don't guess MSG is a trigger for me. Since taking Melatonin, I'm getting thru the REM sleep and getting rest at night so I make it thru the days without the exhaustion I used to suffer - keeps me fairly sane (and YES, I said, "fairly"!!) Beer triggered me 10-12 years ago so I didn't drink Beer for 10-12 years. Last year I drank a couple of beers and nada, so I drink a beer occasionally now. Go figure! Other alcohol doesn't seem to bother me. (unless you count hangovers - and I try to avoid them as much as possible - birthdays and holidays don't count).

I think everyone has to find his/her own triggers and avoid them if possible. Then the beast changes his mind and goes to something else. If you haven't figured it out yet - there's no rhyme or reason to these damn things....

Hugs BD
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by zanychef on Nov 21st, 2005, 3:35am
have to agree with bobg staying stressed helps me
never sleep is good too
beer a definate
oil based paints etc
but funnily enough not petrol or diesel
msg a big no no when i am in a 'bad phase'
ian
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by AussieBrian on Nov 21st, 2005, 3:51am
I'll be honest and in 30 years I have never, ever worked out a trigger.  They come when they're ready and leave when they're ready and that's that.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by brainfreeze on Nov 21st, 2005, 11:13am
Triiggers: Time change, heat, hotdogs, laundry detergent smells, television, all alcoholic beverages.  

And to verify the theory of rem as a trigger. That's definitely what happens with me.
I have been able to wake myself up just prior to rem (i know it sounds silly)  but it avoids the CH until I drift on past that point,  then I awake with the rocking.  I researched the med's that could affect rem and the only product available at that time was melatonin to affect sleep cycles.  It didn't work for me.   Someone else posted about the Ambien a new
'sleeping pill'  that worked well for them.  I haven't tried that but will when my cycle returns.  

PF d's & nt's to everyone.   And sending all fellow sufferers strength and clarity.  
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by Sleepyman on Nov 21st, 2005, 2:04pm
Two things do it for me for sure. The REM sleep and sudden changes in the temp. If I go from cold to hot (dry) its almost always triggers a headache.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by zwibbs on Nov 22nd, 2005, 1:51am
Everytime I get into a cycle, I have noticed that the triggers change. However the two most common things are ALcohol, and anything with MSG !!! I did a stupid thing last week where I finally started to feel better, and made myself a Rum/Coke with dinner. Needless to say I couldn't finish dinner and then had this aura for four days--the usual numb dull aching with sharp attacks every 2 hours. I hate these headaches because I feel like I am missing something--everybody is excited about Thanksgiving and I'm nervous as hell wondering when the next big attack will occur. Well God must have given us these things because he knows we're strong enough to handle it! Good luck to everyone....
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by zwibbs on Nov 25th, 2005, 10:57am
And I almost forgot----PEANUT BUTTER !! I mean anything to do with Peanut Butter--i.e.--candy , or ice cream as well..
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by Kevin_M on Nov 25th, 2005, 11:35am
The one thing that can break through my regular defense is more than about 6 ozs of dark chocolate.  Four for four co-relation in the last year.  
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by BarbaraD on Nov 26th, 2005, 6:30am
Kevin!
Are you telling me NOT to send you my famous chocolate chip cookies this year???? You've never said a WORD!!!!
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by BobG on Nov 26th, 2005, 1:10pm
A couple or three years ago I posted a list of triggers. There was somewhere between 100 and 72,000 triggers. I forget the exact number. I was told never to post the list again. The poor people with dial-up connections had to wait 17.5 hours for it to load.

I have no idea where the list is. And I'm not going looking for it. But, I think Marc might know. But, I don't know where Marc is. And I'm not going looking for him.

Hey Marc, you out there?

No wait. Maybe it wasn't Marc. Maybe it was Mark.

Hey Mark, are you out there? Do you know where Marc is?
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by cazman on Nov 27th, 2005, 1:55pm
i have spent hours upon hours trying to figure that out. one thing for sure is Alcohol so much that i do not drink at all anymore even when im pf , other than that ill have to go with assie, it happens when it happens wich in my opinion SUCKS.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by stevea on Dec 3rd, 2005, 11:31pm
I hadn't had a drink in two years during one cycle.  So alcohol isn't the only trigger.

Anyone ever think that just by thinking about it (and why would we?) can actually bring it on?  It does when I am in the middle of a cycle.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by Orion on Dec 5th, 2005, 2:59pm
I am glad to see so many TV references to triggers.  In my last cycle in 03 I posted about watching movies being a trigger and I didn't get many or possibly anyone saying yes.  TV, some computer screens, movie theaters, are right up there with alcohol, rem sleep (night or snoozing again after waking up in the morning) and chocolate for me.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by BobG on Dec 6th, 2005, 3:55am
dark chocolate, Peanut Butter, Rum/Coke, hotdogs, Chinese food, ice cream............all the good things in life are triggers.

It just ain’t fair. Why can’t it be shit like broccoli, liver or Mexican food?

It sucks to be us.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by Orion on Dec 6th, 2005, 4:45pm
I don't think I've seen anyone mention one of the most common triggers, THE CLOCK!  In this cycle 6 - 7 pm seems to do it (and of course the 1-2 am wake up call).
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by zwibbs/Scott on Dec 7th, 2005, 1:30pm
Of course  anything laced with MSG makes me get the absolute worst of them all-------When I got me first CH in 1977 my wife and I went through the pantry and threw away everything that had MSG. Needless to say the pantry was then empty.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by burnt-toast on Dec 8th, 2005, 8:57am
Sleep
Rest
Alcohol
Ice Cream (sometimes)
Paint & solvent fumes
Excessive physical exertion/fatigue (it has to be very excessive)
Single digit Temps.


Tom
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by Beastfodder on Dec 8th, 2005, 10:52am
Easy one to answer.

Life is the universal trigger, though you won't ever find me in a sauna during a cluster again.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by StressFree on Dec 9th, 2005, 4:11pm
There has been some consensus from episodic sufferers that cycles often begin after a severe cold. I noticed this last cycle where I had a bad head cold which included a bad headache through most of it. The kind of headache where it hurts when you cough - brain sloshing around type of a thing. As the cold finally ended, a wopper of a cluster cycle began.

Also I've noticed cycles come after periods of extreme stress and often during what should be an alergy season for me. Usually when I get bad allergies in a season then no cluster cycle, but if no allergy symptoms in spring or fall, I get a cluster cycle. Give me the constant sneezing, copious snot, and itchy watery eyes any day! Also, I don't take antihistamines during allergy season because I dread stopping the symptoms.

As far as triggers during cycle, similar to many listed - strong chemical smells, MSG, nitro, alcohol, pressure change, bright light or sunlight, heat, annoying people telling me to buck up/have faith you are cured/take an asprin/etc.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by imnotbub on Dec 12th, 2005, 11:33am
It just ain’t fair. Why can’t it be shit like broccoli, liver or Mexican food?


I  like broccolli, liver and Mexican food. Sometimes all at the same time. Hence, my expanding waste line.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Dec 12th, 2005, 8:21pm
" I don't think I've seen anyone mention one of the most common triggers, THE CLOCK!  In this cycle 6 - 7 pm seems to do it (and of course the 1-2 am wake up call)."

My ONLY trigger is the clock.  9 PM and 2 PM on the nose, every day during a cycle.  I've got the Trex gun loaded and ready both times of the day.

Absolutely no other triggers, including alcohol (lucky me).

Kris
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by E-Double on Dec 12th, 2005, 8:36pm
Everyone mentions triggers yet no one really mentioned the time in between one is exposed and one has an attack.

for something to be considered a true trigger it must literally set one off in moments.

As far as the research goes the known triggers are alcohol for some and nitroglycerine.

Nitro is said to bring on an attack for those that are not even in cycle.

I personally do not have any that I am aware of.

There are times of day where they occur more often and certain situations which appear to exaserbate them yet they are not triggers.
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by Melissa on Dec 14th, 2005, 3:53am
My triggers are all delayed (;)).  A HUGE one I'm experiencing now, is a change in barometer.  I couldn't understand WTF I got slammed so brutally tonight, until after my attack.... A huge snowstorm is moving in.  

Same thing happens to me when I'm in cycle in the summer, damn thunderstorms or even just a front moving in. :(

Other than that, having a beer will trigger one within an hour of consumption.  I have yet to find anything that will make one come on immediately (nor do I wanna find out!)
Title: Re: Trigger survey?
Post by tidge on Dec 14th, 2005, 5:38am
Howdy

I have also noticed CH's associated with dreams. The dreams often end up trying to explain the pain before I wake up. I have dreamt of having a motorcycle accident with half my head smashed in and even had Freddy Kruger from Elm Street stick his handy blades into my head.

Low doses of amitryptilene, a cheap tricyclic antidepressant, keep REM sleep and dreams away. We have 10mg tablets in South Africa, but I could only find 25mg tabs in Australia. I'm not sure about the States.

They do make you feel a little groggy in the morning and REM sleep is healthy. But do try if you have episodic CH.

Low dose nighttime amitryptilene also relieves sleep apnoea (snoring to the point of chocking during REM sleep), which causes high blood pressure and low blood oxygen. Perhaps this may be part of the cause of CH onset.


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