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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> In public
        
(Message started by: owk on Nov 11^th, 2005, 12:31pm)

Title: In public
Post by owk on Nov 11^th, 2005, 12:31pm

Just venting a little bit, sorry. I go to University, and I have a class that lasts from 8:00 to 10:45 (meets only once a week).

I get my hits between 9:00 and 11:00. I typically have to leave class, lock myself in the car. Today, I was eating a bagel in the cafeteria, and got a hit. My girlfriend was with me, so she was the buffer between me and the confused people around.

If I were to be alone, I don't know what I would've done.

On a lighter note, we need custom forum software, with kip scale smileys (painleys?), and an area to keep a record of attacks, and what not. :D

Title: Re: In public
Post by CHTom on Nov 11^th, 2005, 1:07pm

So don't eat bagels anymore! Oy! ::)

Title: Re: In public
Post by E-Double on Nov 11^th, 2005, 1:19pm

Hang in there brother!!

I went through undergrad and Gradschool with these things and now the real world as well.

Are you on any preventatives?
What do you have to abort?

Life will be good!!

Also if you are leaving class too much, you may want to give your professor the printout located in the getting to know ya board to explain to him/her what it is that you go through.

Be well and stay strong!

Eric

Title: Re: In public
Post by vig on Nov 11^th, 2005, 1:20pm

on 11/11/05 at 12:31:43, owk wrote:

On a lighter note, we need custom forum software, with kip scale smileys (painleys?), and an area to keep a record of attacks, and what not. :D

speaking of the record, how is CHATS coming along?
anyone?

Title: Re: In public
Post by owk on Nov 11^th, 2005, 3:53pm

on 11/11/05 at 13:19:08, E-Double wrote:

Are you on any preventatives?
What do you have to abort?

No meds yet, this is my second episode (first was a year ago), but I'm yet to go to the neurologist because I don't have insurance.

I know self-diagnose is not good, but the symptoms are all there, and I have none of the symptoms of the other possibilities. If things go well, by January this episode is over, and I'll get insurance before the third. If the third ever comes (I hope not), I'm going straight to the doctor.

on 11/11/05 at 13:19:08, E-Double wrote:

Be well and stay strong!

Thanks!

Title: Re: In public
Post by E-Double on Nov 11^th, 2005, 6:56pm

Not all treatments work for everyone and being that you have no meds @ this point nor have you been officially diagnosed, there are a few things that might be able to give you some relief non-medicinally.

If you do have the "typical" wake you up in the middle of the night horrors then.... Melatonin might be very helpful
Many of us (myself included) have found that taking 6-9mg (some take more) about a 1/2 hour to 45minutes prior to bed have Knocked out the night visits and can finally get sleep.

With the exception of 8-10 times.....I have slept through the night since August.....Still get hit during the day but my overall quality of life is better because I am not as exhausted all the time.

Some people report that it seems to make them worse....The fact is that we are all different and respond differently to everything therefore it may or may not...

The one thing I will tell you as far as my experience was that I had to stick with it...The first night I took melatonin, I was awoken with a doozy only I was too groggy to find my O2 .....It got a lot better for me....I then slept through the night but would get slammed about 1/2 hour after waking up....kinda like knocking the beast off schedule.....then again I was peaking and this cycle has been all over the place with no real pattern.
I stayed with melatonin and have had decent sleep overall.

It may help and it is natural with not too many sideeffects....also ask your doctor b/c if there are any side effects or contraindications...I think they have to do with mild depression.....

Like I said we are all different.

Some tricks that I used to use and sometimes still do are:
*Wrapping a bandana tightly around my skull (be careful)
*Filling a sink with scaulding water creating a steam bath and placing my head over it with a towel covering
it.
*Going from Steam to Frigid shower.
*Standing infront of A/C
*Icepacks or frozen veggies on the back of the neck or eye GET DISPOSABLE ICEPACKS TO POP WHEN FEEL ONE DURNG THE DAY AND YOU ARE OUT AND AROUND
*Tons of STRONG coffee.

Best wishes, good luck & stay as positive as you can!!!!

Eric

Title: Re: In public
Post by owk on Nov 11^th, 2005, 7:30pm

on 11/11/05 at 18:56:15, E-Double wrote:

Thanks for the tips. I don't get them during the night, only in the late morning. 9am to 11am. Right after I get to work.

But I'll keep the tips bookmarked. Thanks again.

Title: Re: In public
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Nov 12^th, 2005, 3:20am

Greetings OWk, and welcome.
E-Dub is right. Its very important to get a diagnosis, and then even a second opinion is always a good idea. If you mistake your condition and take steps to treat it, it could lead to bad things. Ya gotta be careful.
Welcome again. GL in your journey.
BMonee

Title: Re: In public
Post by Bob_Johnson on Nov 12^th, 2005, 7:58am

Many universities have a health service which may give you access to a doc: option for you?

If yes, perhaps you can share some printed material with the doc to indicate that you have clusters and then ask for a Rx for Zyprexa--just 6 tabs for a trial. You will know quickly whether this med works for you and, if it does, it's one of the more affordable abortives.
---
1: Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):813-6

Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.

Rozen TD.

Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. The initial olanzapine dose was 5 mg, and the dose was increased to 10 mg if there was no pain relief. The dosage was decreased to 2.5 mg if the 5-mg dose was effective but caused adverse effects. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and two patients became headache-free after taking the drug. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. It alleviates pain quickly and has a consistent response across multiple treated attacks. It appears to work in both episodic and chronic cluster headache.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.

Title: Re: In public
Post by Lastdaddy on Nov 12^th, 2005, 1:04pm

Eric, When My Cycles first started back in the early 70's It was that way for me, every day around 10:15 AM I'd have to go in the back room of the store and try to deal with a pain I had never experienced before!! I'm not trying to scare you at all but, as time went on they became more frequent and more intense. But try to under stand this Eric, In 1971 NO ONE knew about Cluster headaches, it wasn't even a word at that time!! We have come a long way since then and there are things to abort the pain as well as somethings that work on some people that stop the cycles too. So keep the Faith Brother, You'll find your way !!!
Have a Regualr Head Day !!
Nico

Title: Re: In public
Post by Mr. Happy on Nov 12^th, 2005, 9:44pm

on 11/11/05 at 15:53:56, owk wrote:

I don't have insurance.

Insurance.......the golden key to CH treatment.....but it doesn't have to be. There are some effective methods of treating CH that don't require a script or a doc.

If you check out the Medications, Treatments, Therapies (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=meds) section, the first two topics are about Kudzu, an OTC item. It'll give you hours of reading enjoyment. Print everything out right away, put it in a folder, and leave it in the bathroom.....where it's sure to be read.

Another non-doc/script method can be found at clusterbusters.com (http://clusterbusters.com). That site is well worth reading, top to bottom.

A third non-script inexpensive option (relatively speaking) is Oxygen, del'd the proper way.

There's more'n one way to skin this cat w/o insurance.
RJ