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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004-2005 Getting to Know Ya Posts >> New Canadian with questions
        
(Message started by: Clarkie on Jun 12^th, 2004, 11:22pm)

Title: New Canadian with questions
Post by Clarkie on Jun 12^th, 2004, 11:22pm

Hi,

I'm new here and am researching things for my husband who is possibly suffering from CH.

The Friday before last, he got a really bad headache - lasted only a while, but was really intense. Then he had what he described as a droning headache on Sat, Sun and Mon. On Tuesday, he bent down to tie his shoes, and felt an extreme pain in his head, and proceeded to lie down until his Dr's appt in the afternoon. The Dr was concerened that the pain was coming from an aneursym, so he sent him to the hospital. A CAT scan and a spinal tap ruled out an aneursym, and the Emerg Doc thought it could be a CH since he responded to oxygen and an injection (don't know what he was given). He said the onset of it happened more like an aneursym, but the symptoms, including a drooping eyelid, seemed more indicative of CH.

Since then, he has had daily episodes of what sounds like CH pain - the big attacks happen around 9:30 each night and last about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, but he does have sharp pains intermittently in the day.

Lots of the posts I've read so far talk about going from no pain to 10 in minutes - but he's had what he is describing as a 3 headache with episodes of pulsating pain for the last few weeks. I've kept a log of what has happened so that we are prepared for his next Dr's visit.

So now we are waiting for an appt with a neurologist, and to have an MRI done. After the trip to Emerg, he went back to his family doc who suggested he try Zomig. Last night, he tried the Zomig and it stopped the pain. Tonight, the episode only lasted about 20min - the shortest one yet.

I'm pretty shaken by all this, huge life changes have happened so quickly. It is so distressing to see somebody you love in so much agony.

Does this sound like a case of CH?

Also, if anybody knows anything of any good neurologists / headache clinics in Toronto, I'd be most appreciative.

Thanks and good night.

Title: Re: New Canadian with questions
Post by BobG on Jun 12^th, 2004, 11:54pm

Hello Clarkie. Welcome.

on 06/12/04 at 23:22:09, Clarkie wrote:

Hi,

I'm new here and am researching things for my husband who is possibly suffering from CH.Sorry your husband is hurting but glad he has you to get him through.

The Friday before last, he got a really bad headache - lasted only a while, but was really intense. Then he had what he described as a droning headache on Sat, Sun and Mon. Cluster sufferers have what we call 'shadow' pains the might be described as droningOn Tuesday, he bent down to tie his shoes, and felt an extreme pain in his head, and proceeded to lie down until his Dr's appt in the afternoon. triggering a headache from bending down doesn't, to me, sound like cluster headache. The Dr was concerened that the pain was coming from an aneursym, so he sent him to the hospital. Sounds like a smart doc A CAT scan and a spinal tap ruled out an aneursym, and the Emerg Doc thought it could be a CH since he responded to oxygen and an injection (don't know what he was given). A doctor that knows clusters respond to oxygen is an unusual doctor. He/she might be a keeper He said the onset of it happened more like an aneursym, but the symptoms, including a drooping eyelid, seemed more indicative of CH.Again, sounds like a keeper

Since then, he has had daily episodes of what sounds like CH pain - the big attacks happen around 9:30 each night and last about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, That sounds like it could be clusters but he does have sharp pains intermittently in the day.That sounds more like CHP.

Lots of the posts I've read so far talk about going from no pain to 10 in minutes - but he's had what he is describing as a 3 headache with episodes of pulsatingpulsating is not a word usually used to describe clusters pain for the last few weeks. I've kept a log of what has happened so that we are prepared for his next Dr's visit.Great! A log may be of importance to arriving at a diagnoses.

So now we are waiting for an appt with a neurologist, and to have an MRI done. After the trip to Emerg, he went back to his family doc who suggested he try Zomig. Last night, he tried the Zomig and it stopped the pain.many clusterheads use Zomig with success Tonight, the episode only lasted about 20min - the shortest one yet.

I'm pretty shaken by all this, huge life changes have happened so quickly. It is so distressing to see somebody you love in so much agony.

Does this sound like a case of CH?Yes and no

Also, if anybody knows anything of any good neurologists / headache clinics in Toronto, I'd be most appreciative.

Thanks and good night.

Some things you say do sound like cluster headaches and some don't. It is not unknown to suffer from more than one type of headache (God forbid).

Read all you can here while waiting to see the neurologist. Have your husband take the cluster quiz under the button on the left side of your screen

Here's a list of recommended doctors from the OUCH site. Click on this and then scroll way down to Canada.

Please let us know about how he's doing and what the neurologist said.

Title: Re: New Canadian with questions
Post by Bob_Johnson on Jun 13^th, 2004, 8:53am

Let's assume, for the moment, that we're seeing clusters. It's not unusual, when a person is starting to show symptoms of cluster, to have a quality of pain and a location which is not exactly what the medical texts describe. Some people find the location changes over time, the quality of pain is not consistent--and that changes in posture may be a trigger.

That the Zomig worked is a pretty good sign that your doc is on the correct track re. diagnosis--but please be patient and work with him. Sorting out cluster from other possible causes may take some time.

In the meanwhile, educate yourself. You will find much good information here and on OUCH but I would highly recommend either the second or third books because you get a more organized presentation of information.

HANDBOOK OF HEADACHE MANAGEMENT, 2nd ed., Au. Joel Saper, MD, 1999, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. A highly condensed volume for doctors but good for "advanced" clusterheads who have a grasp of medical terminology and medications. Covers all types of headache with the section on cluster being brief. Sections on general considerations in treatment and on medications are important.

MANAGEMENT OF HEADACHE AND HEADACHE MEDICATIONS, 2nd ed. Lawrence D. Robbins, M.D.; pub. by Springer. $49 at Amazon.Com. This volume is better organized and easier to read for nonprofessionals compared to Saper's book. It covers all types of headache and is primarily focused on medications. While the two chapters on CH total 42-pages, the actual relevant material is longer because of multiple references to material in chapters on migraine, reflecting the overlap in drugs used to treat. I'd suggest reading the chapters on migraine for three reasons: he makes references to CH & medications which are not in the index; there are "clinical pearls" about how to approach the treatment of headache; and, you gain better perspective on the nature of headache, in general, and the complexities of treatment (which need to be considered when we create expectations about what is possible). Finally, women will appreciate & benefit from his running information on hormones/menstrual cycles as they affect headache. Chapter on headache following head trauma, also. Obviously, I'm impressed with Robbins' work (even if the book needs the touch of a good editor!) (Somewhat longer review/content statement at 3/22/00, "Good book....")

HEADACHE HELP, Revised edition, 2000; Lawrence Robbins, M.D., Houghton Mifflin, $15. Written for a nonprofessional audience, it contains almost all the material in the preceding volume but it's much easier reading. Highly recommended.

Title: Re: New Canadian with questions
Post by Pegase on Jun 13^th, 2004, 2:16pm

Hi Clarkie,

IM still a newbie here... I only been diagnosed since last march but the neuro you'll see will surely help you... you might want to give him some clues about you thinking it's CH... My neuro in Quebec found it easily by what I told him... It wasn't my first cycle though... for the last 7 years I've been thinking it was sinus problem or some allergies.... :-[

Also, you might want to visit www.clusterheadaches.ca it's the canadian website of the clusterheadaches support group... People there are really great and supportive... There's is also some great supporter like you that are involved in the canadian organization... I feel sorry you had to find this site but at least you know you're not alone... This is a GREAT Family... Welcome;-)

Pegase

Title: Re: New Canadian with questions
Post by Margi on Jun 14^th, 2004, 11:08am

Hi Clarkie, as Pegase says, we have some good resources over at OUCH Canada and we're developing quite a good group of clusterheads and supporters over there.

There is an organization in southern Ontario (London and Windsor areas) called Help for Headaches and their president, Brent Lucas, is also a clusterhead. They actually deal more with migraine but they are quite well informed and educated about cluster as well. They just held a headache seminar this past weekend - check out their website as well: http://www.headache-help.org/

If you husband has responded to oxygen, I'd sure fight tooth and nail to get him a prescription for it at home! Lots of us use it with HUGE success and back it up with the triptan drugs (like Zomig) for the attacks that break through.

We hope you do come and visit us at www.clusterheadaches.ca - we have a few sufferers from your area who will be more than willing to help you find a good doctor.

Hang in there - you're not alone with this.