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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004-2005 Getting to Know Ya Posts >> I thnk I have clusters
        
(Message started by: ernie1 on Jan 26^th, 2005, 11:34pm)

Title: I thnk I have clusters
Post by ernie1 on Jan 26^th, 2005, 11:34pm

I believe I have been dealing with a cluster for the past 8 days. I have never even had a history of headaches and then this hit. I was in the middle of a run on the treadmill, then it hit. Dark vision, blotchy, strange. Then, within an hour I thought I was going to die of pain, really thought something was seriously wrong with me. The next day it seemed to subside, then around 8pm, it was back. That pain continued for 2 1/2 days almost continuous. Along with the pain, I started to feel it more and more in my neck/back of head, along with above my eye and my head feeling like it was going to explode. Felt like I had been clubbed or something. 2 days ago I went to see my family Dr. (over the coarse of these days I also had gone to the hospital, didn't help, and went to a medical clinic, gave me an anti inflamitory, still not much relief) My Dr. gave me Maxalt RPD wafers which seem to be offering the most relief. For the past 2 days I have been ok, mild sharp pains and overall cloudy feeling with stiffness/ach in my neck, only severe when I wake in the morning (it wakes me) then within a couple hours seem to subside.

What do you think, could this be cluster. If so, can it be almost continuous for a few days? What does the shadow feeling mean, is that what I am experiancing now? I did experiance times when I couln't sleep, especially when I wake up with it, but in the afternoons when they hit I was able to lie down in the dark and sleep, only to wake with it again.

If I am a cluster head, I have to say that it has been such a relief to find your website. You can not explain this to anyone unless they have experianced it firsthand. My Dr. however was the one who told me it sounded like a cluster and not the migraine everyone else was quick to diagnose.

Any response would be welcome and thank you for taking the time to read.

Title: Re: I thnk I have clusters
Post by Melissa on Jan 26^th, 2005, 11:41pm

on 01/26/05 at 23:34:24, ernie1 wrote:

but in the afternoons when they hit I was able to lie down in the dark and sleep, only to wake with it again.

Well, being able to lie down when they hit is definately NOT a cluster trait. Now, when you say continuous, do you mean that you are in constant pain with spikes of intense pain? Or do you have pain free time inbetween attacks?

Ernie, is there any way you can get a referral to a neurologist? They would be better able to diagnose you correctly and rule out any other possible conditions. Have you had a CAT scan done yet? If not, you may want to mention it to your doc.

Either way, very sorry to hear of your pain and I hope you can get some relief real soon!

Melissa

Title: Re: I thnk I have clusters
Post by ernie1 on Jan 27^th, 2005, 12:02am

I had a cat scan at the hospital, came up normal. I could ask my Dr. to send me to a neorologist if it continues. When I said it continued for 2 1/2 days, it really did with some points being worse and with sharp pains like lightning strikes over my one eye. (that is where the main pain came from). I still feel strange, cant explain it, very exhausted, vision has been cloudy and such all day, and my head still hurts all over, just not any sharp pains or so bad that I feel like I can't cope, thats how it was last week.

Thanks for your advise, I think I will start a journal tomorrow to monitor it.

Title: Re: I thnk I have clusters
Post by athome on Jan 27^th, 2005, 12:05am

Ernie
Sorry to hear about your pain. I would take the cluster quiz on the side bar and see if that helps answer your questions.
The shadow feeling for me is a dull pain that stays with you pretty much all day after you have had a hit (headache). It is usually tolerable and is nothing compared to the actual hit.
Try the quiz and if you think you are having cluster headaches - read all the info you can and print out stuff to show to Drs. Good Luck and hope that you feel better.

Title: Re: I thnk I have clusters
Post by Margi on Jan 27^th, 2005, 9:48am

Hi Ernie, sorry to hear you're having a rough time. Sounds to me like classic migraine, especially with the vision disturbance (like looking through a heat wave and feeling quite confused while it's happening, and a little - or a lot - nauseated) and your need to lie still in the dark. I'm a migrainer, my hubby is a clusterhead. Sounds like you're more like me, than him. His cluster attacks happen repeatedly through the day and night but he has pain freedom in between his 45 - 60 minute attacks. He can't lay down and light sensitivity isn't really an issue for him. No vision disturbance either.

Maxalt will help you though, and so will oxygen if you can get your GP to prescribe it - most probably though, you'll need to see a neuro for that.

If I were you, I'd thank God that this doesn't sound like cluster Ernie. Clusters are so much more brutal and debilitating than migraine. As well, with migraine, you can find some sleep. Cluster will wake you from a sound sleep and be UNBELIEVABLY intense. Migraine hurts like hell, don't get me wrong, but multiply that pain by 10,000 and....that's a cluster.

Title: Re: I thnk I have clusters
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Jan 27^th, 2005, 8:21pm

Hi,

I'd have to agree with the above - doesn't sound like clusters. All headaches are miserable and debiltating. Keep reading. And definitely see a neuro specializing in HA's if that's an option for you.

The quiz to the left might clarify things a little. CHA's rarely last more than a few hours, and are usually more like 30 - 90 minutes in duration. The pain is so so severe during that time, they earned the name "suicide headaches." They usually also follow a biological-clock type of schedule (same times every day, etc.)

Good luck in your search. There's a wealth of info here. Be sure to follow the links ....

Kris

Title: Re: I thnk I have clusters
Post by Why_me on Jan 28^th, 2005, 7:09am

Hi Ernie Sry for your discomfort, in my experience with "clusters" you cannot lay down, relax and definately NOT sleep. You probably have migraines, no less a demon, just a different kind. Good luck to you and yours'. Definately take the quiz on the left, it will help to know what you are fighting. Again I feel for you and don't let people tell you "its just a headache".

Moe