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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004-2005 Getting to Know Ya Posts >> New here.  Have tension and cluster headac
        
(Message started by: sweetboopie on Aug 16^th, 2005, 3:46am)

Title: New here. Have tension and cluster headac
Post by sweetboopie on Aug 16^th, 2005, 3:46am

Hi. I'm new to the board. My story is probably similar to many others. I have ALWAYS had tension headaches. I have one almost every day. Once in a long, long while I'll get a migrane. It's been years since I had a migrane actually. I had a baby 12 months ago (can't believe he just turned 1!!!). 2 days after he was born I experienced my first cluster headache. That horrible headache lasted a week. I was told that it was just blood pressure related....I had preeclampsia and it took about a month for my Bp to go back to normal. The pain was centered behind my left eye. It felt like my eye was going to pop out. My left nostril has persistently stayed stuffed up since the baby was born and I was then told the headahe was sinus related. The Ear, Nose, & Throat specialist said I had inflammation but no sinus infections. A couple months ago the headache came back. With a VENGANCE. One minute I was fine, the next I had this horrible pain behind my left eye again and it hurt so bad that I actually sneaked out onto my back porch so my children wouldn't see me crying. I squeezed my head, I paced, pressed on my eye, put cold compresses over my eye, and nothing worked. Tylenol was a joke against it. The pain went away as quickly as it started about 2 hours later. I didn't know what was going on. I went to the doctor the next day and, again, they tried to say it was a sinus headache >:( but I knew better. Finally, about a month ago, the doctor prescribed Midrin and a musle relaxer. He said if it was sinus related it would do nothing. Well, luckily the cluster hasn't come back but I have had a constant tension headache. Midrin and the muscle relaxer is doing nothing for that except making me groggy.

I don't know if I have actual cluster headaches but the symtpoms seem to fit the criteria. I know they're one of the the most horrible things I have experienced. There's no escaping the pain!!!

Title: Re: New here. Have tension and cluster headac
Post by Redd715 on Aug 16^th, 2005, 6:01am

There is a quiz over to the left there, 4th button down. Give that a go, and if that is inconclusive, there is a link to a more extensive quiz as well.

Let us know how that comes out and we can help direct you better from there.

If you have clusters you are in the greatest place in the world. If not we can help you find the information you need.

Title: Re: New here. Have tension and cluster headac
Post by Margi on Aug 16^th, 2005, 10:00am

Hi Alisha,
doesn't sound like cluster to me - a cluster headache doesn't last a week.

Did you have an epidural when you gave birth? Severe headache is alarmingly common after epidural and can resolve on its own after a week or so. My daughter had a baby in May and she had an epidural. As they were injecting her, she arched her back with a contraction and they punctured her spinal column, causing a bit of spinal fluid to leak out. 2 days later she had the most horrific headache I've ever seen (and, trust me, I've seen a LOT of cluster headaches in my 20 years with my clusterhubby). This was totally different - poor girl was almost speaking in tongues, she was in so much pain. What happens with an epidural headache is the brain loses its cushion of spinal fluid and the resulting pain is incredible. The fix if you go to ER is to reinject your own blood into the injection site to force the spinal fluid back up. They told us that, without this "blood patch", it could continue to recur over a period of a few years. Please talk to your doctor about it, ok?

Title: Re: New here. Have tension and cluster headac
Post by thomas on Aug 16^th, 2005, 10:25am

on 08/16/05 at 03:46:07, sweetboopie wrote:

One minute I was fine, the next I had this horrible pain behind my left eye again and it hurt so bad that I actually sneaked out onto my back porch so my children wouldn't see me crying. I squeezed my head, I paced, pressed on my eye, put cold compresses over my eye, and nothing worked. Tylenol was a joke against it. The pain went away as quickly as it started about 2 hours later. I didn't know what was going on.

Sorry, Margi, but THAT sounds like a CH.

Title: Re: New here. Have tension and cluster headac
Post by Margi on Aug 16^th, 2005, 10:46am

Thomas, while I agree with you, this part is what is leading me to ask about the epidural involvement.

on 08/16/05 at 03:46:07, sweetboopie wrote:

2 days after he was born I experienced my first cluster headache. That horrible headache lasted a week.

Also, the second headache, although sounding alarmingly like a cluster - still only occured over the period of one day - am I reading that right, Alicia?

Title: Re: New here. Have tension and cluster headac
Post by thomas on Aug 16^th, 2005, 11:01am

Yes, I agree with you there. But the second HA definately sounds familiar. Sounds like she has more than one problem going on.

Title: Re: New here. Have tension and cluster headac
Post by Bob_Johnson on Aug 16^th, 2005, 12:23pm

There are a number of medical disorders which produce a cluster-like pain but it does not mean the person has cluster headache.

This is why it's important to rule out these other disorders so that you are sure that the correct problem is being treated. Good diagnosis is the important first step before treatment is started.

Title: Re: New here. Have tension and cluster headac
Post by sweetboopie on Aug 16^th, 2005, 11:47pm

Actually, I had natural childbirth. No epidural. I wanted one, begged for it at one point, but the anthestheisiologist wanted a platelet count (because of my preeclampsia) and by the time labs came back I was dilated too far to get the epidural. So, nope...didn't have one.

I should clarify that I didn't have the headache continuously for one week. It would hurt for a while, quit, start again, quit, etc. I will admit that it didn't hurt quite to the point that the headache I had a few months ago hurt. I wasn't to the point of crying with that one. That headache after he was born may have been related to the preeclampsia or something. But I know that it hurt in the EXACT same spot behind my eye and in the same way...sudden pain that lasted for a while then it suddenly went away, then would suddenly come back again.

And, yes, you did read it right...the 2nd episode only lasted one day.

I did take the quiz. It showed that I "could" have cluster headaches. I know that the majority of the time I have tension headaches.