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        New Message Board Archives >> 2006-2007 Getting to Know Ya Posts >> Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
        
(Message started by: nicetomeetyou on Oct 18^th, 2007, 3:00am)

Title: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by nicetomeetyou on Oct 18^th, 2007, 3:00am

Hi all. I have been having headaches for the past two months. They were pretty consistent, almost everyday, and then they subsided for a few weeks and now have returned.. I have never had any problems with headaches. I have been scowering the net to see what could possibly be going on with me. I hate going to a doc over headaches because they look at you like you are some kind of wimp when you do something like that. I will go eventually, just wanted to see how you folks cope with this stuff.

Anyhow, They always seem to occur at the same time of the day.....3 to 4 hours after I awake. Usually last 2 or 3 hours. I have a ache or slight pain around my right eye. This same eye is droppy looking and sometimes red. Lately I think these headaches are also combined with sinus headaches as I have postnasal drip, so much mucus I can gag on it. Plus movement seems to irritate it and thats common for sinus stuff. Also a burning pain in various parts of my face/head.

Does any of this stuff sound familiar? Is there medication for this? Aspirin doesnt seem to do the trick:( Im going to continue checing out the forums, just thought I would introduce myself.

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by ski2k on Oct 18^th, 2007, 5:37am

HI!

Sounds like there's a few of your symptoms that could be cluster headache (CH) related. You might want to look at the links on the left of the page, and take the cluster quiz. It's not a medical diagnosis, but can give you some kind of idea if these are CH or not.
Many people (myself included) have thought to have and been misdiagnosed as having sinus problems causing the headaches. Don't assume that's all they are.
If it turns out you do indeed have CH, don't panic! While there's no cure, there are a LOT of treatments available. Chances are, you'll find one that works for you.
Lastly, don't feel bad about going to see your doc about headaches. There are some serious conditions linked with headaches, and need to be investigated.

Sorry to hear you're hurting, and hope you find help soon!

Adam

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by Emily on Oct 18^th, 2007, 11:42am

Hey,
Sorry that you felt awful enough to come looking for help, but glad you found us here!

Have you tried looking for a headache specialist? Also, make sure you keep a headache diary (as detailed as possible) so that you can take it to your doc when you see him. It will definitely help with the diagnosis.

In the meantime, if you are identifying with the CH description and you can't get an app, it's always worth trying the non-med approach to see if it helps with the pain - coffee, energy drinks and icepacks/cold showers.

Hoping you are PF soon.

Em

Edit - spelling

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by nicetomeetyou on Oct 18^th, 2007, 2:15pm

Thank you and G-d bless you both for your kindness! :)

I took that quiz and it said I may have cluster headaches.

I was wondering why I had went a week or two with no major attacks...then I started wondering what I was doing differently. And the only the only thing I did differently was I was drinking Mountain Dew during that time. Well, I havent been to the store and instead of buying more I started drinking my wifes caffiene free Pepsi, and the attacks have started again. And I was reading this site and many were suggesting people drink caffiene or energy drinks to help alleviate the symptoms. This is so strange. Do doctors understand CH? I still need to get diagnosed, but I am now intrigued by this condition as it seems so puzzling. Like why does caffiene help with the symptoms? Whats up with the red eye?

Thanks you all, you have been a true blessing.

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by thebbz on Oct 18^th, 2007, 2:35pm

;;D Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor. That is why is works.
Imitrex and other triptans are vasocontstrictors that is why they are effective.
My soda of choice is Mt. Dew coffee is first for my abortives. Then comes 02.
The redeye is an autonomic symtom. That as well as horners syndrome.( the eylid falling or drooping) the tearing or lacrimation is an autonomic symtom as well.
snot flingin, headbanger me.
thebbz
all the best

http://www.chhelp.org/mhni.html

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by CostaRicaKris on Oct 18^th, 2007, 2:44pm

Hi,
For your sake, I hope you don't have CH, but if you do, you're in the right place. A lot of Dr.s don't diagnose CH correctly right away because it is rare, less than 1% - but the symptoms are pretty consistent. They tend to pick the more common ailments, like sinus infection. One hell of a painful sinus infection.

Caffeine opens your blood vessels and increases blood flow, but the combination of caffeine and Taurine is much more effective then caffeine alone. As for the red eye, hmm I honestly don't know. I’m sure someone will come along and we will both learn something.

~Kris

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by nicetomeetyou on Oct 18^th, 2007, 2:48pm

Thanks bbz. Makes sense.

I take rogaine for my hairloss, and I saw someone on the board saying any alcohol, whether ingested or absorbed is not a good idea for CH folks. I'll have to give the rogaine a rest and see how it works out.

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by thebbz on Oct 18^th, 2007, 2:51pm

;) I take spf 30 for my head on sunny days ;)
Alcohol is a trigger....very common trigger.
I have some other links for you.
http://www.calouch.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1162066074
Read the links there.....you should know all by this evening. ;;D
all the best
thebbz

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by nicetomeetyou on Oct 18^th, 2007, 2:54pm

on 10/18/07 at 14:44:08, CostaRicaKris wrote:

Yeah, that seems to be the norm from what I am seeing. Alot of people are suffering and doctors are not catching it because they dont want to think outside whatever box they are in.

bbz said the red eye/droopy type eye is a auotnomic nervous system symptom. I already have a extremly rare nervous system condition that doesnt even have a diagnosis, so this may be linked to that. arrrgggh.

TTYL :)

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by GrandPotentate on Oct 18^th, 2007, 9:11pm

Caffiene is a mixed bag for me. If I cut it entirely, I'll usually get plain old regular headaches for a day or so when out of cycle. The headaches are always on the downhill side of the buzz. When in cycle, I get hits all day long if I cut the caffiene entirely. A cup or two usually gets me through the day and postpones the hits until I get home and can deal with them. Your milage may vary.

If you are getting a lot of headaches, you should see a doc. It might be CH, it might be several other things. CH diagnoses usually involve eliminating the other things.

I'm glad you found this site - there are a lot of folks here who helped me through some rough times. Let us know how this works out for you!

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by nicetomeetyou on Oct 19^th, 2007, 1:05am

Thank you. Everyone seems really cool. I hope everyone here finds some kind of remedy to alleviate their symptoms.

I laid off the 2 daily dosgaes of rogaine today and have been headache free. So Im not sure if that is contributing, but I have taken it for years and never had problems. I would rather go bald than experience those ridiculous headaches all the time. ;;D Regardless, i'll go see the doc and see what they have to say. I already have a undiagnosed nervous system disorder, and if one more doctor tells me Im pyshcosamatic Im going to expedite the balding process by pulling the rest of my hair out myself. [smiley=laugh.gif]

So you get regular headaches as well as CH. Thats interesting, my stuff isnt always on one side, so I was thinking maybe that would eliminate me from possible CH. But maybe not.

on 10/18/07 at 21:11:01, GrandPotentate wrote:

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by nicetomeetyou on Oct 19^th, 2007, 1:07am

Bald is beautiful! [smiley=laugh.gif] Your links are helpful, thank you.

on 10/18/07 at 14:51:43, thebbz wrote:

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by GrandPotentate on Oct 19^th, 2007, 10:52pm

Sure, I still get the "normal" headaches, but they are pretty easy to shrug off. A bad hangover might hit Kip3, eh? Some causes for normal headaches seem to be triggers for CH hits while in cycle, but the similarity ends there. Once the cycle has run its course, I try the beer test and chinese food test to be sure.

So you get regular headaches as well as CH. Thats interesting, my stuff isnt always on one side, so I was thinking maybe that would eliminate me from possible CH. But maybe not.

Title: Re: Hi, i might be one of you guys/gals
Post by ski2k on Oct 20^th, 2007, 3:07am

Hey! Glad to see you're here!

Yeah, I'm one of the ones who get "normal" headaches quite a bit. But there is NO confusing a "normal" one with CH!!
I had cluster headaches for about 14 years before I had the correct diagnosis. My headaches were always blamed on sinus problems... which run in the family. Well, after seeing a specialist for my sinuses, I found that I do have problems with those too! But I can tell the difference between a sinus headache, and CH. The sheer AMOUNT of pain involved is a big tip-off.
I guess I'm telling you this, because I've noticed a bit of a trend lately.... People finding this site BEFORE they even have a diagnosis. I think that's a good thing! Most of us who have been here a while have heard many (too many) horror stories about the length of time it took to get diagnosed. Does this mean the world is finally finding out about this rare disorder?!?!?
Anyway.... Best of luck to you! Since I get so many headaches in general, I always feel so bad when I hear about somebody else getting them. I hope you find your answers soon. I really do.
Keep us posted when you find out for sure, ok?

Pain free wishes to you,
Adam