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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Trying Something New - About Me Part I
        
(Message started by: BoSoxFan on Jan 19^th, 2006, 11:10am)

Title: Trying Something New - About Me Part I
Post by BoSoxFan on Jan 19^th, 2006, 11:10am

This message was too long, so I had to break it up into three parts. I hope you'll read them all...

Hi All-

I went from a HA-free life to being a chronic CH'er over a year ago. My CH began exactly a week after I stupidly stopped taking Strattera (an ADD medication) cold turkey, without tapering off. I am 35 (was 34 at the time and was on 80mg of Strattera at my peak). I don't suffer from depression - I've just had ADD since childhood and finally was diagnosed and treated in my early 30's. Like a lot of people who take medication that works for them (Strattera did), I thought I was "cured" and didn't need to take it any more. I hate taking any medication because no one knows the long term affects on the body. Anyway, that's why I stopped.

So a week after, my wife and I go out with friends and have some drinks. After my second drink, I get this absolutely unbearable headache (never had one before) that looking back, I would consider a Kip 7. I borrowed some Ibuprofen (600mg) and went out to the car for an hour until it went away. A scary moment for sure but I never thought it would be something that would recur. I did not have another headache until the next time I had drinks (2 weeks later) - same thing. At this point I started to get a little concerned but since it only happened when I drank, I didn't think it was anything serious - just a reaction to booze. So the following week, I have my buddies over to the house and we play some poker and shoot some pool. A couple of beers and wham - another headache and this one looking back is a Kip 8. Again, 600mg of Ibuprofen and an hour of head banging and it's gone. Now I get a little concerned but figure hey, it's an alcohol allergy. You know the old "Doc, it hurts when I do this? Doc says, well, don't do that" - thats where I was - I figured hey, I won't drink any more.

See Part II