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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Questions!
        
(Message started by: Rusty65 on Jan 20^th, 2006, 4:33pm)

Title: Questions!
Post by Rusty65 on Jan 20^th, 2006, 4:33pm

Just started having these headaches. What your kind people are describing fits me to a tee except the skin pain and the tearing of the eye. Although my pain is located behind my right eye. This "shadow" that is described fits me perfectly as I type. LIght, nor sound bother me, but don;'t scream when I'm in the middle of these headacehs. Its the worse pain I've experianced. Others on this board have descibed it already so I will forgo all that! The main difference is that mine last for hours. I was given Actiq which is Fentnyl and that even didn't take the pain away!!! Just got me thru it. Unbelievable. I did get sick with the last bout I had 4 days ago. The first time since I started having these several weeks ago. My CAT scan came back fine but I am seeing a neuro the end of this month.
After reading all the posts it almost seems like I've a combo of migraine and CH. Anyone else have this, is it possible? I thought I was a wimp cause I have heard other migraine sufferers talk about laying down in a quiet dark room and feeling a little better. That didn't work for me! I thought about suicide after the 4 hr of this hell I went thru. But then I found this site and hope! I appreicate this so much! I cannot keep taking the pain meds. They do help to stop it going all the way there but I still have that shadow which I'll take anyday over the full blown demon. Any advice wouild be appreciated. I'm also a recovering addict so this pain med thing scares the hell outta me but it does help it from getting outta hand-so far. But I am looking for other options. Table imitrex helped yesterday and I felt like rejoicing!!!! Thanks again!

Title: Re: Questions!
Post by E-Double on Jan 20^th, 2006, 4:41pm

Narcotics tend to be a last resort for many who are non repsonisve to other meds.

You say hours.

Is one single attack 4 hours or is it longer?

I have had upwards of 3.5 hrs for a dman super doozy but most will last about an hour if unaborted. If treated 90% I can knock back in under 10 minutes sometimes less if lucky.

I have chronic CH and get the occasional migraine and I also have idiopathic stabbing headache.

There is a difference between them all however they sometimes overlap. That's a bitch.

Anyway, imitrex is used for CH and migraine, however the pills take way too long for a cluster. Most will use imitrex injections which will knock back an attack in minutes.
Zomig zmt pills are pretty quick too.

It is important that you get a proper diagnosis! so that you may be treated appropriately.

Get yourself to a CH knowledgable doctor/neurologist or a headache clinic where they should be able to treat you better than you are currently receiving.

Good luck!!!

Title: Re: Questions!
Post by Rusty65 on Jan 20^th, 2006, 4:48pm

The last one I had last 3 hrs and I got some relief for an hour from Forva then it hit home again for another 4 hrs. Just manic intense pain about and behind my eye. I thought of suicide, banging my head with a brick, ect. And no the narcotics didn't touch it!! They only help to keep them from coming on but I cannot keep this up. I hope and pray the this neuro is familiar with these and other headaches. It seems like they are combined with me. Laying down doesn't work at all! Thanks again for your help! I truly thought I was a wimp and going crazy!

Title: Re: Questions!
Post by Phil the Desert Rat on Jan 20^th, 2006, 8:34pm

No way, Rusty, you're not a wimp. I thought I had a high pain threshold until these things...yeah, right! Makes me feel sheepish and sort of dumb for all those times I complained about the garden-variety aches and pains of living.

BTW, narcs won't touch a CH. Be careful with those. Best of luck, read up, stay in touch! And welcome to the family.

--Phil

Title: Re: Questions!
Post by BarbaraD on Jan 20^th, 2006, 9:03pm

sometimes the pain meds will cause rebounds which will just be worse.

Ask about O2 -- that's the best way if it works.

Also when the pain first starts try some black coffee (the caffiene is a vaso constrictor and works fast -- several cups somtimes helps.

You may be having headaches overlapping each other (thus "clusters") and it may not be the "same" headache. When I first was diagnosed with them, I thought I was having "hours" of one headache till the doc explained to me that it wasn't the same headache, but one after another. Lucky me!!!!

I also have migraines along with chronic CH, so I'm just a lot of fun to live with (luckily the dogs don't complain much - they have a doggie door and can escape the crazy woman).

Seriously, we all know these things are a pain (play on words there), but we understand what you're going thru. Arm yourself with some literature to take to your neuro. Read the stuff on the left and go armed when you have your visit. Ask for O2 and Imitrex or cafergot (vasoconstrictors). These are pretty well proven to work on "most" of us. there are a lot of preventatives out there also. That you'll just have to use trial and error to find out what's "right" for you.

Good luck and keep us up to date on your progress.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Questions!
Post by E-Double on Jan 20^th, 2006, 11:31pm

Sounds like CH my man, at its peak!

Title: Re: Questions!
Post by sandie99 on Jan 21^st, 2006, 4:14am

I've had episodic ch and chronic ch and regular migraine, lucky me. My longest ch hit lasted 2 hours unaborted, usually they're shorter. But few times I had ch hit, then regular migraine, then another ch hit. Those days I dread the most...

I do hope that your doc is one of those who will know all about ch. I've met many neuros during my ch time and I must admit that I knew more about ch than some of them, sadly. One of them wanted to know about the headaches I had when I was 12 and tried to diagnose the HAs I had at 23 based on them... ::) So the more you know about ch also, the better.

Good luck & PF time asap,
wishes,

Sanna

Title: Re: Questions!
Post by TxBasslady on Jan 21^st, 2006, 11:38pm

on 01/20/06 at 21:03:05, BarbaraD wrote:

sometimes the pain meds will cause rebounds which will just be worse.

This is such a true statement.

For most folks, the narcotic meds give them rebound headaches. Then again, some of the triptan meds do the same thing.

Read all you can from this site. The info is most valuable.

Lots of luck to you, keep in touch.

PF vibes,

Jean