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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> worse with age?
        
(Message started by: gardengal on Feb 26^th, 2006, 12:31am)

Title: worse with age?
Post by gardengal on Feb 26^th, 2006, 12:31am

I have read a few posts where people have said it is worse when you get older? Is that just because you are more sick and tired of it? My husband said they were just as bad 10 years ago (by watching me) but to me they seem worse. Am I just getting to be a girl thingy in my old age? Also will they go away when we age? Please say yes. Sorry for all the questions. When I went to a neur. I knew more than he did because of this site. He had 1 other CH patient. I wasted $200 on an office call there.

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by Bob_Johnson on Feb 26^th, 2006, 9:41am

There haven't been any really good studies on this issue but we have some suggestive evidence that clusters become less frequent, even stop, with age.

The basic problem, however, is that the experience of pain is so very subjective that it's impossible to compare experience between people. It may be that you have become increasingly sensitive to your own clusters, sensitive in the sense of being intolerant, and so you are more aware of an attack/pain. Many variables operating, unfortunately, so I would not expect to get a definitive answer to a recurring question.

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by chewy on Feb 26^th, 2006, 12:18pm

Generally I think cycles begin to wane as we get older. They have for me.

The flip side is the attacks we do get seem to be less tolerable.

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by E-Double on Feb 26^th, 2006, 12:21pm

I will let you know as I get older.
A lady recently started posting here who appears to be experiencing her first Cluster cycle.
She is in her early '70's.
Bummer.
I'm 32 and they have gone from classic and typical episodic CH's to chronic when I was 30.
I have no clue.

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by BarbaraD on Feb 26^th, 2006, 3:30pm

I went thru all the stages - denial, anger and finally acceptance as I got older. I'm chronic, but have learned to "accept" CH as a part of my life now and they don't bother me quite as much as when I was younger. I was a basket case then (some would argue that I still am, but I think I'm very stable now thank you very much!)

Seriously, everyone reacts differently. Some have gotten worse with age, some have had the CH stop completely after years of being chronic, some have switched from chronic to episodic or the other way with age. There's just no rhyme or reason to these things that anyone has found so far.

As has been repeated over and over -- we just all different....

Hugs BD

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by Dragnlance on Mar 1^st, 2006, 9:55am

They hurt. Sometimes they hurt like hell, sometimes not so much.

I dont think age has anything to do with it. I am 43, had these all my life.

More than anything, I think it depends how you feel physically and mentally at the time the monster wakes up. If you are already tired or not feeling well, depressed, whatever, the pain seems to be worse.

That is how it appears to me anyway.

Dragnlance

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by ArCane on Mar 1^st, 2006, 2:32pm

My father has CH as well as me. Throughout the years my father's cycles have been farther and farther apart. He's last cycle was over 6 years ago and he is still PF. However, the pain he experienced with each cycle has ramped up. He says the last cycle was the worst he ever had in his whole life (he is 55 and had them since 18). Everyone is different and the beast affects them in different ways. My grandfather had em too. His ramped down in intensity as time went on and didnt have a cycle past the age of 35. I hope I end up like him lol. Hope this helps.

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by Charlotte on Mar 1^st, 2006, 3:29pm

I don't think they get worse but the hard part is knowing sometimes medicine will work and sometime it won't and it will come back and it will get worse. I feel more discouraged than when I was young and the ch blended in with earaches and other stuff.

Also, it sounds funny, but I like it when my clusters occur during other people's flu & virus season so people don't notice me as much.

My husband always says he hopes I get better. I had to talk seriously with him and ask him to stop saying that. It hurts him when I'm in pain. We've been married 30 years.

The Inderol the new dr prescribed knocked the every two hour level 6-8 back to level 4-7, and broke the pattern. Have only had one level 8 and one level 7 since Saturday.

The shadow headache somebody was talking about - I had one this morning - felt like a hit with a cookie cutter instead of a brick and the faint image stayed for 90 minutes but never progressed, and it was on the left instead of my usual right.

Once again, I want to thank everyone for the moral support.

Wishing us all PFDAN. Charlotte

Title: My experience..
Post by Richr8 on Mar 1^st, 2006, 4:17pm

I've had these for fourteen years. I am now fifty two and not in the shape I was in when 38. IMO, for the reasons stated, they get harder to deal with as you get older. It probably has more to do with physical and mental condition than chronological age. The pain feels the same. My ability to tolerate it has waned.

Rich

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by marlinsfan on Mar 1^st, 2006, 8:17pm

on 02/26/06 at 00:31:24, gardengal wrote:

I have read a few posts where people have said it is worse when you get older? .

My back problems are getting worse, so is my memory, my eyesight, my stamina. My hair is not falling, but it is getting whiter. So, yes, it does get worse when you get older ;;D

If it's CH you're asking about, then we'll just have to wait and see....... :-/

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by kcopelin on Mar 1^st, 2006, 10:05pm

I sincerely hope they get better. Will let you know when I get older. ::) All kdding aside, I hoped mine would end with menopause-instead I have gone from 24 years episodic to what sure looks like chronic. Geez, I'd rather have monthly periods thank you very much.
I suspect the other common symptoms of aging (aches, pains, some other stuff I can't remember) kind of make CH one more ingredient in this salad that is our lives.
For sure, they will go away the day after the last day of our lives. sorry-it really looks like it can go both ways.
Hang in there gardengal,
PFDAN to y'all
kathy

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by BobG on Mar 1^st, 2006, 11:11pm

Worse with age?

Not for me. For the past 6 years my yearly 6 to 8 week cluster has only been daily shadows.

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by Jasmyn on Mar 2^nd, 2006, 3:56am

I had this lovely vision(must have been the sun in my eyes ::)) that my freckles will fade with age... well in my case as I step on in years, my freckles have stepped up like my clusters... in clusters and closer together.

Sherbet I should get out of the sun ;)

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by sandie99 on Mar 2^nd, 2006, 5:31am

I'm 25, I've had ch since 2001. So ch is quite new thing in my life. I was episodic first, then chronic (now PF).

When I finally got the diagnosis in 2003, my neuro said that I should prepare to live with ch for the rest of my life. He also said that he has had patients, whose ch just vanished as they got older. And he had a patient who got his first ch cycle at 80-something.

Sanna

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by Guiseppi on Mar 2^nd, 2006, 11:48am

I,m 46, episodic for about 26 years. I don't think the headaches get any less painful, but you get a lot smarter in how you manage them. You're less prone to make the stupid mistakes that bring on the big ones. I'm a lot more relaxed then I was in my 20's and stress can be a trigger when I'm on cycle. What I do know for sure is they don't go away and they still hurt a lot.

Guiseppi

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by Sandy_C on Mar 2^nd, 2006, 5:52pm

How much older is "older"? I'm one of the oddballs here (no one need respond to that one). I started my very first ever CH cycle at the ripe old age of 53, and each cycle since then has gotten a little stronger and lasted a little longer. But, finding this site has armed me with the weapons I need to fight back and live life. If my cycles increase, go chronic, or stop - this is my life as it's going to be, and I'll just do what I have to to keep on living it.

My advice to you would be, just take it one day at a time and don't worry about the future. It will be what it will be. You just have to learn to roll with the punches and get back up fighting.

Sandy

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Mar 2^nd, 2006, 7:58pm

I'm kind of with Sandy on this one. My first cycle didn't appear until I was 42. Each one seems to get a little harder. My only bright spot is that I have several PF years between each. I keep hoping though ....

Kris

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by debrakayjohnson on Mar 3^rd, 2006, 12:03pm

Seems like my CH's are getting worse with every cycle (23 years now-but not chronic). This cycle I developed these wonderful daily shadows that last 5-6 hours. And, I have actually blacked out when the demon hits. Fortunately, hubby stands by my side while the demon hits.

Not complaining because all of us have our own pain, but it's really comforting to know that there are sufferers out there like me. Makes me feel stronger somehow. Thanks! xo

Debbie

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by j_erickson85 on Mar 8^th, 2006, 6:53pm

I am only twenty and have suffered CH for ten years but in my experience my headaches seem not as bad. I contribute this feeling to my experience of what works for me and how to handle my own headaches.

Title: Re: worse with age?
Post by BlueMeanie on Mar 8^th, 2006, 11:32pm

Almost 30 years worth of cycles. They are all just as bad for me. The only difference is how long each cycle last. I've had loooong cycles & short cycles. Ya just never know. Age doesn't seem to be a factor. Glad you're getting the info you need here. Good luck.