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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Could I have cluster headaches?
        
(Message started by: jc141265 on Apr 29^th, 2006, 2:50pm)

Title: Could I have cluster headaches?
Post by jc141265 on Apr 29^th, 2006, 2:50pm

Hi everyone,
I am new on here, just joined up tonight because once again I have been woken up at 2am with severe pain in my head (one one side) and went looking for answers online.

I know I can't expect an actual diagnosis from anyone but a doctor, but until today I thought that I had been suffering from really bad toothache, that kinda felt like an earache at times, that kinda felt like an eye ache, that seemed to be linked to my sinuses so much so that my husband said he could see the side of my nose just under my eye was a bit swollen. The thing is though I have been getting this pain for 3 months now. Some days its not there at all but other days it just won't go away.

The doctors I have seen thought it was toothache, so I went to the dentist and had a $1000 work done (though I do believe I still have a hole or two left and am just waiting until I am a bit more cashed up to fix them) but still I was getting the pain...and seemed to be waking up almost exactly the same time at nights, which I thought was weird for a toothache.

Then the next doctor I saw thought it might be sinusitis, told me to take head clear tablets for a month and see if things improved. They didn't, so he sent me for a CT, which showed I didn't have sinusitis so then he suggested it was probably due to TMJ (clenching my jaws at night causing all the pain). I have noticed that I am waking up clenching my jaws but I think that is because of the pain I am in at the time.

Today I stumbled across cluster headache information, and now I am wondering if this is what I have and perhaps it is a chronic form of this? So I would appreciate anyone's opinions.

Basically the only things that leave me in any doubt as to whether I have cluster headaches are:
1. Until the last day or two I DO get some relief from panadol (mild analgesic) and I have read that this is not usually the case for CHs? Although now I am wondering if perhaps the panadol wasn't doing anything, the headache was just going away after a period of time....?
2. My pain although very bad at times,...kinda feels like icecream headache but then can just involve a general ache around the areas affect for hours after (all on left side)...never incapacitates me...so it doesn't sound as severe as what CHs are supposed to be. I don't pace, I don't want to bash my head against a wall (though I have tried hanging upside down to relieve it, pulling pillows hard down on my head, hot towels against my head, pushing the afflicted side of my face as hard as I can against the mattress or pillows)...the pain that comes when I am busy seems lesser than when i am sleeping or just sitting around;
3. I do appear to have had increased tooth sensitivities since these headaches started with many of them appearing to be triggered by hot or cold foods that I eat;
So can someone tell me if any of these three things make it obvious that I am not having CHs and that maybe it is toothache or TMJ causing everything?

Title: Re: Could I have cluster headaches?
Post by Mattrf on Apr 29^th, 2006, 4:48pm

To start I would watch using the term chronic some people who are chronic will be quick to correct you. I am not sure if you have CH or not, sure hope not I would not wish this on anyone. The best thing you can do is take the quiz on the left and see if it adds up to CH, if so print of as much data as you can and take it with you to the doctor and see if he will send you to a headache specialist or a neurologist they are your best bet to try and help you.
As far as your symptoms some sound like they are and some not but it could just be the way you describe them.
I can just tell you mine and see if it sounds familiar to you. The ice cream thing well what I feel is like when you just been to the dentist and the Novocain is starting to ware off but I have this feeling from just above my left eye brow and it goes to my jaw and lasts all day I can even feel it in my teeth. I think I am one of the lucky ones if there is such a thing, my CH hits me during the day so I sleep just fine at night but CH seems to hit most people at night. The other things that happen are burning in the eye, ice pick like stabbing pain also in the eye and tearing and drooping of the eye. You will see a term called shadowing, this means you are in pain but not at it’s worse but feels like you could get hit at any minute, this is how I feel most days all day. The CH can last anywhere from days to months or Chronic witch means they get les then 30 days a year without CH and that is wy I say watch how you use the term the people that are chronic need all of our support, mine last nine months at a shot and I can not imagine how the chronics can cope, they are a strong breed that is for sure.
Good luck and I hopr it turns out to be something far less as intense as CH.

Title: Re: Could I have cluster headaches?
Post by jc141265 on Apr 29^th, 2006, 7:20pm

Yikes, sorry about the chronic term I just read that if it lasts more than a month or two it was termed chronic and I have had these headaches for 3 months now, a day or two without them but otherwise I just seem to get over one and then another comes. I thought the painkillers were working but was confused by how when they did work, suddenly I didn't have pain all of a sudden in what seemed like too short a time frame and at other times it seemed like they never kicked in. Meant no disrespect.

As for how you describe your pain Matt it sounds very similar to what I was trying to say...like I said my pain doesn't appear to be the 'head banging' type (thank god because I don't think I could have lasted this long with that) but even after the main pain is gone I am left feeling like I have one heck of a hangover (I don't drink)...

Thanks for your advice, I did do the quiz (I didn't realise it was there) and do seem to fit the bill,...will have to go see my doctor again now...she's gone on holidays however.

Thanks again,

Title: Re: Could I have cluster headaches?
Post by kaz101 on Apr 30^th, 2006, 4:59am

Hi there just read your post and your pain does sound like a cluster, I had my first clusters 15 years ago and like you doc said it was tooth pain, got refered to the hospital were they said id clenced my teeth so much id done something to my jaw, had the pain for 6 monthes on and off and then it went but has come back this year.
After several trips to doc and emergency department found out there clusters, had the now since christmas on and off but shadows almost every day, im not on any preventative meds got prescribed amatriptaline but havent tried it, just cope with pain killers, not sure how long I can cope like this but good luck to you in finding sometjing that helps.

Title: Re: Could I have cluster headaches?
Post by chewy on Apr 30^th, 2006, 11:00am

This is why your teeth hurt. Follow the nerve endings.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v388/bgull2/47b3db29b3127cce9fbec057efc30000001.jpg