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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> headaches and work
        
(Message started by: RaulG on Jun 15^th, 2006, 10:00pm)

Title: headaches and work
Post by RaulG on Jun 15^th, 2006, 10:00pm

This may seem an odd question and this is my first post. I won't bore you with background so I'll cut to the chase.

I'm a machinist, about 20 years experience. For the last 8 years I've been working the same job, same plant.

My headaches are such that I may go a year, sometimes 2 between episodes. Some times I have 3 or four a year. The longest episode I have had was 3 years ago and it lasted 6 weeks.

I changed doctors and a new regimine helped to lessen both the duration and severity of the episodes (verapimail and prednisone). The longest over the last 2 years has been 10 days.

In my case about 1/2 hr. after I fall asleep a headache hits. I have to get up and I go to the oxygen for 15 minutes. This usually helps to end the pain and I can go back to sleep for another 45 minutes or so and than another hits, and repeat. When the episode is a bad one I may go through this 3-4 times a night. When I try to nap during the day I get a headache.

If the episode lasts more than 4 or 5 days I become exhausted at work, my eyes are sensitive to the light. I'm a little dizzy from the meds, and I have a dull ache in my head all day. I've missed some work cuz of this.

The company don't like it. Notes from my doctor seem to carry no weight. Last year I had a viral infection that sent me to the emergency room (unrelated to headaches) and I was out of work long enough to eat up my vacation and sick leave.

In November headaches hit and I missed a couple of days of work and was written up for it.

The year before I probably missed 8 days of work total due to the clusters.

I'm not disabled and am not eligable for disability. So what do folks do?

I don't mean to sound whiney but I know no other folks with these.

RaulG

Title: Re: headaches and work
Post by BarbaraD on Jun 16^th, 2006, 7:28am

You might try Melatonin (6-12mg) before going to bed. It helps me get the rest I need to get thru the day hits. It takes a little while to get in your system, but it's great for those night-time hits. I've been taking it for a year or so now and haven't gotten hit at night.

Are you on O2? Keep it by the bed. I usually wake up with about a 4-5 and some black coffee, Red Bull and O2 will kill that one.

sorry you're having a ruff time, but try the melatonin.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: headaches and work
Post by Katherinecm on Jun 16^th, 2006, 10:44am

You may not typically be disabled, but severe headaches do qualify as a disability if you have "A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities." Work does count as a life activity.

If your company employs at least 15 people and your absence does not cause the employer "undue hardship" you can be gone as often as you need to be and they can do NOTHING about it, absolutely not penalize you.

Here's the info in detail as copied from about.com:

ADA Title I: Employment

Title I requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide qualified individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from the full range of employment-related opportunities available to others. For example, it prohibits discrimination in recruitment, hiring, promotions, training, pay, social activities, and other privileges of employment. It restricts questions that can be asked about an applicant's disability before a job offer is made, and it requires that employers make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities, unless it results in undue hardship. Religious entities with 15 or more employees are covered under title I.

Title I complaints must be filed with the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 days of the date of discrimination, or 300 days if the charge is filed
with a designated State or local fair employment practice agency. Individuals may file a lawsuit in Federal court only after they receive a "right-to-sue" letter from the EEOC.

Charges of employment discrimination on the basis of disability may be filed at any U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission field office. Field offices are located in 50 cities throughout the U.S. and are listed in most telephone directories under "U.S. Government." For the appropriate EEOC field office in your geographic area, contact:

(800) 669-4000 (voice)
(800) 669-6820 (TTY)

http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.eeoc.gov

Publication and information on EEOC-enforced laws may be obtained by calling:

(800) 669-3362 (voice)
(800) 800-3302 (TTY)

For information on how to accommodate a specific individual with a disability, contact the Job Accommodation Network at:

(800) 526-7234 (voice/TTY)

http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/english

You can learn more about this & other headache rights here:
http://headaches.about.com/bl-guide-dis-rights.htm?terms=disabilities

Hope that helps,
Katy

Title: Re: headaches and work
Post by Guiseppi on Jun 16^th, 2006, 7:01pm

You might want to try oral cafergot with the oxygen. Your response to oxygen is similar to mine. It stops the headache but 20 minutes later the headache is back.

I now pop a cafergot at the start of the headache, do the oxygen until the headache stops, then go back to sleep. The cafergot seems to keep it at bay for 8-12 hours. I haven't tried the melatonin route but many people on the board sing its praises for stopping night hits.

Wishing you peace.

Guiseppi

Title: Re: headaches and work
Post by Charlotte on Jun 16^th, 2006, 8:11pm

Raul, some of have lost our jobs or just not been able to work at times, but we do our best. It's all you can do.

I've been written up before, and also found that notes from the doctor were useless. Currently, I just stay at work and try to overcompensate in between hits. I have a job situations that considers me valuable enough to put up with the negatives. My supervisor just retired, and you never know what the next one will be like.

It is a struggle. This is not an easy thing to deal with.

Hang in there, buddy. We don't mind if you want to whine a little. I think most of us do it, or at least feel like doing it.

Charlotte

Title: Re: headaches and work
Post by spidey426 on Jun 16^th, 2006, 10:29pm

Have you provided your employers with information about CH? The day I found out I had CH I gathered all the info I could and showed it to my bosses at work. If you can, find a very vivid description of the pain we go through.. my employers have treated me fantastically since I showed them that.

pfw and God bless

Title: Re: headaches and work
Post by marlinsfan on Jun 17^th, 2006, 9:05pm

Listen to Barbara. Melatonin works great to keep those night time hits away....

You can buy it at the supermarket/walgreens in the vitamin section.

Title: Re: headaches and work
Post by Charlie on Jun 18^th, 2006, 4:19pm

Someone post the address for Simon's or another's letter. I've lost it.

As an abortive, you might try this. It worked for me:

Dr. Wright’s Circulatory Technique:

I am not sure what mechanism is triggered by this but whatever it is, at least indirectly helps kill the pain. I do know that this technique has nothing to do with meditation, relaxation, or psychic ability. It is entirely physical and takes some work. It involves concentrating on trying to redirect a little circulation to the arms, hands, or legs. It can described as a conscious circulatory flexing. Increased circulation will result in a reddening and warming of the hands. Try to think of it as filling your hands with redirected blood. The important and difficult part is that it has to be done without interruption through the pain. Do not give up in frustration. It may not work on the first try. Every now and then it will work almost immediately. I lived for those moments. Try experimenting between attacks. You will find that it gets easier with practice.

I was given less than five minutes instruction in the use of method. The doctor, while placing his arm on his desk, showed me that he could slightly increase his arm and hand circulation. After several attempts, I was able to repeat this procedure and use it successfully. I have had about a 75% success rate shortening these attacks. My 20 minute attacks were often reduced to 10 minutes or less. Once proven that I had a chance to effectively deal with this horror, I always gave it a try as I had nothing to lose but pain.

Perhaps it will help if you think of it as trying to fill the arm as if it is were an empty vessel. I used to try to imagine I was pushing blood away from my head into my arm. Use your imagination. There is one man who wrote that his standing barefoot on a concrete floor shortened his attacks. This may be similar as it draws some circulation away from the head. Cold water, exercise, or anything affecting circulation, seems to be worth a try. My suggestion is to not let up immediately when the pain goes. Waiting a minute is probably a good idea. So long as you do not slack off, this has a chance of working.

This technique is very useful while waiting for medication to take effect or when none is available. It costs nothing, is non-invasive, and can be used just about anywhere. It is not a miracle but it helped me deal with this horror. It can be a bit exhausting but the success rate was good enough for me and a cluster headache sufferer will do just about anything to end the pain. It gives us a fighting chance.

Charlie

Title: Re: headaches and work
Post by Linda_Howell on Jun 18^th, 2006, 4:40pm

Quote:

Someone post the address for Simon's or another's letter. I've lost it.

http://www.ouch-us.org/chgeneral/colleagueletter.htm

Linda