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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> CH and the military
        
(Message started by: Phil L on May 14th, 2007, 6:28pm)
Title: CH and the military
Post by Phil L on May 14th, 2007, 6:28pm
Anyone know the prevalance of CH and military service?
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by AussieBrian on May 14th, 2007, 9:17pm
Dunno about prevalence, Phil, but certainly I was an active serviceman when this nightmare began. Can even tell you that my first ever hit was after we'd led the Anzac Day parade at Paddington in Sydney.

Mind you, it was then another decade before I was able to identify the beast and give it a name so I blame the military only for failing to diagnose it in the first place.
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Linda_Howell on May 14th, 2007, 10:04pm

I can't remember  the guys name...but there is a guy with clusters from here,  who is serving in Iraq as I type this.    Second tour if I got that right.

I would imagine that since this is so rare that the military prevalence is quite low.
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Kopfschmerz on May 15th, 2007, 7:54am
In the US military, if you were found to have chronic cluster headaches, you be either booted out or medically retired.  It wouldn't be good, in a combat situation, to have chronic CH.  If you had episodic and the doc knew anything about CH, you'd be referred to a  neurologist for an evaluation-but most don't know much about CH and, depending upon where you are, it might take so much time to get an appointment with a neuro that your episodic episode might be gone and you'd be sent back to duty (and if you had asked for anything stronger than aspirin for the pain during your attack, you'd  probably be labeled as a drug abuser).  I'd advise any servicemember with CH, chronic or episodic, to lay out the cash and see a civilian doc first.
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by thomas on May 15th, 2007, 9:18am
I started getting mine when I was in the Army.  I think military service can trigger the CH in some one who is already predisposed to have it, the crazy sleep cylces and such mess up the circadian rythms.
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by BlueMeanie on May 15th, 2007, 1:15pm
U.S.S. Impervious 1979 sitting in the hole (engine room) running a GM & 4 Waukesha diesel engines. By the time a got relieved of my watch the CH was gone. Hid with the headaches throughout the cycle, After I transferred and went into my 2nd cycle, my Senior Cheif caught me hiding during an attack. Great guy. He insisted he drive me to the doc. From there we went to a lady Neurologist from India who immediately told me I had CH's. Sent me for the usual MRI and such then told me I was not gonna die. Unfortunately there where no Triptans at that time, so i stayed pretty much drugged out until the day I found Trex years later. Did the military cause my CH's ? I doubt it.
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Phil L on May 15th, 2007, 3:02pm
Just for fun let's expand the survey to include those who developed CH after military service. I've no particular axe to grind here, just curious as CH affects such a small percentage of people and there appears to be a higher than expected number of us with CH who have served in the military.
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by totka2 on May 15th, 2007, 3:11pm
Brothers in arms. Like AussieBrian I served in the army too when my CH began. Not prevelance but ... who knows?
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by TonyYZF on May 15th, 2007, 10:29pm
I currently serve in the US Navy.  I was diagnosed almost a year ago by a Navy Neurologist.  I am still working out the bugs as to how long I will be able to serve and how this is going to pan out.  I also served in the Army back in the 80's.  The crazy changes in sleeping patterns has definately impacted my attempts to control and cope.  Feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss some of the impact and implications of being a cluster head in the military.

Tony
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by TonyG1 on May 16th, 2007, 5:18pm
Mine started when I was in the military...  
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by kcopelin on May 17th, 2007, 1:55pm
Mine also started when I was in the military, US Air Force.  I was episodic throughout my career, and although they did offer a medical retirement-I choose to stay in.  Upon retirement I was listed as service-connected with "0" disability and "0" compensation.  It is now up to 50% because I have become chronic.  

Did the military cause my cluster headaches?  Well, I doubt that they experimented with my hypothalymus, but the CH did start after I had served for about 3 years.

For those somehow predisposed, certainly the unusual work shifts and hours in the military could mess up the circadian rhythm.

PFDA y'all,
kathy
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by sailpappy on May 18th, 2007, 7:45am
;;D ;;D Here is a link to the VA's web site, these are all the cases that had been denied then went to appeal. there is a surprising number, way more than I ever thought, if they dont document it while they are in the service they dont have a chance of getting compensated for it after they get out!  Pappy

http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/bva.html
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Phil L on May 18th, 2007, 8:18pm
Thanks Sailpappy. I purused the data base and your right, a surprising number of cases. What it all means though, is beyond me and perhaps the numbers simply reflect the national average. Phil
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by NovellRed on May 19th, 2007, 12:06am
Active duty US Navy since 1971. Had my first cluster in 1977. Diagnosed as chronic in 1981. Medical retirement in 1990 with 30% disability. After 18 months my status was reviewed and I was declared 10% disabled and no longer eligible for retirement. At 10% disability I could not go back on active duty until retirement. I was discharged with severance pay.  
I don't think the military caused my clusters, it may have caused them to be worse. Long periods without sleep, mid watches and the odd hours that are part of military life may have contributed to the severity. Since 1990 I believe I have  transitioned from chronic to episodic.
Today my job requires me to travel globally and I do notice an increase in severity and frequency when I have had a particularly grueling schedule. Time zones and disruptive sleeping patterns do take a toll.  
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by chandlerda on Sep 4th, 2007, 12:54pm
I dont really know of any connection between service and CH.  I too was diagnosed while in the military, after years of being given 800MG ibuprofen (LOL!!!), and countless sick call slips, I finally got the much needed meds and explanation.  I was really suprised when a CT scan produced nothing out of the ordinary.

I was rated at 30% disabled when I got out, but since then have been re-evaluated to 0%, but still service connected disabled.

I have actually noticed a suprising number of Veterans and Active Duty personnel on this web site..  So maybe there is a connection, but it would suprise me.
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Ghost on Sep 4th, 2007, 3:37pm
Had it the whole 9 years in but was misdiagnosed. Did check with a friend that is a Navy Nurse Ret. last year and CH is in the same catigory as Migrane, You wont get booted. but if you got initial diagnoses while in you may not guaranteed get partial disability when you get out.

Mike
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by UN solved on Sep 4th, 2007, 7:23pm

on 05/15/07 at 07:54:48, Kopfschmerz wrote:
In the US military, if you were found to have chronic cluster headaches, you be either booted out or medically retired.  It wouldn't be good, in a combat situation, to have chronic CH.  If you had episodic and the doc knew anything about CH, you'd be referred to a  neurologist for an evaluation-but most don't know much about CH and, depending upon where you are, it might take so much time to get an appointment with a neuro that your episodic episode might be gone and you'd be sent back to duty (and if you had asked for anything stronger than aspirin for the pain during your attack, you'd  probably be labeled as a drug abuser).  I'd advise any servicemember with CH, chronic or episodic, to lay out the cash and see a civilian doc first.


Not syaing that there is anything wrong with your post at all .... but a German, posting about CH in the US military strikes me as 'odd'

PF WIshes

Carry on

UNsolved
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by LeLimey on Sep 5th, 2007, 3:05pm
Its not odd at all Michael - Kopfschmerz is another of chtoms handles - look through his old posts and you'll see him exposed before now.
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by totka2 on Sep 5th, 2007, 3:35pm
In the army are more smokers than the average. In Clusterville live more smokers than in a common city. Coherency?
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Neil_C on Sep 5th, 2007, 3:47pm

on 09/04/07 at 19:23:56, UN solved wrote:
Not syaing that there is anything wrong with your post at all .... but a German, posting about CH in the US military strikes me as 'odd'

PF WIshes

Carry on

UNsolved


UNsolved,

Germans tend to know alot about the US military because of the many US bases dotted in the south of Germany. Today theres not as many as there were. I dont know the figures but the US had alot of influence in those areas. I know there was a good few Germans working with the Americans on the bases as well.

Im not American and I also worked with US Government back in the early 90's. Another thing to remember is that the flag by your name represents your location :)

Im not Irish but I live in Ireland :D

N
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Jonny on Sep 5th, 2007, 5:39pm

on 09/05/07 at 15:47:02, Neil_C wrote:
UNsolved,

Germans tend to know alot about the US military because of the many US bases dotted in the south of Germany. Today theres not as many as there were. I dont know the figures but the US had alot of influence in those areas. I know there was a good few Germans working with the Americans on the bases as well.

Im not American and I also worked with US Government back in the early 90's. Another thing to remember is that the flag by your name represents your location :)

Im not Irish but I live in Ireland :D

N


It seems that Kopfschmerz knows the inner workings of US Army Protocol....Hmmmm!

It seems that you are backing Kopfschmerz...and only on your 10th post here........Hmmmmm!

Is that you John, Tom, Kopfschmerz, Big_Ouch? ;;D
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Neil_C on Sep 5th, 2007, 7:14pm
Next, you will want my rank and serial number :D

Neil is actually my name, not an alias.

You Americans are so trustworthy... not!... lol

N
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Brewcrew on Sep 5th, 2007, 10:44pm

on 09/05/07 at 15:47:02, Neil_C wrote:
Another thing to remember is that the flag by your name represents your location :)

It does if you are telling the truth.
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by LeLimey on Sep 6th, 2007, 3:47am
Neil I'll just explain a bit of "history" here

Kopfschmerz as he is calling himself in this incantation has had more handles here than I've had hot dinners. He is what we call a troll, someone who has a twist against ch.com and someone who doesn't even have CH. He's a website junkie  ::)

He comes back frequently under differing handles but always gives himself away with the crap he posts.

I can understand how as a new poster you would think as you do - it makes sense to me too however I have learned that not everyone on the internet is normal and there are some real loo loo's who have to bug medical related websites. You can only wonder about how weird their REAL life is if they have to come and play hard man on the internet don't you?!

I hope that helps, in the past he has frequently posted under two or three handles in one thread. You'll get used to it, its pathetic, its horrible and its actually quite sad but those of us who have been around a while have a duty to prevent him from leading desperate people who come looking for help here up the garden path with the crank crap he posts.

Don't let it put you off - the rest of us are merely psycho's I promise  ;)

Helen (who's family have all moved back to Galway and left her here!)
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by bluesunshine on Sep 6th, 2007, 4:06am
ARMY has no correlation with CH, you know better!
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Neil_C on Sep 6th, 2007, 6:52am

on 09/06/07 at 03:47:25, LeLimey wrote:
Neil I'll just explain a bit of "history" here

Kopfschmerz as he is calling himself in this incantation has had more handles here than I've had hot dinners. He is what we call a troll, someone who has a twist against ch.com and someone who doesn't even have CH. He's a website junkie  ::)

He comes back frequently under differing handles but always gives himself away with the crap he posts.

I can understand how as a new poster you would think as you do - it makes sense to me too however I have learned that not everyone on the internet is normal and there are some real loo loo's who have to bug medical related websites. You can only wonder about how weird their REAL life is if they have to come and play hard man on the internet don't you?!

I hope that helps, in the past he has frequently posted under two or three handles in one thread. You'll get used to it, its pathetic, its horrible and its actually quite sad but those of us who have been around a while have a duty to prevent him from leading desperate people who come looking for help here up the garden path with the crank crap he posts.

Don't let it put you off - the rest of us are merely psycho's I promise  ;)

Helen (who's family have all moved back to Galway and left her here!)


Now I get it! Doh! I hate being new! lol

Anyways, cant this guy just be banned? Everyone likes to joke about a little, but what he's doing is not quite right.

Just because I backed him up on a post, I hope im not a marked man now :D

N
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by LeLimey on Sep 6th, 2007, 10:01am
Nah don't worry its not cos of that - its just 'cos you're a man that you're a marked man  ;;D

Seriously, the fruitloop has been banned but he just re-registers and comes back. Short of closing down a whole section of IP numbers we can't stop him as such and faking IP addresses isn't that hard.

We're just really, REALLY good at spotting him and exposing him and protecting people from misinformation. What always concerns me most isn't the people who actually post but those who read and go away with the info they need.

We have a duty to make sure the info here is good and accurate for all of us and that's why we react so strongly to trolls under any name. Those selling quack remedies AND those who are just nuttier than squirrel poo.

You'll see and as you're here longer you'll recognise it yourself too.

Welcome to the family anyhow!

Helen
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Neil_C on Sep 6th, 2007, 11:27am
I think Helen here has something about men in general but dont worry guys nothing can be worse than the beast :D

As for the fruitloop, I hope to hell he gets what he deseves - a lifetime of boredom :o

And Helen... Thanks for the welcome!  ;)

N
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by LeLimey on Sep 6th, 2007, 11:32am

on 09/06/07 at 11:27:23, Neil_C wrote:
I think Helen here has something about men in general but dont worry guys nothing can be worse than the beast :D


Don't you just love 'em when they're all new and naive and don't know me?!  ;;D
Not to worry Neil, just keep taking your little blue pills, theres a good boy!
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Neil_C on Sep 6th, 2007, 1:01pm

on 09/06/07 at 11:32:01, LeLimey wrote:
Don't you just love 'em when they're all new and naive and don't know me?!  ;;D
Not to worry Neil, just keep taking your little blue pills, theres a good boy!


Dont you just love an Irish Lass that acts all mean and nasty :D

They tend to be real softies that actually like to be around men rather than women because they feel more secure around us ;)

I hope I havent started a little war! :D

N
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Paul98 on Sep 6th, 2007, 1:04pm

on 09/06/07 at 11:27:23, Neil_C wrote:
I think Helen here has something about men in general but dont worry guys nothing can be worse than the beast :D

As for the fruitloop, I hope to hell he gets what he deseves - a lifetime of boredom :o

And Helen... Thanks for the welcome!  ;)

N


:-X :-X :-X :-X :-X

-P.
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by sandie99 on Sep 6th, 2007, 1:22pm
Ah, don't worry, Paul. Helen likes you. ;)


Sanna[smiley=curtain.gif]
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by LeLimey on Sep 6th, 2007, 3:40pm
Actually Neil - you've got that one completely wrong. My female friends rank above males any day of the week!

You start all the little wars you like, its only fitting for those with little weapons. In the meantime us females will pulverise you!

Sanna - what did you go and tell Paul something like that for?!  ::) Y'know I just toy with him before I destroy him sheesh!
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by tommyD on Sep 6th, 2007, 5:10pm
I would guess "being in the military" is too broad a category to tell us much about causing or triggering CH.

What is/was your environment like in the military? How stressful? Is it an administrative post in the quartermaster corps here in the states? In the Navy cooking on a ship? Or flying off carriers? Driving the roads of Iraq?

What about the physical environment: our military serves in some extreme environments with some serious equipment -  heat, cold, noise, vibration, smoke, solvents, chemicals?  On ships and planes there are constant changes in latitude (length of day) and longitude (time of day).

The real question is which stressors might cause or exacerbate CH. There's been lots of talk here about psychological stress, changes in day and time, changes in barometric pressure, exertion, heat, etc.  Others - chemicals, pollutants, radiation, microbes, who knows what else -  we don't seem to talk about much.

Perhaps just the fact that extreme and changing environments are more likely in general in the military than in civilian life make CH a little more likely on average. Extreme civilian occupations can include some of the same stressors, though.

Maybe this question is more subtle and complex than can be answered by experiences posted on the boards.  Interesting, though.

-tommyD
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Jonny on Sep 6th, 2007, 5:25pm

on 09/06/07 at 13:01:59, Neil_C wrote:
I hope I havent started a little war! :D


You have not, your IP checks out and your not who I thought you were. For that I apologize!

Welcome aboard!
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by Neil_C on Sep 6th, 2007, 5:43pm

on 09/06/07 at 17:25:33, Jonny wrote:
You have not, your IP checks out and your not who I thought you were. For that I apologize!

Welcome aboard!


CH.com have their own C.H.I.A. :o

That's a good thing i guess... Im glad I check out. Need any other info? My cup size etc... Hold on, im a guy :) Sorry Jonny, didnt want to excite you too much ;)

PS. Helen, we are as big and strong as our words when hiding behind the anonymity of the www. We create a visualisation of the people we communicate with there and I picture you as harmless, good natured and a true softy ;)
First impressions do tend to stick too.
Title: Re: CH and the military
Post by sandie99 on Sep 7th, 2007, 4:08am

on 09/06/07 at 15:40:04, LeLimey wrote:
Sanna - what did you go and tell Paul something like that for?!  ::) Y'know I just toy with him before I destroy him sheesh!


Helen, you got to give them little hope before.... ;;D

Besides, I said only that you like him, not that you're going to spare him. ;) Liking means, perhaps, less torturing methods - or quicker finish. ;)


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