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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> The side effects of CH
        
(Message started by: Em_22 on Sep 27^th, 2007, 8:57am)

Title: The side effects of CH
Post by Em_22 on Sep 27^th, 2007, 8:57am

Hello,

Firstly, I need to say that this website is getting me through the days! I am in a cycle now which has lasted for 19 days. Just waiting for it to ease off at any point.

Does anyone else experience a horrible depression in between the headaches or cycles? I'm a very outgoing, happy-go-lucky person, but these headaches sap every last drop of energy out of me and can leave me feeling very miserable.

Any tips on beating this? Fingers crossed when the oxygen arrives, the attacks will shorten, but until then...

Thanks,
Em

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by DennisM1045 on Sep 27^th, 2007, 10:08am

Hi Em,

I know exactly what you are talking about. The phycological effect of CH are not to be overlooked. You really have to make an effort to live between the attacks. Obviously this is much easier said than done.

It is normal to have CH wear you down. However if you are having thoughts of taking your own life you need to find help ASAP. Please don't take these thought lightly.

http://www.ouch-us.org/crisis.htm

-Dennis-

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by Guiseppi on Sep 27^th, 2007, 10:08am

Bob Johnson has posted several medical articles on this....is the depression part of the whole CH mess in your head or is it just the whole pain/fear of pain thing? I'm like you, extremely outgoing and up when off cycle, borderline clinically depressed when in a hard cycle.

It's one of those things you have to be careful with, get input from the people close to you and seek treatment for the depression if they start getting worried. Depression can be a serious issue left untreated. Other then that I just vent a lot on the board when I get really down, always someone here that'll let you cry on their shoulder till you pull it together again.

Welcome to the board!!!

Guiseppi

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by Em_22 on Sep 27^th, 2007, 10:17am

Thanks for that. That has made me feel much better.

I don't feel so miserable that I want to end it all (I save that for the attacks!), but I think a lot of it is feeling lonely and stuck at home watching the world go by while I sit in bed waiting for the next headache or feeling too exhausted to get up. It's more of a feeling of not wanting to get out of bed, or do anything at all.

Thinking about it, I'm sure it is a fear of pain thing, but also this is something I kept thinking would just go away. Perhaps once I start dealing with it and get the right combo of meds, life will be brighter.

Thanks again. I guess we're all in this together now, right?

Em

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by Guiseppi on Sep 27^th, 2007, 10:26am

Make no mistake child...there are people on this board who will drive hours to bring you a full e-tank....and have!!!! I'm a 47 year old cynical cop and in all my time on earth I have never met a group quite like on this board. If you need it, just ask for it. Welcome again to your new second family. ;)

Guiseppi

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by sandie99 on Sep 27^th, 2007, 10:38am

Em,

warm welcome! :)

I know what you're talking about and I call that shade of depression "clusterblues". I've had bouts of it during my 6 ch years; I had a severe version of it when my ch became chronic.

Back then I thought that being PF could protect me from it, but when I became PF, I got the blues all the same!

Feel free to send me instant message any time if you want to talk more about it. :)

Wishing you lots of PF days,
Sanna

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by DennisM1045 on Sep 27^th, 2007, 11:00am

on 09/27/07 at 10:17:26, Em_22 wrote:

I guess we're all in this together now, right?

Any you'll never be alone again ;)

-Dennis-

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by malkidm on Sep 27^th, 2007, 12:10pm

Quoth Em

Quote:

Does anyone else experience a horrible depression in between the headaches or cycles? I'm a very outgoing, happy-go-lucky person, but these headaches sap every last drop of energy out of me and can leave me feeling very miserable.

I was just talking about this issue with a friend a few nights ago. She has noticed that I go into a depression (to various degrees) approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of a new cycle. Oddly enough, she also said that the degree of depression seems to have some corelation to the severity of the cycle (i.e. bad depression = bad cycle).
Could be a coincidence, but now I'm thinking that there may be some underlying connection between depression and clusters. I read an article posted on the OUCH website about a possible connection between CH and structural abnormalities in the hypothalmus (http://www.ouch-us.org/chgeneral/hypothalamus/hypothalamus5.htm). In additon to regulating circadian rhythms, the hypothalmus, from my limited understanding, is also partly responsible for regulating seritonin and neurontin - two neurotransmitters that are believed to play a role in depression.

For now, good luck fighting the good fight and don't give up.

David

PS - please forgive the bad spelling...

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by bassman on Sep 27^th, 2007, 1:02pm

for me the depression is one of the hardest things to shake. like you out of cycle i am happy go lucky, but once a cycle get going i get further and further in the dump, and that tend to make the hit more intense. so keep your head up were all in the same boat around here

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by Bob_Johnson on Sep 27^th, 2007, 2:24pm

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2005 Apr;9(2):109-12.
Cognitive processing in cluster headache.

Evers S.

Department of Neurology, University of Munster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 33, 48129 Munster, Germany. everss@uni-muenster.de.

[Edited for length.] In neuropsychologic evaluations, a reversible decline of memory processing was detected during the cluster attack, but not between two attacks. Long-term observation revealed no progressive cognitive decline in cluster headache patients over the years. With regard to personality changes, a liability susceptibility to anxiety disorders and to hypochondriasis, but not to mood changes, has been described inconsistently. All changes in alterations of cognitive processing in cluster headache are demonstrated to be mild and do not relevantly contribute to the clinical picture of this disease.

Publication Types:
Review

PMID: 15745620 [PubMed]

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by Emily on Sep 27^th, 2007, 5:17pm

Thanks Bob,

I'm not sure if I feel better or worse because of it. It's good to know that this is something that a few of us are dealing with though.

Thanks all for your messages of support. The depression has been one of the hardest bits to deal with for me, especially as people expect me to be happy, bright and cheery all the time, especially where I work - I have a reputation for being too cheerful, even when things are bad!

It's hard (again, something I'm sure you're all familiar with) too when you see your OH having to deal with you in attack mode and then, when they think it's all over and you're not having one, you're still down and blue.

Again, thank you. I feel quite spurred on by your messages to take some positive steps and get that serotonin going - exercise and chocolate for me from now on!

Wishing PFD for all,
Em

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by Jobette on Sep 27^th, 2007, 9:40pm

Hello Em, :D
Welcome to this place, and I'm am so sorry to meet you here, but glad to meet you. It is depression that has brought me to the board right now and I was so suprised to read your post. You sound so much like me that it is hard to believe, because I am that happy go lucky gal that everyone likes to come to for a laugh or advice. But lately it is all that I can do to keep myself afloat. I have found that it is the fear of it all, and having to "try" and explain what you are going through and why you don't want to come out and play, and that this is not a migraine blah blah blah. Please know that you are not alone and that you can pm me. I have been dealing with this for a long time, but it doesn't seem to get any easier. But hey if it doesn't kill you it will surely make you stronger, right. :-* Jobette

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by Maffumatt on Sep 28^th, 2007, 1:02am

There is a very fine lady here on the board that has a very young child with CH. That little boy takes his hit and goes on about his day, business as usual. By God if that little kid can take the licking and keep on ticking, so can I. I can't be out done by a six year old now can I ?

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by Emily on Sep 28^th, 2007, 4:00am

Hear, hear to that Maffumatt!

I guess just posting on here and reading other people's stories are one way of helping with it. It has certainly helped me. It is such a relief for me to know that I'm not making this up, or feeling like this because I'm letting myself be beat by this and that there are others who feel the same. Not (and I stress the NOT) that I would ever wish anyone to feel like this, especially when dealing with CH at the same time but it's good to know that it comes with the territory of CH.

For anyone feeling blue out there, I'm always happy for pms to be sent to me and I will help as best I can, even it involves telling some of my most awful jokes just to force a smile! [smiley=laugh.gif]

In an effort to conquer this and take positive steps, I'm taking my dogs for a walk and heading for a swim.

Banish that beast and it's blues!

Em
[smiley=wave.gif]

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by davyp on Sep 28^th, 2007, 6:10am

Hi Emily,

When i start to get depressed i just log on here and if reading the posts don't cheer me up i will then post and see if i can make people as depressed as me ;;D as that always makes me feel better. [smiley=laugh.gif]

on 09/28/07 at 04:00:42, Emily wrote:

even it involves telling some of my most awful jokes just to force a smile! [smiley=laugh.gif]

If you like a good joke i should be able to get away with this ;;D

on 09/27/07 at 17:17:28, Emily wrote:

The depression has been one of the hardest bits to deal with for me

Well, living in Wales cant help ;) [smiley=laugh.gif]

Personally i use humour to stop the depression in its tracks, whether its trawling the web looking for good jokes, reading the funnies board, phoning a mate of mine to have a laugh, or posting comments like the above ;;D

Dape

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by Emily on Sep 28^th, 2007, 6:42am

Ha!

I'll let you get away with that, even if it's only to cheer you up!

You're right, this board has helped massively.

Never thought I'd get such a response to this!

Em

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by tommyD on Sep 28^th, 2007, 7:02am

Emily -

In the last couple of cycles, and a few over the years, I experienced brief bouts of depression just before the attacks would start and again just as the cycle was ending.

These bouts are brief, lasting maybe an afternoon, or maybe a day and a half, and seem to have no cause and just as mysteriously go away. To me, it is not about feeling sad or blue, like if your dog died, but more like profound apathy. I don't care about anything, don't want to do anything, I don't enjoy anything, seem to have no energy or initiative, and merely grind out routine tasks rather than be completely useless at work.

I think it is all about brain chemicals - serotonin levels or something. It has little to do with our outlook on life or people cheering us up. Hang in there. I'm hoping this will pass for you as it does me. And chocolate doesn't hurt.

Blame it on the hypothalamathing.

-tommyD

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by davyp on Sep 28^th, 2007, 7:02am

on 09/28/07 at 06:42:55, Emily wrote:

Never thought I'd get such a response to this!

Em

Its coz your now a part of the family. :-*

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by sandie99 on Sep 28^th, 2007, 8:11am

Emily, you're a clusterhead, and we tend to take good care of our own - whether the topic is directly related to ch or not. And the same goes to the supporters as well. :)

Dape, you're hoot! [smiley=laugh.gif]

Sanna ;)

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by davyp on Sep 28^th, 2007, 8:14am

on 09/28/07 at 08:11:36, sandie99 wrote:

Dape, you're hot! [smiley=laugh.gif]

Sanna ;)

You put an extra O in so i sorted it for you Sanna :-*

Dape [smiley=laugh.gif]

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by sandie99 on Sep 28^th, 2007, 8:16am

[smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif]
Dape, you should do stand up comedy... ;;D

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by Samiam on Sep 28^th, 2007, 11:57am

Like others said, there is no other site that can drag you from that dark hole that we seem to fall into when a cycle begins. I know I've been there. When my cycle starts it's all I can do to get my life together and go on with my day. It seems to be harder for those of us that cycle. Not to say that the chronics don't have problems but for those of us that cycle we get the taste of going without pain so when the cycle hits we just fall apart. Right now I'm in remission and counting my blessings. If you need me email. I think support is the most important thing we can have and this is the best site around.

Sami

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by seasonalboomer on Sep 29^th, 2007, 6:11am

Emily,

My cycles used to be very dark times for me. I didn't treat them with anything and used no abortives and basically just gutted them out. Every trigger was my trigger and life generally sucked during cycle.

Finally the info I culled from this board and CH.com kicked me in the ass and shamed me into taking action by getting the O2 and a proper abortive. Just having the weaponry to take a hit out at the knees changed my life and my outlook. I'm not saying I still don't get a little emotionally affected when my cycle starts -- but now it seems to feel more like being mad than sad. And then I go into weapon supply mode and make sure my tanks are full and my imitrex injections are up-to-date.

For me, it comes down to feeling as though I'm not simply a victim of these things but actually having some success at managing them -- and thus controlling my own life (a little).

Best regards,

Scott

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by rforward on Oct 3^rd, 2007, 9:31pm

When this first started, I would feel most depressed during the period. Originally the attacks came randomly, and in-between I would find myself feeling better and enjoying my life. Since they have become more chronic I have had to give up a lot of the things that brought me pleasure since I simply to not have the energy to do them. Like most people, I have good and bad days.
When I have the energy I try to live the day to the fullest, and when I don't have the energy I no longer fight it.

I reccomend finding something relaxing that requires little energy that you can do from home that you find fulfilling. If at all possible, try to do some yoga. The little bit of exercise releases some endorphins, and I typically feel more relaxed and level headed afterwards. Though some days doing yoga, not to mention getting out of bed, is just out of the question.

Title: Re: The side effects of CH
Post by SouthBronxSupreme on Oct 4^th, 2007, 3:18pm

I get severely depressed (using blankets as curtains depressed), I usta drink alot but now all i really do is smoke - when im really down I go out - be it the club, bowling, do something or die right, just as long as people are enjoying themselves is my criteria - I usta go on alotta dates (get my drift) , Ive tried many a counter measure --- if youre gonna be closed up in the house I say at least rent a movie. Anythings better than the mood altering poison they pass off as Prozac.