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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> getting old
        
(Message started by: lexi919 on Oct 19th, 2007, 11:31pm)
Title: getting old
Post by lexi919 on Oct 19th, 2007, 11:31pm
so i have read here in a few posts and talked to my neuro, do the ha's go away when you get older? he tells me that they tend to drop off after 40 or so, any truth to this story?
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Ray on Oct 20th, 2007, 2:23am
Not for me, I'm 49, had the CH for 20+ years.

Ray
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Wayne on Oct 20th, 2007, 3:28am
Nope, sorry, I'm 41 and this is my longest cycle ever.
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Saffy on Oct 20th, 2007, 5:10am
Hhhmmm I am 49 and it is the worst it has ever been.

However I am female and the worsening is said to be possibly due to hormonal changes but if you are female whatever you have wrong with you and whatever age you are they ALWAYS say that!!!

Saffy
Title: Re: getting old
Post by the_old_man on Oct 20th, 2007, 7:23am

Don't know.  I'm 63 and been episodic for 35 years.  I AM into my longest remission right now, though.  Been HA free for almost 3 years...longest ever by about 2 years.

The Old Man
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Bob_Johnson on Oct 20th, 2007, 7:55am
What do 40 year old kids know?

It's true, for we have played withs this question before and there is some belief they tend to stop with age (60+, perphaps) although this appears not to engage anyone to do research on the question.
Title: Re: getting old
Post by DennisM1045 on Oct 20th, 2007, 8:20am
12 years.  3 cycles a year.  47 years young  ;;D  The beast isn't showing any signs of letting up. :-/

-Dennis-
Title: Re: getting old
Post by George_J on Oct 20th, 2007, 10:21am
I'm 53.  I began getting hit at the age of 13.

I've been a classic, clockwork episodic all that time--cycles have consistently been 6 to 8 weeks in length.  For twenty years, I cycled twice a year, spring and fall.  For the next ten years, I cycled once a year.  The last three cycles have been three years apart, with the most recent one a year and a half ago.  With luck, I expect that I ought to watch out for them again in the spring of 2009.

Although the cycles still last 6 to 8 weeks, they have not diminished in intensity.  Since I began taking melatonin in cycle, I believe the nighttime hits (ninety percent of the hits I get) have become less frequent.  It has not caused the cycles to last longer--so it's a valuable weapon in my (very conservative) arsenal.

So yes--in my case, it's true that age has affected the pattern of my headaches for the better.  I understand that early onset is a predictor that headaches may diminish with time.  Seems to have happened to me.

Do I believe I've outgrown them altogether?  

No.

Best wishes,

George
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Mikella on Oct 20th, 2007, 12:16pm
My heart goes out to all of you. I'm only 22, been chronic for 10 years, pain began earlier...... I'm scared of being like this my whole life. I wish I could make the madness stop for all of you. I really live by the quote in my signature though, and I think it applies to us all.. "Know how sublime a thing it is, to suffer and be strong". Keep fighting the good fight. I'm glad we have this place.

Back to the original question - do we know if they go away late in life? What age are the oldest people we have here?

Thinking about this really bothers me. I'm hoping the more I talk about it, that will stop.
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Melissa on Oct 20th, 2007, 12:36pm
I honestly think that if you began when you were in your teens, it'll slow down after your 40's and those who began getting attacks later in life, will have them into their 60's and 70's...  Just a guess. :-/
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Charlotte on Oct 20th, 2007, 12:50pm
For me, I haven't outgrown it yet.

Charlotte
Title: Re: getting old
Post by starlight on Oct 20th, 2007, 1:33pm
Mikella,

I've been getting them since 14 (although episodic)--I got them every year for 3 months until around age 25 they started skipping a year, now have even skipped 2 years.  
I hope that you will get a break as you get older.
I know hormonally we do change as we get older even in the 30's.
I hope that you will find things change for the better maybe as for me when you hit mid-20's or so.  Star
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Mikella on Oct 20th, 2007, 1:42pm
Thanks, Star.. That gives me some hope. I hope yours don't even come back at all! 2 years is definitely a positive sign. :)
Title: Re: getting old
Post by snyder on Oct 20th, 2007, 4:58pm
I first remember getting these "guys" when I was about 11 years old and they were always episodic. Twenty-four months ago I apparently turned chronic. I am now 59 years of age. These past two years have been sheer hell. Due to other health issues I can no longer use Zomig which was a real life saver for me. I don't know what I would do without O2. I have had days recently when I have used as many as 6 E tanks in one day. A week ago I realized that my calcium/magnesium balance might be out of off, and presto, an adjustment of that has helped incredibly. My point is that for me aging doesn't seem to be making any difference ... at all!
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Annette on Oct 20th, 2007, 8:15pm

on 10/20/07 at 12:36:28, Melissa wrote:
I honestly think that if you began when you were in your teens, it'll slow down after your 40's and those who began getting attacks later in life, will have them into their 60's and 70's...  Just a guess. :-/



Very interesting thought Melissa.

If this is the case, I wonder if CH has some sort of a "life time" itself ? Maybe a total of 30, 40 years or so?

Can CH be a self limiting condition ?  [smiley=huh.gif]

Is there anyone here who has had CH from a young age ( ie in their early teens ) and still going past say 60 years old ? Juts curious.
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Wayne on Oct 21st, 2007, 10:10am

on 10/20/07 at 12:36:28, Melissa wrote:
I honestly think that if you began when you were in your teens, it'll slow down after your 40's and those who began getting attacks later in life, will have them into their 60's and 70's...  Just a guess. :-/

You know, I read this and suddenly realised that i'll probably be fielding this for the next 20 years or so, what a horrible, mind blowing thought! Oh well, one day at a time I guess.
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Melissa on Oct 21st, 2007, 6:34pm

on 10/21/07 at 10:10:54, Wayne wrote:
You know, I read this and suddenly realised that i'll probably be fielding this for the next 20 years or so, what a horrible, mind blowing thought! Oh well, one day at a time I guess.

Sorry Wayne. :-[

It's just an observation from participating on this site for the past 7 years.
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Barry_T_Coles on Oct 21st, 2007, 7:24pm
I didn’t get CH till I was 50 now 58.
But then again I haven’t grown up yet either.

Barry
Title: Re: getting old
Post by Wayne on Oct 22nd, 2007, 1:59am

on 10/21/07 at 18:34:31, Melissa wrote:
Sorry Wayne. :-[

It's just an observation from participating on this site for the past 7 years.


Oh no, nothing to be sorry about Mel, I just have a tendency to regard these as temporary, like they're going to go away soon, forever. It's quite irritating to find I'm Bluffing myself


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