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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> A Headache Story - Part 1
        
(Message started by: Ace_Sterling on Jan 25th, 2008, 7:02am)
Title: A Headache Story - Part 1
Post by Ace_Sterling on Jan 25th, 2008, 7:02am
(It's a long story but from what I have read on this site this post will be worth the time to read it. This is a story of discovery and perseverance)

I began having cluster migraines when I was 21. Let see, that wass in 1992. Every Morning I would wake up with a headache that was dull upon wakening and would quickly rise in scale to a 8,9, or 10+ on the kip scale. I dealt with these headaches for about 3 years without seeing a doctor. The only pattern I noticed was I would get these headaches in periods (or what I now know as clusters).
From 1992 to 1995 I figured I must be doing something to cause these headaches. The human body just doesn't start acting like this without a reason. (At least that's my opinion...and I find out laster that I was right!)

I blamed the headaches on caffeine, alcohol, diet including tomatoes, groumd beef, peanuts, etc., and smoking. I eliminated eveything as a cause except being able to get a response (a headache) if I only drank 1 beer or 1 glass of wine.

I went to OU and drinking comes with the territory and drinking a lot is the norm. I assume most colleges are like this. I got the same impression when I visited Kent State. However, if I drank more (i.e) I usually didn't get a headache. I say usually because there were quite a few time where I just wanted to pass out but couldn't because I got a severe headache at the bar, had to leave and go home and try to deal with it and (in retrospect) didn't realize the alcohol had made the headaches so much worse.

I did some research and went to see a doctor. This is 1995 now. The research yielded that my type of heacaches were cluster migraines and that males got them more than woment and smoking and alcohol seemed to be contributing factors.

The doctor misdiagnosed me with migraines and gave me Ultram and Midrin. The Ultram increased the frequency of my headaches and cause morning stiffness in my hands and the midrin worked once and then it too increased the frequency and severity of my headaches.

I had noticed "a vessel" in the back of my head  "hardening"  and this is where the headaches seemed to start from. (before they consumed the entire side of my head).

I kept researching and thought I might have TMJ. Nope. I thought it was smoking. (Because I had eliminated everything else). I quit smoking and 4 days later I had a headache. I restarted smoking which actually seemed to help. I also notice the coffee seemed to help.

Between 1995 and 2001 I had tried every Triptan and every other medical remedy and nothing worked other than Tramadol via IV or Maxalt which worked a few times.

In January 2001, I had a shoulder surgery. I took pain meds and when I came off the percocet I had a terrible headaches and my prostate was inflamed. The prostate didn't hurt, I just couldn't keep the valve closed tight, if you know what I mean.  

In April 2001, I had a kidney infection and almost died. I was in the hospital for 4 days. I was introduced to Dilaudid which I thought was great until I started getting headaches.

Two days after I got home I had THE WORST HEADACHE OF MY LIFE. It started at the Occipital Protuberance on the right side. It spread along the path of the nerve all the way to the C2 nerve root and in the other direction to the top of my head. The headache also "jumped the tracks" and went inside my head to the back of my right eye with tearing and all that jazz. This was due to withdrawal of Percocet but even after the Percocet was out of my system I still had to deal with the headache. I called my doc and he had no answers.

I couldn't take the pain anymore and went to the urgent care. They gave me Maxalt and a shot of Toradol. The headache aborted. I liked Toradol because it stopped the pain and didn't make me "high" on drugs. However, as I was leaving the urgent care, I went into anaphylaxis.

They rushed me back into a bed and administered treatment. I finally went home still having a headache (1-2 Kips). I went an saw my regular doctor. I told him the story and asked him to do an occipital injection of steroids and lidocaine. Just the needle going into my head felt good. You could hear a crunching sound as the needle was inserted. The injections provided some relief but it was not the panacea I was looking for.

I did some more research on the web including emedicine.com. This is my favorits site 1) because doctors know about it and I can refer them to it when i have an ailment 2) It has a lot of information and includes link to differential diagnosis.

All the research yielded 3 commonalities...Males get the headaches more often then women and smoking and drinking where aggravating substances.  Treatment were Triptans. (No Oxygen, No Prednisone yet).

Well I wasn't going to let these headaches interfere with my social habits or my career (we all know it is extremely inconvenient to have this aailment because the headaches come in the morning and you end up late for work and exhausted). I started taking psudoephedrine, coffee, and aspirin every day multiple time a day.

This worked most of the time. The way my headaches seemed to work is my Occipital nerve (which I still thought was a blood vessel because I am not a doctor) back to the headaches...my occipital nerve gets inflamed first then my trigeminal nerve gets inflamed then I start tearing and having nasal problems. As long as I kept my occipital nerve at bay I would have a full headache. The nerve had hardened where the heaches originate and when I am in cycle the nerve is palpable from my occipital protuberance to the top of my head.

This is important because the occipital nerve is 1.2mm and is usually not palpable. Mine is 5mm at it's widest point. Continued with "A Headache Story - Part 2"
Title: Re: A Headache Story - Part 1
Post by Kevin_M on Jan 25th, 2008, 7:39am
Why are so many elements of this story taken from turlendog's story?



Pseudoephedrine, steroid injection to head, misdiagnosed as migraines, shoulder surgery, and exact same age.


Title: Re: A Headache Story - Part 1
Post by starlight on Jan 25th, 2008, 9:14am
I wondered the same thing!

I guess Turtledog=JEB=AceSterling for anyone who wants to follow this exciting saga of headache revelation.
Title: Re: A Headache Story - Part 1
Post by George_J on Jan 25th, 2008, 9:18am

on 01/25/08 at 07:02:25, Ace_Sterling wrote:
(It's a long story but from what I have read on this site this post will be worth the time to read it. This is a story of discovery and perseverance)

I began having cluster migraines when I was 21. Let see, that wass in 1992. Every Morning I would wake up with a headache that was dull upon wakening and would quickly rise in scale to a 8,9, or 10+ on the kip scale. I dealt with these headaches for about 3 years without seeing a doctor. The only pattern I noticed was I would get these headaches in periods (or what I now know as clusters).
From 1992 to 1995 I figured I must be doing something to cause these headaches. The human body just doesn't start acting like this without a reason. (At least that's my opinion...and I find out laster that I was right!)

I blamed the headaches on caffeine, alcohol, diet including tomatoes, groumd beef, peanuts, etc., and smoking. I eliminated eveything as a cause except being able to get a response (a headache) if I only drank 1 beer or 1 glass of wine.

I went to OU and drinking comes with the territory and drinking a lot is the norm. I assume most colleges are like this. I got the same impression when I visited Kent State. However, if I drank more (i.e) I usually didn't get a headache. I say usually because there were quite a few time where I just wanted to pass out but couldn't because I got a severe headache at the bar, had to leave and go home and try to deal with it and (in retrospect) didn't realize the alcohol had made the headaches so much worse.

I did some research and went to see a doctor. This is 1995 now. The research yielded that my type of heacaches were cluster migraines and that males got them more than woment and smoking and alcohol seemed to be contributing factors.

The doctor misdiagnosed me with migraines and gave me Ultram and Midrin. The Ultram increased the frequency of my headaches and cause morning stiffness in my hands and the midrin worked once and then it too increased the frequency and severity of my headaches.

I had noticed "a vessel" in the back of my head  "hardening"  and this is where the headaches seemed to start from. (before they consumed the entire side of my head).

I kept researching and thought I might have TMJ. Nope. I thought it was smoking. (Because I had eliminated everything else). I quit smoking and 4 days later I had a headache. I restarted smoking which actually seemed to help. I also notice the coffee seemed to help.

Between 1995 and 2001 I had tried every Triptan and every other medical remedy and nothing worked other than Tramadol via IV or Maxalt which worked a few times.

In January 2001, I had a shoulder surgery. I took pain meds and when I came off the percocet I had a terrible headaches and my prostate was inflamed. The prostate didn't hurt, I just couldn't keep the valve closed tight, if you know what I mean.  

In April 2001, I had a kidney infection and almost died. I was in the hospital for 4 days. I was introduced to Dilaudid which I thought was great until I started getting headaches.

Two days after I got home I had THE WORST HEADACHE OF MY LIFE. It started at the Occipital Protuberance on the right side. It spread along the path of the nerve all the way to the C2 nerve root and in the other direction to the top of my head. The headache also "jumped the tracks" and went inside my head to the back of my right eye with tearing and all that jazz. This was due to withdrawal of Percocet but even after the Percocet was out of my system I still had to deal with the headache. I called my doc and he had no answers.

I couldn't take the pain anymore and went to the urgent care. They gave me Maxalt and a shot of Toradol. The headache aborted. I liked Toradol because it stopped the pain and didn't make me "high" on drugs. However, as I was leaving the urgent care, I went into anaphylaxis.

They rushed me back into a bed and administered treatment. I finally went home still having a headache (1-2 Kips). I went an saw my regular doctor. I told him the story and asked him to do an occipital injection of steroids and lidocaine. Just the needle going into my head felt good. You could hear a crunching sound as the needle was inserted. The injections provided some relief but it was not the panacea I was looking for.

I did some more research on the web including emedicine.com. This is my favorits site 1) because doctors know about it and I can refer them to it when i have an ailment 2) It has a lot of information and includes link to differential diagnosis.

All the research yielded 3 commonalities...Males get the headaches more often then women and smoking and drinking where aggravating substances.  Treatment were Triptans. (No Oxygen, No Prednisone yet).

Well I wasn't going to let these headaches interfere with my social habits or my career (we all know it is extremely inconvenient to have this aailment because the headaches come in the morning and you end up late for work and exhausted). I started taking psudoephedrine, coffee, and aspirin every day multiple time a day.

This worked most of the time. The way my headaches seemed to work is my Occipital nerve (which I still thought was a blood vessel because I am not a doctor) back to the headaches...my occipital nerve gets inflamed first then my trigeminal nerve gets inflamed then I start tearing and having nasal problems. As long as I kept my occipital nerve at bay I would have a full headache. The nerve had hardened where the heaches originate and when I am in cycle the nerve is palpable from my occipital protuberance to the top of my head.

This is important because the occipital nerve is 1.2mm and is usually not palpable. Mine is 5mm at it's widest point. Continued with "A Headache Story - Part 2"
Title: Re: A Headache Story - Part 1
Post by Toooooobusy on Mar 19th, 2008, 7:32pm
It sounds like I have the same thing with my nerve.  Is your right larger then your left too?
Title: Re: A Headache Story - Part 1
Post by vietvet2tours on Mar 19th, 2008, 7:36pm

on 03/19/08 at 19:32:21, Toooooobusy wrote:
It sounds like I have the same thing with my nerve.  Is your right larger then your left too?


It's a troll huneybunny.  If you got the same as ace you got more trouble than we can handle.

    potter
Title: Re: A Headache Story - Part 1
Post by Superdave on Mar 19th, 2008, 8:09pm
What the Hell??

Superdave :o
Title: Re: A Headache Story - Part 1
Post by Ray on Mar 20th, 2008, 8:15am
OY!

Don't go away mad, Ace, just go away...

Ray
Title: Re: A Headache Story - Part 1
Post by LivingBarometer on Mar 20th, 2008, 5:40pm
*online dictionairy*

4. troll

1. A large, brutish creature of European myth, often lacking in intelligence. Sometimes compared to the Japanese oni.
2. A dumbass who makes idiotic posts in message boards newsgroups for the sole purpose of pissing or scaring people off, often lacking in intelligence. Sometimes compared to people who pass you by on the sidewalk then grab you in inappropriate places.

1. "AAAAAAHH, it's a troll!"
"Protect the women and children! Grab your torches!"
2. "AAAAAAHH, it's a troll!"
"****head... we banned him five times and he keeps making new accounts about how he pwns all and that he>>>>>> ;>>>>>> >>>>>>& gt;j00!"

;)
Title: Re: A Headache Story - Part 1
Post by thebbz on Mar 21st, 2008, 5:05pm
[smiley=troll.gif]
Man I've been waitng to use that smilie.
thebb ;)


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