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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Is there a link between CH and Migraine
        
(Message started by: boohoo on Apr 30^th, 2008, 12:09pm)

Title: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by boohoo on Apr 30^th, 2008, 12:09pm

Just wondering if anyone knows if there is a link between the two. Several people in my family have migraines... my mother did, sisters, nephews, nieces. I have one sister that was also diagnosed with clusters. She and I have very similar experiences. She has been in remission for a couple of years. We are not all that close so, though we try to support one another, we don't talk that much.

I also get migraines. I get kind of a funny vision thing and some pain. NOTHING like a CH. With the migraine I can still function. With CH I am totally debilitated.

Anyway, both of my children get migraines. My son is 15, daughter is 9. I know that CH is not supposed to run in families but I can't help but worry that my kids will someday develop them.

Any thoughts?

Boo

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by Ray on Apr 30^th, 2008, 1:59pm

Dear Boo:

Migraines have a fairly strong family link, meaning that if you have them, probably other members of your family do.

Cluster headaches have a fairly weak family link, meaning that it is pretty unlikely to have other members of your family to have them.

That being said, my sister has CH, but none of my children, thus far do.

Don't spend your time worrying about it.

Ray

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by Bob_Johnson on Apr 30^th, 2008, 2:07pm

Recent discoveries out of England indicate that the two conditons arise from different parts of our brain. They share a common set of nerve pathways, however, and share some of the same abortive meds.

In truth, CH folks owe much of the basic research in causation and treatment to the migraine people.

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by BarbaraD on Apr 30^th, 2008, 3:14pm

Migraines run in my family, but I'm the only one with CH (lucky me). A couple of years ago I developed arthritic migraines (not like the others in the family who have "typical" migraines - guess I'm just the lucky one all around).

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by swimchica623 on May 1^st, 2008, 11:01am

I read somewhere that the percentage of CH sufferers with migraine mirrors the percentage of the regular population with migraine. Although it seems to be a little bit more? But maybe this is just because we are paying more attention to it and migraines are fairly common.
Lisa

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by LeeS on May 1^st, 2008, 11:55am

on 04/30/08 at 14:07:49, Bob_Johnson wrote:

Recent discoveries out of England indicate that the two conditons arise from different parts of our brain.

Hi Bob

Recent discoveries out of France indicate that the hypothalamic link may be closer than those folk in England thought ;)

Quote:

Hypothalamic Activation in Spontaneous Migraine Attacks
Marie Denuelle, MD; Nelly Fabre, MD; Pierre Payoux, MD; Francois Chollet, MD; Gilles Geraud, MDFrom the Neurology Service, Rangueil Hospital, Toulouse, France (Drs. Denuelle, Fabre, and Geraud), INSERM U825, Toulouse, France (Drs. Payoux and Chollet).

Abstract

Background.— Migraine sufferers experience premonitory symptoms which suggest that primary hypothalamic dysfunction is a likely trigger of the attacks. Neuroendocrine and laboratory data also support this hypothesis. To date, positron emission tomography (PET) scans of migraine sufferers have demonstrated activation of brainstem nuclei, but not of the hypothalamus.

Objective.— To record cerebral activations with H215O PET during spontaneous migraine without aura attacks.

Methods.— We scanned 7 patients with migraine without aura (6 females and 1 male) in each of 3 situations: within 4 hours of headache onset, after headache relief by sumatriptan injection (between the fourth and the sixth hour after headache onset), and during an attack-free period.

Results.— During the headache we found not only significant activations in the midbrain and pons, but also in the hypothalamus, all persisting after headache relief by sumatriptan.

Conclusion.— Hypothalamic activity, long suspected by clinical and experimental arguments as a possible trigger for migraine, is demonstrated for the first time during spontaneous attacks.

All the best

-Lee

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by kcopelin on May 1^st, 2008, 4:10pm

The hypothalumus is an amazingly complex structure. It controls so many auntonomic functions that I wouldn't be surprised at all to learn that clusters and migraines are related somewhat in hypothalmic activity.

So which comes first...the headaches, or the dicey hypothalumus. And how do our hypothalumii (?) get dicey to begin with?

OUCH can offer an amazingly diverse population for studies of CH if there were alot more members. (Subtle hint) ::)

PFDAN y'all
kathy

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by Bob P on May 2^nd, 2008, 5:25pm

Migrains are for girls,
clusters are for guys

WDGCH!

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by Linda_Howell on May 2^nd, 2008, 9:08pm

[smiley=huh.gif]

For any newcomer reading the post above from our very own BoobP, I feel the need to warn you. He is joking.

One of these days though, he's going to find himself surrounded by more than a few of us women at the same time and it taint gonna be pretty. ;;D

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by gore2424 on May 3^rd, 2008, 12:19am

My 24 year old daughter Katie in the last few years started having migraines and takes imitrex tablets and helps with-in 20-30 minutes. I wishing thats all she ever gets I refuse to share my h/a's with her. Terry

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by Tara Ann on May 4^th, 2008, 9:54am

I have migraines and chronic clusters. My sisters get migraines. My mom had migraines and I believe undiagnosed episodic clusters. My grandpa had clusters back then called histamine headaches.

Are they related, I don't know. Even though they are two very different headaches I think maybe (just my thought).

I also wonder if more of us have relatives that we dont know well or at all that have undiagnosed and / or hide their clusters in their family tree.

Most clusterheads as you all know hide when they are attacked. So it is possible that there are a lot more out there.

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by BarbaraD on May 4^th, 2008, 4:57pm

on 05/02/08 at 21:08:44, Linda_Howell wrote:

At least he didn't spell it MEEGRANES.... :) And he WILL get his..... one of these days....

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by kcopelin on May 5^th, 2008, 1:20pm

Bob, you are in soooo much trouble ::)
Although we are individually nice people, when you get a group of 2 or more female clusterheads together, well I can't quite explain what happens. Could be called the "Witchy Poo syndrome". (no offense intended to those of us who are chronic witches)

Will you be at the convention in Dallas?

PFDAN
kathy

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by KatzPurr on May 5^th, 2008, 4:46pm

In my family the only known relative to suffer any type of headaches other than tension ha, was my grandfather. I have no idea if they were migraines or ch, but I get both. When I am in cycle, sometimes my ch starts as a migraine. Not to minimize migraines, but I will take one of those over a ch any time.

Title: Re: Is there a link between CH and Migraine
Post by Jean on May 5^th, 2008, 5:01pm

I agree. I don't mean to minimize a migraine either but compared to a CH it feels like a regular headache to me. Sometimes a migraine will only affect my vision and not really hurt that much. The vision problem is annoying and makes me feel nauseated though. But I'm with you, I'll take that over a CH any day.

Jeannie ::)