Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Getting to Know Ya >> Re: HI ya'll
        
(Message started by: AussieBrian on Mar 14^th, 2008, 8:19pm)

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by AussieBrian on Mar 14^th, 2008, 8:19pm

on 03/14/08 at 20:13:22, raven4 wrote:

... kinda like hitting your thumb with a hammer.

Yep, feels great when you stop it. What you're doing is very similar to one of my methods of dealing with this nightmare. An ice-pack and a hot-pack simultaneously and I swap them between my face, temple and back of my neck.

Figure if I can't beat the bastage I can confuse badly enough it'll go away.

Thanks for the post and welcome home.

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by PollyPocket on Mar 14^th, 2008, 8:36pm

Hi Raven, welcome :)

I'm an ice user too. Pack the side and back/front simultaneously and hold it on as tight as I can.

When did you get diagnosed properly and what meds has your doctor prescribed? There are some good preventatives (I'm a previous Verapamil customer) and there is the best, o2, as an abortive. Works for about 70% of us when used correctly. Read read read to your left, and feel free to ask any questions. We aren't doctors, but have a helluva lot of experience dealing with and managing CH.

Nice to meet you, and again, welcome to Clusterville.

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by Rosybabe on Mar 21^st, 2008, 12:37pm

Welcome home Raven!!

how are you doing? try some Red Bull and melatonin can help too.

sending pain free vibes your way!!!

Hugs

Rosy.

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by Batch on Mar 21^st, 2008, 1:20pm

Let's get down to the basics. Have you been to a doctor or had a consult with a neurologist for a proper diagnosis of the problems you've been having? If not, it's a prudent step to take.

There's a lot of good reading at the left side of the screen that will be well worth your time.

As you've already found out, OTC pain medications like Advil will do nothing if you have cluster headaches and could be causing other problems.

In general, vasoactive substances either dilate or constrict the arteries in and around the trigeminal nerve. If it's a vasoconstrictor like imitrex and related triptans or a homeopathic like Red Bull (caffeine & Taurine) you get pain relief. If it's a vasodilator like nitroglycerine (or alcohol for some) the pain gets worse.

Anything cold in the mouth or applied to the head, neck, or face serves as a vasoconstrictor. A slurpee or ice cream brain freeze will trigger vasoconstriction as would an ice bag or single ice cube applied to the top of the top of the head, cheek, temple, or back of the head and neck areas.

The single most effective abortive and vasoconstrictor available to cluster headache sufferers is oxygen therapy. It works for most of us to abort the pain of a cluster headache attack if used at a high enough flow rate.

Again, if you've not done your homework reading and gone to a doctor or had a consult with a neurologist about your headache pain, you're spinning your wheels.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by Annette on Mar 21^st, 2008, 4:07pm

Hello and welcome :)

I am a supporter for my husband who has CH and also a supporter for all CHers.

Just want to say hi and to send you lots of strong vibes and painfree wishes .

Hope things get better for you soon.

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by coach_bill on Mar 21^st, 2008, 7:53pm

hey raven, glad you found us. i never really tried the ice or heat just kinda retreat to my tourture chamber, where i sit and rock back and forth with my hand covering my eye, but thats just me. hope your headaces end soon, also you should probly see a doc. feel better. coach bill.

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by Batch on Mar 21^st, 2008, 10:35pm

Raven, (That wouldn't happen to be a call sign would it?)

From your last, it's very clear you've done more than just the casual amount of homework reading so I’m guessing you should have enough credits for a degree in cluster headaches. Good on you and I'm sorry if I hit a nerve. That was not what motivated my comments. I sense you have more to offer us than your initial post that stared this thread would indicate. We need more folks to take up the challenge like you have instead of looking for the quick cure that just doesn't exist for our disorder.

You've also done the rounds of all the specialists that most of us have seen as well. That's even better. The list of things you've done to combat your cluster headache disorder is very impressive and far exceeds what I've done in the last 13 years with cluster headaches. Strenuous exercise 7 days a week, dropped 60 pounds and stopped smoking... Outstanding!!! It's embarrassing when the sumo recruiters keep chasing me down the street in a cloud of smoke...

Keeping a journal of your cluster headaches for three years shows a real level of dedication. Do you have anything you can share with us aside from the ice and exercise? I’m fishing…

For example, how effective was oxygen therapy in aborting your cluster headache attacks. What flow rates have you used? Have you done a cost to abort comparison between imitrex and oxygen therapy?

Take care and thanks again for sharing the things you've done to get a handle on your cluster headaches.

V/R, Batch

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by seasonalboomer on Mar 22^nd, 2008, 6:35am

I disagree with almost everything you've said.

I feel bad that you feel the way you do about your situation but I'm one of the lucky ones. I lived for years without the knowledge of O2 and Imitrex. I carried the same gloom and dread about CH. Then I was encouraged to try them by people here and my life was literally changed. My life/world view went from sour to realistic.

You can list out the side effects of pro-biotic yogurt and make it sound like something you wouldn't want to use but eventually you have to choose to take some kind of action. Are you going to bitch and whine about how the world has it out for you in every way or are you going to get on with things. There's a lot of people here who have the same pressures you feel (and worse), who get up everyday, face the beast and realize that you do what you gotta do, life is what it is and don't forget to live between the hits and take note of the smiles given to you through your day given by others.

Scott

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by Batch on Mar 22^nd, 2008, 7:18am

Raven,

LOL. That’s a FALCON 101… Thanks for the back brief. This is getting spooky… We gotta talk. Please check your PM.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by Kevin_M on Mar 22^nd, 2008, 8:54am

on 03/22/08 at 03:07:42, raven4 wrote:

O2 is a vasodilator.

on 03/21/08 at 13:20:19, Batch wrote:

The single most effective abortive and vasoconstrictor available to cluster headache sufferers is oxygen therapy. It works for most of us to abort the pain of a cluster headache attack if used at a high enough flow rate.

Again, if you've not done your homework reading and gone to a doctor or had a consult with a neurologist about your headache pain, you're spinning your wheels.

on 03/21/08 at 20:13:35, raven4 wrote:

They only want to run through a series of pain medications...

Quote:

Taking these drugs makes me flakey all day long -

This appears misdirection

on 03/21/08 at 20:13:35, raven4 wrote:

So what have I done to resolve this?

Except for alcohol not triggering, much appears chance, among a deterring elsewhere.

on 03/22/08 at 07:18:30, Batch wrote:

We gotta talk. Please check your PM.

Thanks Batch for taking the initiative.

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by coach_bill on Mar 22^nd, 2008, 4:59pm

wow. ok here we go. my clusters hurt really bad!! 02 has helped in the past but i have found that it seems to increase the number of hits (meaning it will knock it out 5 mins into it, but 1 and 1/2 hour later it is coming back, and it seems to just prolong it as compared to if maybe i just took the headache and it would be over for that night.) thats just me though. imitrex worked great but it scares me bad. clusterbuster treatment of LSA has got me off the meds for now. so the one thing i am certain of is that my cluster headaches will come back again, i will be on the floor for 2 months again one day. other than that im clueless i guess. but this site has gave me some powerful weapons. thank you all for your info. coach bill

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by CostaRicaKris on Mar 22^nd, 2008, 9:31pm

on 03/22/08 at 03:07:42, raven4 wrote:

In 1986 the obesity rate in the US was under 10%, In the following 20 years obesity in America has steadily increased to the present 30%.

They keep telling us that we don't exercise enough - what a load of BS. I remember the '70s. We didn't have fitness clubs on every corner - We didn't have low fat cookies and low fat ice cream -

We also didn't have Super Sized fast food and the "fourth meal" as these fast food places are now advertising. And we didn't have kids sitting on their butts playing video game. I was outside playing tag, running, riding my bike, hiking, oh yeah, exercising.

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by brewcrew on Mar 24^th, 2008, 4:53pm

Where did this dude go?

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by DragonSlayer on Mar 24^th, 2008, 5:24pm

Geeze - looks like he left and took his posts with him.

That's too bad he had a few interesting points even if I didn't agree 100% they were interesting.

Title: Re: HI ya'll
Post by Charlotte on Mar 24^th, 2008, 5:32pm

I don't think I responded to any of his posts. I still haven't gotten over when I had a personality conflict with Ghostwriter (chinese herb cluster cure) and he hand deleted everyone of his posts and told me I was the cause of 2/3's of the negativity that he encountered - probably true, but still hurts.

I regret very much hurting his feelings and have tried to be more careful when dealing with people who irritate the crap out of me.

Ghost writer also emailed me his personal name & info and invited me to check with him in 6 months to see if his cure was still working, and I saved it for quite awhile but have deleted it. I would never contact him.

I know how easy it is to kick someone when they are down. We never really know how our feeligns and our posts will hit someone until it is too late.

I am sorry Raven felt he had to go. I am glad it wasn't my fault this time.

Charlotte