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        New Message Board Archives >> Jan-Mar 2004 >> Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
        
(Message started by: Geordie Chopman on Jan 27^th, 2004, 6:57pm)

Title: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by Geordie Chopman on Jan 27^th, 2004, 6:57pm

Hi everyone
I'm a raw newbie so bear with me on this...
So Christmas has come and gone - wish I could say the same for this damn head of mine. I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that I'm a cluster sufferer (but try convincing my doctor of that, lol), although I don't seem to be a bad off as some people here (last time I had these type of headaches was a couple of years ago) and this time they started just before Christmas and are still here but not as often. Like many people here, I'm sure, I have the pleasure of enjoying both Migraines and Clusters (at least I can tell the difference unlike some doctors!). Can you believe when I first saw my doc she said that she knew 'clusters are very like migraines' - yeah get inside my head and then tell me that! What bothers her is that my symptoms are a bit 'wishy-washy' - it gets to the point where I don't even believe me sometimes. Maybe you guys can shed some light on my doubts and misgivings - for instance Christmas Day, my head was fine then my head exploded NO WARNING, my right eye closed and leaked tears like it had been poked, my nose (on the right side) was blocked but insisted on running like I had the flu, my right eye was in the grip of some mad man with an iron fist, my right ear was being drilled by a blind dentist, my jaw and teeth screamed (even teeth I lost years ago came back to get at me), my right temple - well don't go there! Even my neck hurt like buggery. This delightful experience (reminiscent of past events) continued for about an hour - I screamed, I cried, I paced, I kicked furniture. Then it went. IT CAME BACK! This went on up past New Year, two or three times a day. But now they are less frequent, less painful, few symptoms - is this possible? Then it was Sunday (last Sunday) 6am wakey wakey someone's knocking, INSIDE, I got back to sleep - 7am HELLO AGAIN, this went on and on until 10am the pain was really bad but it was in stereo - other symptoms were there eye, nose etc but pain everywhere, louder screaming, more violent thrashing - was this a cluster or the mother of all migraines? Who knows? What I do know is that the Sumotriptin injection took nearly 30 minutes to shift most of the pain (now that is fear - when proven defences don't even seem to work as fast as normal).

Any way I really only came here to say hi...

Title: Re: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by Prense on Jan 27^th, 2004, 7:09pm

Sounds alot like CH, but the pain I get is VERY focused at the eye.

Either way,
Welcome aboard!

Chris

Title: Re: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by pubgirl on Jan 27^th, 2004, 8:08pm

Dear Geordie

Welcome to clusterland. Your symptoms certainly do sound a lot like CH, but there are other headache syndromes which are similar e.g. CPH/PH or paroxysmal hemicrania.

My best suggestion would be to read up on this site about the differences between the types (links to the left) or on the site mentioned below snd do the cluster quiz linked left. Also, try and get your GP to refer you to a neurologist who specialises in headaches for a diagnosis.

In case you didn't know there is a support site for British sufferers at www.clusterheadaches.org.uk. It is the website for OUCH UK and has some incredibly useful information on it too, particularly as it is full of members who know the NHS system, including long term and very knowledgeable sufferers and their supporters!

We have get togethers in the UK as well (next one is Liverpool in March) but there are definitely some other sufferers nearer to you.
(I am in Herts/Beds/Bucks- borders)

May talk to you here or 'over the pond' sometime

Wendy

Title: Re: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by Little Deb on Jan 27^th, 2004, 8:12pm

That was a VERY LONG "hi" !!!!!!

Welcome to clusterville!!!

Little Deb
Raleigh, NC

Title: Re: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by BlueMeanie on Jan 27^th, 2004, 9:29pm

Welcome Chopman.

Unfortunately it sounds like Clusters. Good news is you may just be episodic. Might only last 8 weeks. (Maybe a little longer). Hang in there. The Beast will get its' fill and haul-ass soon.

PFDAN

Title: Re: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by Charlie on Jan 27^th, 2004, 10:56pm

Welcome and sadly this sounds like clusters to me as well. My advice is to keep coming back. You'll find some good ideas and ways to deal with this horror.

Here is a link to a technique that worked well for me:

http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/

Let us know how you're getting along.

Charlie

Title: Re: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by Callico_Kid on Jan 27^th, 2004, 11:16pm

Your symptoms sound very similar to the way mine started about 25 years ago. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm with the others in saying it sounds like CH. As Wendy said though, check out the buttons for other things. Read as much as you can and keep us posted as to how you are doing.

jc

Title: Re: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by Patrick_A on Jan 27^th, 2004, 11:55pm

You just described my CH's. Welcome to the club!

Patrick

Title: Re: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by Geordie Chopman on Jan 28^th, 2004, 4:28am

Thanks to all of you guys that took the time to read my post and especially to those who have offered me words of welcome and advice.

On a more positive note; one good thing about having a doc who has no prior experience of CH means that she is easily lead in the direction of medication - at first she wanted to give me the old 50mg Sumatripton tabs - but with a firm shake of a temporarily sane head she happily gave me eight 6mg injection kits with more as and when I need them and hang the cost to the health service.

Thanks again to all of you

Title: Re: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by don on Jan 28^th, 2004, 12:05pm

Identify not compare.

Trying to compare symptoms, triggers, pain levels, frequencies, etc. etc. will make you nuts. Seems damn near everybody has varying everything with CH.

Identify with others that closely fit what you are experiancing and take it from there.

Sort of like getting a sponser in AA. By the way, Alcohol, is a main trigger for many. 8)

Title: Re: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by Gena on Jan 28^th, 2004, 12:48pm

mine start intense an short, get more intense and longer about mid cycle, then toward the end less intense and short.

Oh ya welcome sorry you had to find us, glad ya did ::)

Gena

Title: Re: Merry Bloody Christmas NOT!!!
Post by thomas on Jan 28^th, 2004, 5:57pm

Welcome aboard Geordie....... sorry you have this damnable affliction....... :( but know you are among family now :)