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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Have you tried ice / icepacks
        
(Message started by: Ice-Man on Feb 24^th, 2006, 2:36am)

Title: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by Ice-Man on Feb 24^th, 2006, 2:36am

Hi, my name is Darren. I have been a chronic cluster head for 2 years. Either that or I am waiting for the end of my first cycle. All of a sudden it dawned me to try applying an icepack to the region of my head and guess what ...? it is just like going to the dentist and having a numbing injection. The beast still comes on, but with the ice pack on the side of my head, I can still operate as normal.
Could'nt tell what kip scale I am getting because pain is frozen with ice.
I get my clusters coming on at between 4pm and 7pm every night. This ice is the best thing for pain relief that I have found. I can still have a beer and a cigarette with the beast in action and not feel it.
Has anyone else tried ice packs (I use a very small one 2 inches by 2 inches so that I can pinpoint the speicific region and slowly move it around to ease pain.) The first time I used an ice cube in a plastic bag but are now using this small icepack.

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by Bob_Johnson on Feb 24^th, 2006, 6:58am

It must have been 2-3 years ago that this approach was the subject of many messages. Some folks used packages of frozen peas because it could be shaped around the base of the skull.

But--we have also seen others trying using heat. A few reports of directing a hair dryer at the point of pain (neck or temple).

I've tried both approaches over the years with mixed results. We all have our bag of tricks!

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by AussieBrian on Feb 24^th, 2006, 7:02am

G'day, Ice-man, and welcome to the nut-hut. The mob can be a bit unruly at times but there really is a wealth of information here and people world-wide who know from the inside what only another ClusterHead can understand.

As to ice, many of us swear by it and I just wish I could remember who said, 'Frozen peas are my friends'.

Equally, others are terrified at even the thought of an ice-pack and use heat instead. I use both, commonly at the same time, figuring if I can't beat the beast the least I can do is confuse the mongrel and hope he moves on.

Just looked at the map. Ya know you and I couldn't be further apart unless one of us left the country?

Cheers and beers,

Brian up north.

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by nani on Feb 24^th, 2006, 8:50am

Welcome, Ice-man. I like ice, too. Or very cold air. Like the car air conditioner. Heat is very much a trigger for me. Speaking of triggers, alcohol is a very common one. Have you tried abstaining, just to see if the headaches let up? Just a thought.
pain free wishes, nani

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by Redd715 on Feb 24^th, 2006, 10:05am

Quote:

As to ice, many of us swear by it and I just wish I could remember who said, 'Frozen peas are my friends'.

That would be E-Double.

Ice is my coping mechanism of choice as well, along with good strong (very strong) coffee, however if I'm getting hit and I need ice there is no way I can function period. I use a larger size ice pack, and have a way to make reusable ones on the cheap that stay cold for a good long while. Quart size ziplock freezer bag, 2 cups unpopped popcorn, 1/2 cup tap water, fill the bag the rest of the way with rubbing alcohol, squeeze out all the air, close the bag and freeze away. Stays pliable like a gel filled cold pack but stays colder much longer.

Pegg

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by kcopelin on Feb 24^th, 2006, 3:36pm

Pegg,
Very cool recipe! No pun intended. I use frozen peas, they are my friends. I sleep with them on my face (my husband is a VERY tolerant dude) but after a few nights they sarts getting difficult. I am going to try you methods.
P.S. have tried standing in very hot water with ice on head. Did not work. Heat is a triger for me.
The ice numbs to a point but I wouldn't dare drinka beer. Have driven with frozen peas plastered to face. Do not recommend this either.
PFDAN
Kathy

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by Dragnlance on Feb 24^th, 2006, 4:49pm

I am a HEAT person. Cold will piss the beast off, and cause it to turn my brains into pudding. If you want to hear me scream and cry, an ice pack will do it every time

Dragn

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by medic1852 on Feb 24^th, 2006, 4:49pm

In the summer I stand in front of the air conditioner vent and breath through my nose...Until I need to pace....In the winter I go out side and breath through my nose and pace [smiley=huh.gif]..
Some people know how to cool their O2 while it is in the bottle..Not sure how bet Jonny knows.

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by Karla on Feb 24^th, 2006, 4:56pm

I wither in pain with heat. It is a trigger for me. I love ice. It is my friend. I sweat alot durring an attack and the ice cools me down. I have several terry towels with ice gel pack in them. I got them at Walgreens like that. Anyway I drap one oround my neck and another one gets drapped over my head. It doesn't make the beast go away or numb it but it soothes me and makes me feel better.

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by Radha on Feb 25^th, 2006, 11:25pm

yes i depend on ice packs alot!! most of the day i am sitting with an ice pack pressed to the left side of my head and over my eye, and it is soothing and helps somewhat, but doesnt get rid of the headache, but its good in addition to some medicine. heat is a definate no no for me!!
radha

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by Guiseppi on Feb 25^th, 2006, 11:45pm

Before I was diagnosed, and had no meds, I tried packing my head in ice during an attack. Best it ever did was knock it down one maybe two on the Kip. Left a lot of wet sheets and mushy upholstery!

Like others I'll stick my head in the freezer and breathe deeply through my nose, or put my face in front of the air conditioning vents in my car. That will occasionally abort, and regularly lessen the intensity of an attack. I've never tried the heat approach as I get uncomfortably hot during an attack. If it works for you, keep doing it till it don't work! Good luck.

Guiseppi

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by gardengal on Feb 25^th, 2006, 11:56pm

Ice helps me at times,but sometimes it hurts just to touch my temple during a CH. I go outside in winter,cold is better for me. I always strip down to underwear and want to be cold during a HA. Peas work good. I learned that icing my horses legs.

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by wing_nut on Feb 27^th, 2006, 10:24am

Read this post and decided to try the ice pack. Ya.....NOT A GOOD THING for me. all it did was piss off the beast. I'll keep trying

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by Ice-Man on Mar 1^st, 2006, 4:51am

Hi - Ice - Man here. Thanks for all your responses. For people that like cold, its more of a technique rather than 'slapping on an icepack'. What I have is a 2 inch sq x 1/2 inch ice pack that I got in Australia while camping. There are two sides of plastic, two sides of textile and in the middle is polymer, so when soaked in water to expand and then frozen, is not like a cold ice cube. It is more like a frozen pack of peas (as they say) but just smaller. Going back to the tcehnique, intially when i first feel the 4 o'clock shadows, the sooner the better that I get this ice pack on. It's initially a bit cold but I persever and pin point the pack to the initial pain and then gradually move it around to upper and outside of the skull to tame things down and keep moving it rather than holding a huge ice pack on the head. This is not for people that don't like cold, but without out a lie, I can tame attacks that are guaranteed to be an 8 or a 9 down to a 3 or a 4 kip.. These packs are small, and I have heaps in the freezer and i usually use between 3 or four and they are re-usable. I havn't been on meds yet in two years or oxygen but I have just received in the mail today my kudzu pills, so will let you now how these go.

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by E-Double on Mar 1^st, 2006, 5:51am

Indeed!

Frozen peas are my friends!!!!!!! ;;D

The cold has knocked back a rapidly increasing attack many times. Other times I can not tolerate it , however it still remains a first line of defense along with oxygen for me.

Cold weather is also a blessing for me as I prefer to freeze my a$$ off as I pace my backyard @ 5am.

It is a much more pleasant scene, now that I own a house with a relatively big backyard.

I used to walk the streets in the middle of the night with my coffee, cigs, frozen whatever on my head, looking like one of the consumers from the group home that was down the block from my old apartment. I swear they'd look at me as if I were the one with mental illness.

Go figure ;)

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by ABarham on Mar 2^nd, 2006, 4:17pm

Adam did this last night and said he thought it did reduce the duration of his ha. another thing he has been doing is sleeping at about a 45 degree angle. He says he is not sure yet, but thinks this is helping reduce the frequency of the night hits.

lol

Title: Re: Have you tried ice / icepacks
Post by Richr8 on Mar 2^nd, 2006, 4:56pm

on 03/02/06 at 16:17:54, ABarham wrote:

is sleeping at about a 45 degree angle

I pretty much live in my recliner while in cycle for the little sleep I do get , and as Casey Caison says, "the hits just keep on comin."
just goes to show, what works for one, does not work for another. You have to try everything and work out your own little CH tool kit. :)