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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> alcohol?
        
(Message started by: josep_enric on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 12:21pm)

Title: alcohol?
Post by josep_enric on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 12:21pm

hi everybody here! is my first time that i write but i've read a lot from here. i have a question.
All of we know that the alcohol is very bad for the CH, but i'd like to know if it just makes you to have more attacks or if it makes that the cycle is gettin longer. normally when i drink more alcohol of normal size.. i have 2 days FP but then it is worst.... sorry for my english and PF for all of you. thanks!

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by billyjoe on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 12:26pm

For me it would be a trigger, untill I started on Verapamil, which has allowed me to drink PF.

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by Guiseppi on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 12:36pm

I've never noticed it to have any effect on the length of my cycle. When I'm on cycle, if I'm really strict with my lithium dosing, I can have small amounts of alcohol, beer and white wine, no red wine or hard liquor, and be relatively safe. If I have more then a beer or two, too much wine or any hard liquor I get slammed realtively quickly. Mostly when I'm on cycle I just do without, not worth the owie!!!

Guiseppi

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by dtoolman99 on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 1:23pm

Alcohol is a trigger for me,one beer and I get hit :(.

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by Rosybabe on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 1:27pm

Welcome aboard Josep!!

Glad you find us and keep reading, knowledge is power.

Alcohol is also a trigger for me, during cycle I stay away from it. Out of cycle I still can't have red wine, it brings a hit in few minutes.

Pain free wishes for you!!

Rosy.

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by sandie99 on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 1:38pm

Welcome aboard, Josep! :)

I cannot imagine even taking a sip of something with alcohol in it when I'm in cycle. I did that mistake once and I'll never be doing that one again! It is definetily a trigger for me as well.

Wishing you PF days,
Sanna

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by Ray on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 2:27pm

I am one of the crowd who gets a headache 15-60 minutes after one drink, even a half a drink. I avoid drinking when I am having headaches.

Ray

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by marlinsfan on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 4:25pm

I have no idea if alcohol extends my cycle or not. When in cycle, I don't drink any alcohol whatsoever. When I've been stupid enough to drink alcohol in cycle, I get a headache in less than 20 minutes.

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by George_J on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 6:51pm

on 08/03/07 at 16:25:04, marlinsfan wrote:

Ditto to that. Doesn't even take a whole drink for me--a couple of swallows will do it.

Out of cycle, no problem.

Best wishes,

George

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by fiftyamp on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 7:56pm

on 08/03/07 at 18:51:08, George_J wrote:

Ditto to that. Doesn't even take a whole drink for me--a couple of swallows will do it.

Out of cycle, no problem.

Best wishes,

George

Same here. Currently in cycle, haven't had a drink in 3 weeks. I cut out the booze as soon as I start feeling anything even remotely close to a shadow. And I love my drink
;)

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by Ray on Aug 3^rd, 2007, 8:04pm

By the way....

Here's the NON-PROFESSIONAL idea of what alcohol does. Alcohol agglutenates the red blood cells -- they tend to stick together. This causes the blood vessels to dialate to let the blood pass. Our problem with CH is due to, in part, the swelling of blood vessels, therefore we get a CH.

Your milage may vary,

Ray

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by Xenoz on Aug 4^th, 2007, 7:51am

Alcohol is a very sensitive trigger for me when in cycle. One swallow of beer and I am sure to get a bad attack within 15 minutes. I don't go near it when in cycle.

In fact, even Listerine or alcohol-based mouthwashes are a trigger for me.

I don't think a beer is worth the suffering, so I just stay away from it during cycle, and wait for at least 7 days after the last vague shadow before trying one beer and seeing what happens.

Ordinarily, out of cycle, I drink 2 - 4 beers per day without any problems.

-Xenoz

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by MR_FLOOR on Aug 4^th, 2007, 9:16am

I'm with all who say 1 or 2 sips is all it takes have not had even 1 sip of alcohol since new years(and I got hit)to me it isn't worth it.

Dave

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Aug 4^th, 2007, 1:49pm

I have not noticed that alchohol makes a cycle longer. It certainly is an immediate trigger for a lot of us here, but that is just a few hits.

Red Wine is an absolute killer for me. Even just 1/4 of an ounce will be bad news.
White wine and all other alcohol is a definate no-no as well.

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by Jonny on Aug 4^th, 2007, 3:06pm

Allah has blessed me, not one damn trigger ;;D

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by rolo65 on Aug 4^th, 2007, 3:37pm

on 08/04/07 at 15:06:54, Jonny wrote:

Allah has blessed me, not one damn trigger ;;D

Lucky DOG!

I can drink the hard stuff as long as I don’t mix it with soda pop of any kind, just juice.

No beer, cola, or pop of any kind. I used to drink 2 cases of Bud a week before the CH.

I miss my beer but Allah say NO grog for me! If I disobey him I get K9-10 cane in thy eye every time!

Rolo..

PS; Da, what does out of cycle mean? [smiley=huh.gif] I don't think I will ever know the definition so don’t bother answering. :P

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by thebbz on Aug 4^th, 2007, 10:36pm

Quote:

PS; Da, what does out of cycle mean? I don't think I will ever know the definition so don’t bother answering.

Why so bleak there Rolo.....you never know what the demon will do.
Ask anyone, it can leave or come at anytime chronic or episodic.
Chin up brother.
thebb

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by barry_sword on Aug 5^th, 2007, 6:25am

I can drink beer and no triggers. I seen to be one of the minorities here. I don't know about other drinks as I only drink beer.

Barry

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by Putter on Aug 5^th, 2007, 10:20am

I really, really want to have a drink, but it's a trigger.

I have been on verap. for 5 days now. I have had one CH per day since starting. Am I coming out of this cycle or is the verap. working??? I did not have a CH in the last 24 hours!!! Before starting verapamil on Aug 1, they hit 2 to 4 times a day.
Re: alcohol - My husband said, "you are going to get them anyway, may as well have a drink". I kinda like his reasoning, but when I had my last beer, it hit fast.

I am tempted to have a blender drink today cuz it's a really hot day. I miss my red wine, miss the beer...
sigh...

Leanne

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by chewy on Aug 5^th, 2007, 10:34am

on 08/05/07 at 10:20:56, Putter wrote:

I really, really want to have a drink, but it's a trigger.

Re: alcohol - My husband said, "you are going to get them anyway, may as well have a drink". I kinda like his reasoning, but when I had my last beer, it hit fast.

SURE! Why not gurantee you experiance the most intense pain known to man.

Makes sense to me. ::)

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by Jonny on Aug 5^th, 2007, 12:16pm

on 08/04/07 at 22:36:12, thebbz wrote:

Why so bleak there Rolo.....you never know what the demon will do.
Ask anyone, it can leave or come at anytime chronic or episodic.
Chin up brother.
thebb

You aint shitin, JB.....just look at me, I went 31 years chronic to 14 months PFand now I get a HA about twice a month.....WTF is up with that?

I think ill have another beer.....LMAO! ;;D

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by thebbz on Aug 5^th, 2007, 12:28pm

Really....drink alcohol.suffer intense pain, any questions. ::)

thebb

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by Ray on Aug 5^th, 2007, 2:52pm

During my High Hit seasons, any alcohol will trigger an attack.

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by K-MAN on Aug 6^th, 2007, 12:53am

Alcohol is definitely an instant trigger. It's usually how I know I'm in a cycle. One minute I'm at the pub with my buddies with a good beer buzz, the next minute I suddenly have no buzz at all, and the next minute I'm on the floor with a Kip 8. Then it's welcome to Clusterville for the next 6 weeks.

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by Barry_T_Coles on Aug 7^th, 2007, 4:00am

on 08/03/07 at 19:56:37, fiftyamp wrote:

Same here. Currently in cycle, haven't had a drink in 3 weeks. I cut out the booze as soon as I start feeling anything even remotely close to a shadow. And I love my drink
;)

Ditto again
I'm chronic & currently trailing off a rough patch, I would love to have a beer but while I'm still shadowing heavy I know that one drink will send me off to the o2 within ten minutes.
So far it's been 7 weeks & I got a tongue as dry as a desert.
Cheers
Barry

Title: Re: alcohol?
Post by southwalessunshine on Aug 16^th, 2007, 11:04am

I'm in the midst of a cycle that's lasted around 7 weeks now and I daren't touch any alcohol. If I do I know I'll be in agony within about an hour. If I'm not in cycle it doesn't trigger that fast but I used to think I was getting almighty hangovers the next day that lasted for 2 or 3 days at least, i now know they weren't hangovers but CH.It doesn't matter if I got wasted or had one or two. So now I'm off the hard stuff, it sucks because I want to go out with my friends and have a cold one but i find myself making excuses not to join them because i know I'll feel like a lemon. But it's a no-brainer not to suffer the pain.