Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


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

        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> I have a good one for y'all
        
(Message started by: assaultme on Sep 17^th, 2007, 5:01pm)

Title: I have a good one for y'all
Post by assaultme on Sep 17^th, 2007, 5:01pm

Ok, I was hit in a car accident 9 months ago. Was having simple headaches often. I surmised this was because of the accident. These simple headaches got better after about 6 or 7 months.

On the 8th month (this last August) I began to have CH. Went to the Doc. was diagnosed and am being treated.

Here is my question: Is it possible for CH to be caused by a car accident? I did not hit my head, but my neck kinda snapped forward.

I suppose I may not have given you all the details you would need. Please ask me anything you wish because I would like to hear all of your opinions on this.

I will ask my Neurologist of course. But I thought it might also be an interesting question for people here who know.

Thanks in advance, Dave

Title: Re: I have a good one for y'all
Post by Ray on Sep 17^th, 2007, 5:57pm

Dave:

I am not an expert on this aspect of headaches, but...

It would seem that there is a higher probability that cluster headache sufferers have received blows to the head than just by random chance. It would be a good thing to discuss with your doctor(s) and perhaps an MRI or CT scan would be ordered to rule out other possible causes for your head pain.

Remember: your mileage may vary....

Ray

Title: Re: I have a good one for y'all
Post by E-Double on Sep 17^th, 2007, 5:59pm

Most of the literature suggests that if a relationship occurs that it is really casual (not causal) at best.

Here are some resources to check out...

Cluster headache. Hedges TR Jr, Hedges TR. In East DL, Sparrow JM (ed),
Oxford Text Book of Ophthalmology. Oxford Medical Publications, 1999,
Volume 2, 891.

Cluster headache mimics. Carter DM. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2004
Apr;8(2):133-9.

. Cluster-like signs and symptoms respond to myofacial / craniomandibular
treatment: a report of two cases. Vargo CP, Hickman DM. Cranio. 1997
Jan;15(1):89-93. (Raleigh Regional Center for Head, Neck and Facial Pain in
Beckley, West Virginia, Morgantown, USA).

Cluster headache following head injury: a case report and review of the
literature. Turkewitz LJ, Wirth O, Dawson GA, Casaly JS. Headache. 1992
Nov;32(10):504-6. (Midwest Center for Head-Pain Management, Troy, Ohio
45373).

Post-traumatic headache from moderate head injury. J Headache Pain. 2005
Sep;6(4):284-6. Moscato D, Peracchi MI, Mazzotta G, Savi L, Battistella PA.
(Headache Centre San Carlo IDI Rome, Via Aurelia 275, Rome, Italy).

Title: Re: I have a good one for y'all
Post by MJ on Sep 18^th, 2007, 12:33am

on 09/17/07 at 17:01:15, assaultme wrote:

Here is my question: Is it possible for CH to be caused by a car accident?

Sure it is possible. Many have never had a neck or head trauma however and still are inflicted.

If someone could answer this with todays knowledge of clusters we would be closer to a cure.
Like E-dub says it may be a purely casual vs causal relationship.

As of yet no-one has come forth with a good reason for CH to even exist.
I too had major neck trauma at an early age with no other long lasting effects.
I still wonder if this wasnt the cause of my CH as well. But a logical explanation if so has never come forth to substantiate it.

Title: Re: I have a good one for y'all
Post by Bob_Johnson on Sep 18^th, 2007, 7:57am

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2006 Apr;10(2):130-6. Links
Head trauma and cluster headache.Manzoni GC, Lambru G, Torelli P.
Headache Centre, Department of Neurology, University of Parma and University Centre for Adaptive Disorders and Headache, Via Gramsci, 14, 43100 Parma, Italy. giancamillo.manzoni@unipr.it

Post-traumatic cluster headache (CH) is a very rare occurrence. Only one such case has been verified in the literature thus far. On the other hand, a non-casual association is almost certain to exist between previous head trauma and future CH onset. Considering the generally long interval of time separating the two events, it is not easy to accurately explain the nature of the head trauma/CH relationship. Head trauma may damage extra- or intracranial peripheral or central nervous structures, hence predisposing to the future development of CH. However, there also is the possibility that previous head injuries may be more frequent among CH patients because of their lifestyle, which may leave them more exposed to the risk of traumatic events.

PMID: 16539866 [PubMed

Title: Re: I have a good one for y'all
Post by sometimes on Sep 18^th, 2007, 10:05am

I think it's very possible. Mine began after I suffered whiplash when I was 16.

Title: Re: I have a good one for y'all
Post by assaultme on Sep 18^th, 2007, 4:57pm

Thanks all, that gives me something to work with
Cheers, Dave

Title: Re: I have a good one for y'all
Post by Wayne on Sep 18^th, 2007, 5:40pm

You pose a good question, my feeling is that there is some yet to be discovered link between all of us here and head trauma seems to be a logical one.

I suffered severe head trauma at the age of 8, got my first CH when I was 35, can there be a link there?? I suppose that it depends on what happened inside my head then.

Similar questions have been put forward regarding smoking, military service, stressful occupations etc but to find that comon link is going to take a huge amount of data gathering and analysis because there is simply no understanding of what causes these and without a significant database covering all aspects of our lives and lifestyles I think the chances of finding that link are slim at best.

Title: Re: I have a good one for y'all
Post by assaultme on Sep 18^th, 2007, 9:37pm

Thanks Wayne & all !!!

I will have to spend some time researching this. There is a reason. The insurance company of the guilty party has been very dishonest with me. I took a major battle just to get them to pay my hospital bills that they were 100% responsible for.

They tried every dirty trick in the book and now that they have lost in arbitration, they want to be my new best friend.

I am not the type of person to seek vengeance, but I also don't want to sell myself short. I don't know where it will go, but I will look into it.

I'll do my homework.
Cheers, Dave

Title: Re: I have a good one for y'all
Post by luveemom on Sep 20^th, 2007, 8:20am

I agree with some of the other comments......they don't know if there is a link. But I would question if you suffered a whiplash injury which can be serious. Seek either a CAT scan or MRI. I also suffered a fractured skull at the age of 8, so who knows if that has anything to do with this nasty condition now.......
Best of luck.
Alicia

Title: Re: I have a good one for y'all
Post by Wayne on Sep 20^th, 2007, 5:31pm

They tried every dirty trick in the book and now that they have lost in arbitration, they want to be my new best friend.

Well I guess that much as you would battle to prove that they were responsible so would they battle to prove that they weren't hey. Real LA law type stuff

Title: Re: I have a good one for y'all
Post by assaultme on Sep 20^th, 2007, 9:20pm

Hi Wayne.
Well, it was actually like this: (sorry I didn't explain)
They knew they had to pay for my truck and hospital bills. The other guy was ticketed and talking to them, they admitted that they would have to fix my truck. I understand that they will "avoid unnecessary liability" or "minimize loss" when they can. But their behavior went well beyond what any reasonable person would consider "simple common decency"
I tried at first to be fair with them and deal man to man, no insurance company or threats or anything like that. So, they try to send me a check for $2,700 to fix my truck. I told them that THEIR approved body shop said it was $6,800 and that their "estimate" was totally incomplete.

They insisted that was all it would take to fix my truck. Since I am a mechanic by trade, I knew better. See, in Illinois if you accept the check and the repairs are more, you lose...also you can lose your hospital bills too. This is because when you sign off, you sign off on ALL liability to the responsible insurance company.

They don't tell you that and many unsuspecting people suffer significant losses because of that. Yes, you should be smart enough to know that, but I am offended that they screw people out of the money they deserve. See, many elderly people who know nothing about car repair get screwed. To me, that is deplorable !!!

I studied the Ill. Insurance Commissioners website and was shocked by all the ways a consumer can lose what is due them.

I wont bore you with those details, but I will give some advise.

If you have an accident, learn your rights & responsibilities....you could really save yourself some real hardship. Another thing, get good full coverage/injury insurance like I had. It will pay your medical bills, fix your vehicle and keep you out of the collection agency. Then, your ins. company will take over for you and get that money back as well as your **deductible**. (provided you were not to fault) If you have the bare minimum, you may not get your hospital bills payed "up-front" We all know what happens when you don't pay hospital bills quickly.

Good insurance costs more, but you cant buy a lawyer for what it costs.

Anyways, I hope I have helped someone here with what I have learned.

Thanks for responding.
Cheers, Dave