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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> ciggys
        
(Message started by: G-Boy on Jan 19^th, 2008, 5:16am)

Title: ciggys
Post by G-Boy on Jan 19^th, 2008, 5:16am

Hi all, just wanted say that i have suffered from ch for approx 9 years now, I guess you could say I was a chronic ch in the sense that in the 9 year period I would rarely go more than a couple of months before getting a bout of them lasting from 3 or 4 days up to 3 or 4 weeks at a time. Headaches by the hour after getting into bed and scattered through the day. I progressed to the point in recent years I was finding it hard to even hold down my job from the amount I was getting and the constant tiredness from no sleep. I had tried as I'm sure you all have, Any and everything to try and cure them, I eventually came to the realization that verapamil, Imigran, and oxygen were the only things that could give me relief, I have been on 480mg of varapamil for years and even missing 1 pill would land me with a nasty bout of ch. I was a fairly heavy binge drinker in my younger years but gave up the booze apart from socially, a number of years before I developed ch then almost totally when i got ch cause it triggered them. I also started smoking at 15 years old and smoked right up until 18 months ago. In the years I smoked, on a number of Occasions I managed to stop smoking for between 3 and 6 weeks in an attempt to give up but unfortunately always started again. but I did note that the cessation of smoking for this period of time had no affect on my ch. In fact many times while in the "shadow" stages, and even many times while with a ch I would have a ciggy and the damn headaches would go!. So I couldn't see how smoking had any thing to do with them, I even read a similar comment on this site about smoking and ch today.

TOPIC: I believe I am a sufferer (QUOTE) " 2. Smoking. Well if it was due to smoking and I have smoked since I was 18, what about the first episodes? and what about the periods of no headaches while smoke. .

Well this time I have managed to give up smoking for 18 months and I can Honestly say that around 3 months after the last ciggy "IT TAKES TIME!!" the change in my ch was HUGE!! and now 18 months later I am down to 240mg of varapamil and go months now with no headaches. It has changed my life!! Now don't get me wrong, I now that it wont work for all, but a lot of people with ch smoke, and probably like me Really enjoyed smoking. But I will say if you haven't had a real HONEST attempt to give up cause you've heard it wont make a difference, or you tried and just didn't make it past a few weeks. Then TRY AGAIN!! If you get half the outcome from it that I have, you wont regret it. I still get ch and I expect I probably always will after this many years with them, but life's heaps better. I only wished I could have done it years ago.[b][/b]

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by hotprestwich on Jan 19^th, 2008, 10:51am

I know i need to quit, but when im in cycle smoking a cig is like a small morphine stick, my Mrs cant understand that i feel so much pain but im smoking through the attack, i think nicotine is a vasco constrictor aswell not sure of that, others may correct me, i know that my smoking intake goes up when im in cycle, coffee is great too i honestly can say that a cig and a cuppa is relief for me, although making it while in attack sucks,
after this episode im gonna quit...
...i hope

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by kingsiren on Jan 19^th, 2008, 5:11pm

I too was a serious binge drinker in my youth and didnt begin any episodes until i gave up the booze. I have been a heavy smoker for 20 years and only now have I seriously thought about quitting, I just can't grasp trying to stop while I am in a cycle as silly as that may sound its the last vice I hold on to. I am hoping for a similiar result from quitting, I feel like a total fool when I light up a cig after I just spent 20 minutes huffing 02(I know about the safety I dont smoke where the tanks are) and friends & family ask how I can smoke and use 02. I guess when I'm ready to quit I'll really do something about it.

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by birdman on Jan 21^st, 2008, 11:30am

Nicotine and alcohol were two of my biggest triggers. Gave up the smokes years ago and while I still battle, giving them up is the best thing in the long run. The bottom line is that quitting smokes is a good idea no matter what the reason.

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by Lebowski on Jan 22^nd, 2008, 7:29pm

Quitting smoking was one of the best things I did for my CH. I only drink a few beers here and there but I know they would almost always bring a CH on if I was in my season for them. I can remember being in my 20's having a party and would have to go lay down for an hour or two because I was having some drinks and would get a CH.

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by ronan76 on Jan 24^th, 2008, 6:27am

hi guys, just wondering if there is any connection between smoking hashish/marijuana/pot and cluster headaches.. my cousins fiance was diagnosed recently with CH and he has been a regular pot smoker for 5 or 6 years.. He is also a regular smoker.. i've just sent him the link to this site...

it took him ages before he was diagnosed with Ch..

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by George_J on Jan 24^th, 2008, 10:37am

on 01/24/08 at 06:27:49, ronan76 wrote:

Purely anecdotal--but I'm not aware of any reports indicating that marijuana may precipitate CH, or start a new cycle in a clusterhead. It's been reported quite often here that marijuana may act as a trigger for some during an active cycle, however.

Best,

George

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by ronan76 on Jan 24^th, 2008, 11:28am

thanks george, i would not be surprised that it would trigger an attack... i think long term daily use will probably cause other issues anyway...whether there is any relation to CH remains to be seen.

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by Lebowski on Jan 24^th, 2008, 7:20pm

Marijuana was most definitely a trigger for me when I would smoke a little here and there.

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by outofcommission on Jan 25^th, 2008, 3:36am

pot and beer are a sure fire trigger for me. boy howdy! it always put a damper on my social life in my early 20s. as far as cigarettes go i have noticed us clusterheads are a smokin bunch of people. think about all the chemical we put in our bodies with cigarettes. i'm a 2 pack a day man myself. hell we even plan alot of gatherings around cities you can smoke in. however there are some hardcore clusterheads that have never smoked. i didn't smoke when i was 10. mom smoked though. some non smokers will hung around our smoky asses and not get hit. who know man...

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by outofcommission on Jan 25^th, 2008, 3:44am

on 01/19/08 at 10:51:22, hotprestwich wrote:

when i am getting hit i can't stand to have a cigarette around me. when the devil is out of site i reach for the camels. first thing i do after an attack.

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by hotprestwich on Jan 25^th, 2008, 12:44pm

we're all different,
smoking herb dosnt trigger them either for me,
"when i smoke now and then"

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by outofcommission on Jan 29^th, 2008, 6:22pm

on 01/25/08 at 12:44:11, hotprestwich wrote:

smoking herb dosnt trigger them either for me,
"when i smoke now and then"

man i wish i could say that. i miss having a cold beer too.

Title: Re: ciggys
Post by kcopelin on Jan 29^th, 2008, 6:44pm

"Quitting (smoking) is easy...I've done it a hundred times!" ::) Don't know who said that, but its really one of the hardest addictions to break free of. I went one day smoke fee to see how difficult it would be...wasn't bad, but no way can I quit until I'm back full strength on my foot again...broke it on Thanksgiving.

Walking was a major abortive for me, and a good way to keep off unwanted weigh from not smoking. Haven't been able to for a couple of months, but am on the mend.
If I get really unpleasant >:( this time when I quit, I'll just put myself on time-out from posting.

PFDAN y'all
kathy

P.S. When I have successfully quit for months at a time in the past my CHs improved-however, each of those times were due to pregnancy and there's a chance the no cigs took the back seat to being pregnant.