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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2002 >> Blood Sugar
        
(Message started by: peregrine625 on Jul 16^th, 2002, 7:26pm)

Title: Blood Sugar
Post by peregrine625 on Jul 16^th, 2002, 7:26pm

You have seen a lot of "cures" but all I know is what APPEARS to have helped me. My ch history is below:

1992 - First cluster; age 42; averaged 2.5 cases of beer per week; cluster lasted 7-8 weeks with 1-2 headaches per day in 7-9 range on Kipp; took Ca channel blockers and pain pills; learned alcohol was a catylist

1994 - 2nd cluster; maintained drinking until cluster started; same term; same severity, etc.

1996 - 3rd cluster and into 4th week a Dr. friend of mine said blood sugar levels out of kilter so I cut out refined sugar and alcohol (as before) and meditated my blood sugar levels back to normal. I had 2 more 4-5 level ch's over the next 3 days then cluster over (probably at end of cluster)

2002 - 4th cluster; did my blood sugar b.s.; discovered, via this web site, imitrex - no ch's over a 6 and cluster over in 5 weeks.

According to some messages I've read, ch's have to do with something regarding the hypothalmus & seratonin. I don't know from medical standpoint what blood sugar has to do with this. I know that I believed it would help, and due to what I've learned about the nature of the "beast," maybe it did & maybe it didn't.

Please let me know if you have seen or heard anything regarding the effects of blood sugar levels on the length of a cluster and the severety of the ch's.

Thanks.

Title: Re: Blood Sugar
Post by Ann on Jul 16^th, 2002, 8:56pm

A few years ago, before being diagnosed, I thought that the cause of these things was hypoglycemia. I did the whole no refined sugar, blood sugar level tests 4 times a day, small snacks and meals..the whole nine yards. My headaches went away.....unfortunately, it was just the end the my cycle and had nothing to do with hypoglycemia. I wish it would have been that simple. Maybe it does have an effect on how long your cycle lasts...but I doubt it. :(

hugs
Ann

Title: Re: Blood Sugar
Post by Ueli on Jul 16^th, 2002, 9:28pm

Hi peregrine625

Welcome to the family, but sorry you have to be here.

In my observation blood sugar level has no influence on clusters, neither number of attacks, nor their duration or severity. I take 160 mg Gliclazide per day to boost insulin production. It happens some times that sugar level is out of range, but without any consequence on the cluster. I have never read anything about a direct connection of blood sugar level and serotonin production.

BTW, Alcohol has no influence at all on the blood sugar level, it the other stuff in alcoholic beverages that counts. By example, beer contains as much sugar as a naturally sweetened soft drink. In beer there is malt sugar (maltose), that tastes less sweet, but the insulin demand is the same. The little bit dirt left in raw sugar does not make it more suitable than refined sugar. The trick here is to control the overall carbohydrate intake, be it as any kind of sugar or any form of starch (as in bread, potatoes, pasta).

PFNADs
Ueli

Title: Re: Blood Sugar
Post by peregrine625 on Jul 17^th, 2002, 9:00am

Ann & Ueli, thanks for your response. Coincidence or no, I'll continue my game plan. Maybe it just worked for me or maybe it was something else about my psyche that has helped reduce cycles, pain, etc. Maybe it was my constant chant - "Thank you cfh's (you can imagine what the f is for) for showing me my issues with power, value and safety - You're dismissed! Everything I say and do is perfect, regardless of the consequences to anyone. If they have a problem - they get to."
Maybe I'm full of schick!

Title: Re: Blood Sugar
Post by Jaybee on Jul 31^st, 2002, 8:36am

I have noticed that since my summer bout started, I have had a craving for carbs. Pasta and ice cold sprite, spree candies. Maybe a coincidence, or a result of the beast beating me to a pulp. Who knows??

Title: Re: Blood Sugar
Post by Svenn on Jul 31^st, 2002, 10:11am

Blood-sugar has absolutely no influence on Cluster says my neuro.
Take care my friend

Title: Re: Blood Sugar
Post by Jaybee on Aug 4^th, 2002, 6:27am

Alcohol stimulates nitric oxide and increases the size of blood vessels, which has been implicated as a key trigger of cluster headaches. Serotonin is one chemical that is involved, but is not the only one. Histamine and calcium channel activity are also important. Blocking nitric oxide is how feverfew seems to work.

<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12138012&dopt=Abstract"> PubMed on Alcohol and Nitric Oxide</a>

Title: Re: Blood Sugar
Post by williamsmh on Aug 4^th, 2002, 10:12am

I don't think blood sugar is a cause of Clusters.

A few years ago I thought I was hypoglycemic. My blood sugar would only hit 80 or 85 after I ate tons of sugary or starchy foods. At times I would drop to 40 or 50 and feel really horrible.

I started cutting back on sugar, etc. Got to the point I followed the diabetic diet, etc. My sugar just kept getting worse.

I went to a Dr. and an endocrinologist and was tested for everything in the world. Turns out that I was ODing on Aspirin and it was causing me to have the hypoglycemia. I was taking about 8 Excedrin a day.

After I went off the Excedrin my sugar went back up to a normal of about 80-90... peaks as high as 110 and lows no lower than 70.

During the whole thing... I still had cluster.

Mark