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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2002 >> New to CH.com
        
(Message started by: Alan55 on Nov 4^th, 2002, 6:26am)

Title: New to CH.com
Post by Alan55 on Nov 4^th, 2002, 6:26am

Hi I've been getting CH sinse 1987 and only just started getting treatment. It's been hell. I'm just coming off a real bad one and I've been reading your posts and it has helped knowing others are going through similar things. You lucky buggars!! Anyway thanks forr the info. I'm a bit dopey right now but I was wondering has anyone done any study on personality types of CH sufferers? Or any relevant research?
I'm taking Cafergot for headaches and Deseril twice a day for the duration of the cycle. I went 5 days with out a CH then I got a one last Monday night after Tennis and again tonight after tennis and a glass of red wine. Does that ring any bells for anyone? I donn't usually drink during the cycle I'm sure it has an effect but after a week I thought it might be okay.
I think I'd like to try Oxygen that seems like it might work.
I'm exhausted. Great site.
alan

Title: Re: New to CH.com
Post by Mark C on Nov 4^th, 2002, 7:20am

Hi Alan,
Sorry about the brain bombs..... but welcome aboard.
The clearing house for Clusterhead info are the links on the left of this site and the OUCH site. Go and click on them all...........I'll wait.................................................................done? Good, now you know more than most of the doctors in the world about CH. Educate yourself and your doctors and you have a much better chance of finding some meds that work. Let us know how you are doing so we can try it too!
Good luck,
Mark

Title: Re: New to CH.com
Post by Sweet_Landings on Nov 4^th, 2002, 8:11am

Alan,
Welcome to the board. You will find a wealth of support and information here. Search the archives, read the guestbook and check out the OUCH site. Tons of information can be found in those three resources alone. Ask questions and visit here on the board, you aren't alone.

Title: Re: New to CH.com
Post by domm on Nov 4^th, 2002, 4:35pm

Alan - welcome. Oxygen is a terrific abortive for many of us. Make sure you read up on how to use it properly, because if you don't, you'll be disappointed in the results. Have you tried any of the preventatives? Verapamil has worked for me. Not sure what Deseril is. I'll have to go look that one up.
Alcohol is a definite trigger for many, although others seem to drink with impunity. This beast certainly shows many different faces.
Good luck in finding the right set of meds that work for you.
domm
BTW - "buggars"? last time I was called that it was by a "limey" ;D ;D

Mark - I like the comment about waiting... good one ;D

Title: Re: New to CH.com
Post by domm on Nov 4^th, 2002, 4:54pm

OK - Deseril is Sansert. - methylsergide maleate.
Lots of posts about that.

Title: Re: New to CH.com
Post by NotH20 on Nov 5^th, 2002, 12:19pm

I just wanted to add my welcome Alan....let us know how you are doing...

NotH20

Title: Re: New to CH.com
Post by jonmach on Nov 7^th, 2002, 9:31am

welcome
wish you wernt here... in a good way. this site has been God sent for me. want you youall to know it s not the site its you guys on the site.
I personally cant even smell wine or beer or Twang!
i am verysensative to alcohol. never had much luck with caffergot. but you will find a welth of things to try. and this site will put you in the driver seat with your doctor which is where you belong!
good luck to you
jonmach

Title: Re: New to CH.com
Post by Bob_Johnson on Nov 7^th, 2002, 10:09am

All of the personality research I'm aware of have been done with migraine folks. Results have been, overall, inconclusive even as individual studies have pointed at the sensitivity of people with high anxiety levels or obsessive/compulsive tendencies.

I suspect that this is not a cause & effect issue, i.e., certain personality types have more CH, but that people who have high anxiety levels (as a constant in their life) and/or who are depressed, are more sensitive and intolerant to the pain & disability of CH (or migraine). Being more intolerant, they have a harder time coping.

There is a decent body of research which shows that depression leads to pain intolerance (research NOT done on headache). It seems reasonable to generalize these findings to CH & migraine.

Title: Re: New to CH.com
Post by Bob P on Nov 7^th, 2002, 10:36am

From the OUCH Research Library:

Cluster headache and lifestyle: remarks on a population of 374 male patients.

Manzoni GC

Headache Centre, University of Parma, Italy.

To investigate the relation between cluster headache (CH) and lifestyle, some lifestyle factors were considered in a population of 374 CH male patients consecutively referred to the same headache center, including 306 with episodic CH, 22 with chronic CH unremitting from onset, 20 with chronic CH evolved from episodic, and 26 with CH periodicity undetermined. CH patients had jobs involving greater responsibilities and were more frequently self-employed than controls. In addition, their past medical histories often reported head injury, either with loss of consciousness (13.4%) or without loss of consciousness (23.5% of cases). As regards nonessential consumption habits, both cigarette-smoking and coffee and alcohol intake were more frequently reported in CH patients than in the general population, with a higher prevalence in chronic CH as opposed to episodic CH sufferers. In particular, smokers accounted for 78.9% of episodic CH patients and 87.8% of chronic CH patients--12.9% of episodic CH patients and 19.6% of chronic CH patients smoked over 30 cigarettes a day. Alcohol abuse was reported in 16.2% of episodic and 26.8% of chronic CH patients, while coffee abuse was reported in 6.9% of episodic and in 36.6% of chronic CH patients. Rather than pointing to a single lifestyle factor directly implicated in CH onset, my review suggests a common trend among CH patients to overindulge in certain living habits.

Title: Re: New to CH.com
Post by BobG on Nov 7^th, 2002, 10:54am

Here's a string discussing smoking and addictive personality click this
http://www.clusterheadaches.com/wwwboard/messages/99193.html

Title: Re: New to CH.com
Post by BobG on Nov 7^th, 2002, 10:57am

Hey Bob Johnson.........
Haven't seen your name here in a long time. Good to see it today.

Question- Your Cluster Resources list. It's a great list that I think everyone should see........have you up-dated it recently? The last one I bookmarked was #16 about a year ago. Anything new?