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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Jet lag and CH
        
(Message started by: maria9 on Aug 20^th, 2003, 7:02pm)

Title: Jet lag and CH
Post by maria9 on Aug 20^th, 2003, 7:02pm

About a month ago I returned from a European vacation. The first night after arriving home I woke up in the morning with what appeared to be a full-blown CH headache which lasted 2 hours. ??? ??? I have not had a CH cycle for over 3 years, and needless to say I was somewhat perplexed and dismayed by this. Was this the beginning of a new cycle? After reading a post by Cooked Brain about how jet lag can cause CH's even when not in cycle, I realized that what I had was probably a jet lag induced CH. This is the first time I ever had a full-blown CH while not in cycle and I have not had any headaches since. Since both jet lag and CH's result from altered circadian rhythmicity, I guess it makes sense that a person prone to CH's anyway would get one when the body's clock is thrown off by jet lag.

Anyone else experience jet lag induced CH's?

Here are some suggestions for other CHers with big travel plans:

To assist adjustment of the body clock when changing time zones:

1. Take melatonin at night for the first 2-3 days after arrival at the new time zone (the scientific jury is still out on this one, but it can't hurt).

2. Get outdoors as much as possible to assist the body clock in re-setting itself.

On the flight or flights in my case:

1. Drink as much water as possible to avoid dehydration.

2. Avoid alcohol (note: I didn't do this, some are better at giving advice than taking their own advice)

Happy travels,
Maria

Title: Re: Jet lag and CH
Post by lbenson on Aug 20^th, 2003, 10:56pm

Maria- My husband thought that he was at he end of a cycle (no headaches for over a week). We traveled to the Dominican Republic (travel time from Ca with connections 16 hours), and as soon as he started to unwind, he had a full-blown headache that lasted over two hours. Unfortunately, he was without oxygen. The resort had a medical office, and we were able to order oxygen for the room for the duration of the vacation. After that horrible night, no more headaches. Wow! Thank God.

Title: Re: Jet lag and CH
Post by maria9 on Aug 21^st, 2003, 6:22pm

Hi Ibenson, I vacationed in the Dominican Republic 10 years ago. No CH's on that trip. It is a beautiful island, I would like to go back some day and play their golf courses.

Anybody else out there have what they think is a jet lag induced CH when not in cycle?

Maria

Title: Midnight Sun, Jetlag, no clusters
Post by floridian on Aug 21^st, 2003, 7:01pm

I spent the first three weeks of June this year just below the arctic circle - the clock difference was only 4 hours, but with 23+ hours of light each day, I was a bit concerned. The trip home involved 24 hours of straight travel, with about 20 minutes of napping in the airplane.

After being home a few weeks, I started to get disrupted sleep, then a twitching eye. Melatonin at night, 5htp in the day, magnesium, and lots of decaf tea kept the beast away.

Title: Re: Jet lag and CH
Post by Ueli on Aug 21^st, 2003, 8:06pm

Jet lag is the body clock being out of sync with daylight cycle. After crossing many time zones it takes a few days until our internal clock gets in step again with the daylight. In the meantime the sleeping cycle is pretty messed up (but isn't that true for a clusterhead all the time?).
I guess Maria went to bed the first night home a few hours early - on local time - but many hours late on her internal clock that was still on European time. It surprises me a bit that this should be enough to trigger an attack out of cycle. But probably that trigger was boosted by the relaxation from the stress of playing sardines on a badly ventilated plane for 12 hours or more. I'd say, Maria, you were lucky it triggered only a single attack and not an entire new cycle.
In case of lbenson's hubby it was probably stress relaxation (and temperature change) alone as trigger. The time difference was small, and anyway it is not felt yet just after touch down.

Ueli

Title: Re: Jet lag and CH
Post by iJun G4 on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 7:54am

I made 2 round trips from U.S. to Japan in the last few months.

First time--I was out of cycle. Drank beer and wine on outgoing flight, got heck of a hangover approaching pain of CH but it was one HA only and did not start a cycle or anything. Obviously, I stayed away from the booze on my return flight. No problems w/ CH or jet lag.

Second time--I was already in cycle. I don't think the time difference made CH any worse, and I still had no jet lag.

I've also had CH every 1-1.5 yrs. for 18 yrs. and travelled on and off during this time. Based on my own experience, there is no significant correlation between CH and jet lag or time difference.
Also, the flight itself (mostly air pressure factors) does not seem to make CH any worse either.

Like Ueli says, things like temperature and stress are much more likely to be factors than the time difference.

However, it's interesting to note that both Maria and I experienced a single CH-like HA after drinking alcohol on a flight. My HA started during the flight itself (French Bordeau red wine was direct cause). Could it have been a bad migraine or hangover?

Personally, I don't think you can call a headache a CH necessarily if it's just one attack. Is there anyone out there who thinks an entire cycle started totally out of the normal schedule just triggered by the time difference itself?

Title: Re: Jet lag and CH
Post by maria9 on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 7:22pm

Hi all,

Since posting my original message, I have talked to other world travelers. It turns out others have experienced these headaches as a result of flying. Some feel that the air cabin pressure, along with the time changes, the dehydration that can occur with flying. combined with drinking alcohol beverages, can result in a sinus-type headache which can closely mimic a CH headache. Because this post- travel headache seemed like a CH, with the stuffy nose and eye pain on one side, I thought it was a CH, but it could have been a sinus - type headache. Who knows? Maria

Title: Re: Jet lag and CH
Post by Orion on Aug 31^st, 2003, 8:31pm

I always thought my ch history started when I was working lots of 12 hr night shifts (which did seem to bring on cycles). But I have done lots of traveling (in Indonesia with 12 hr difference I thought for sure would do it but no) over the years and it has never started a cycle. I enjoy wine tasting when on the plane and have had no problems. I really admire you guys flying with these things. I am in a cycle now and would not relish "dancing" at 40,000 feet :P