Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


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

        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> COFFEE?
        
(Message started by: ronnieK on Jan 9^th, 2004, 7:49pm)

Title: COFFEE?
Post by ronnieK on Jan 9^th, 2004, 7:49pm

Hello all,

My clusterred headache just started again after 2 years, and from the previous one, I learned that caffeine helps a lot. Now,during the day coffee is my life saving solution, but at night time (about 9pm) I am banging my head against the wall.
This site does not mention much about coffee. Any inputs?

:)
Ron

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Giovanni on Jan 9^th, 2004, 7:53pm

caffeine helps me day or night when under or just prior to an attack.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by t_h_b on Jan 9^th, 2004, 8:19pm

Yes, caffeine helps by constricting the blood vessels. Some headache medicine contains it.

Nicotine does the same thing.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by ave on Jan 9^th, 2004, 8:23pm

ronnie, there's a lot being written here about coffee and nearly everybody hear swears by it. I's just not the "writing about coffee week" this week.

For thenight, you may want to look into oxygen. Button to the left of this board.

pfd&n

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Bob_Johnson on Jan 9^th, 2004, 8:48pm

Long, long ago we had long discussion on the subject.

Caffeine is one of those paradoxical drugs: for some, it seems to trigger attacks when they are in a cycle; others find large doses an abortive (to some degree).

You'll have to draw a personal map on this one.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by henzey on Jan 9^th, 2004, 8:51pm

I am not an expert on this, but I think that coffee or any major caffeine solution can have a rebound effect similar to some of the headache medications, which may explain why you need another "boost" of caffeine throughout the day. For some of us, caffeine can become more of a trigger than a preventative over time. I have found that I have to slowly wean myself off of caffeine once a cluster episode starts up...but I do mean slowly wean. If I don't do this, my clusters are much more frequent and more painful. However, you may not have this problem....

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Prense on Jan 9^th, 2004, 8:54pm

Coffee is mandatory during an attack...folks here even keep the pot setup for the night time attacks. It does not abort for me, but it sometimes eases the intensity for a temporary duration...never triggered or rebounded from coffee thus far.

Chris

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by 5-string on Jan 9^th, 2004, 10:43pm

I will give up coffee when the mug I am holding is pryed from my cold dead fingers. 8)
...Mark..

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Linda_Howell on Jan 10^th, 2004, 2:45am

Caffeine is a vaso-constrictor.

which is one of the tools we need to fight this beast.

Linda

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by pubgirl on Jan 10^th, 2004, 3:52am

Purely anecdotal of course and not scientific but I met a CH sufferer who reckoned he aborted 80% of his attacks with really huge blasts of caffeine (coffee downed with caffeine pills).
Lucky bloke but he was convinced!

Wendy

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by FrankF on Jan 10^th, 2004, 10:28am

Coffee helps me sometimes. I add 2 heaping TABLESPOONS of Folgers Instant to a cup of hot water. Tastes like shi* but the caffeine is like eight cups of coffee in one.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by ave on Jan 10^th, 2004, 11:38am

Hanzey, you don't mean the weekend or holiday coffee headache?

You get used to a certain caffeine intake every day., the theory goes. Weekends, holidays you get up late, you don't take your cup at the time you are used too - you get a sort of detox-symptoms, including headache.

I never had this.

I take a fair amount of coffee, including often late at night when I cannot sleep... Yep. After I have done that and read a bit, I can usually sleep like a baby.

When I am not only grey but very old, I will request them to put me on the coffee IV; will save them feeding me!

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by ronnieK on Jan 10^th, 2004, 11:46am

t_h_b

You kidding right?

I thought cluster headaches happen because of lack of oxigen as my doctor explained. This is caused because of oxygen due to stress (most of the time). He also told me to do a lot of exercise, especially running with a walkman or something to distract me from thinking. I guess running would accelerate or force oxigen to our lungs. Can you imagine what niccotine would do to a brain that needs oxygen? I am not sure if I am right on this but any input would be apreciated too ;).

RonnieK.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by pubgirl on Jan 10^th, 2004, 12:30pm

Bloody hell

Wish life was as simple as your Doctor thinks!

CH is caused by a lack of oxygen!!!

That's a few zillion £ and $ in wasted CH research all over the world finding the cause then, Ronnie's doctor has it sorted.

Wendy

Sorry for the sarcasm Ronnie, it's not directed at you!

CH Is NOT caused by lack of oxygen brought on by stress. They don't know what causes it, but all CH sufferers do have a deformed hypothalamus.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by t_h_b on Jan 10^th, 2004, 1:15pm

No, I'm not kidding at all. Vasoconstriction is the easiest way to acute relief from CH. Nicotine, besides being poisonous, is a vasoconstrictor. Both nicotine and caffeine are absorbed fairly rapidly and that's nice, too.

Whatever the underlying cause of a vascular headache, shrinking the blood vessels takes pressure off the nerves involved and helps to relieve the pain. That's probably why ice packs work.

Imitrex works the same way, except that it targets receptors specific to cranial arteries.

I also think that there may be multiple possible underlying causes of CH. For me it seems to be a lack of melatonin, not oxygen.

Warning: rebound headache can occur when the vasoconstriction ceases.

My neuro recommends aerobic exercise as well. I find that having a cluster headache distracts me from thinking well enough that I don't need a Walkman for that!

I'm not a physiologist but when you exercise it increases the muscles' need for oxygen and might decrease the amount available for the brain. Fortunately, the heart and brain get first pick on the oxygen in your blood.

p.s.: Since your MD understands the cause of cluster headaches, please get him to tell everyone else instead of keeping it a secret. Might save us all a lot of pain in the long run.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by henzey on Jan 10^th, 2004, 2:00pm

To Ave: I am just one of those who caffeine becomes just as much of a trigger as it does a short-term help. Yes, a strong dose of caffeine can abort one, but it will also bring on other more quickly and more strongly. Whereas, if I wean myself off very slowly, I can shorten my episodes and the number of headaches. I have no idea why it does this...but it just does.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Prense on Jan 10^th, 2004, 3:15pm

on 01/10/04 at 11:46:52, ronnieK wrote:

I guess running would accelerate or force oxigen to our lungs.

The ratio of O2 used vs intake will increase during exercise...your body is using more to maintain the activity. The more vigorous the activity, the faster this happens. The more "in shape" someone is, the less drastic the effect. I don't see where exercise would have the same effect as sucking on an O2 bottle...the effect would be the opposite. Probably more of an endorphin thing...

Chris

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Stevieray on Jan 11^th, 2004, 2:14pm

Maybe it is time to rev up the expresso machine! Then again, what about chocolate coated expresso beans? I used to use them when driving to keep me awake when on a long haul. Any thoughts?

Title: :P :PRe: COFFEE?
Post by eyecrusher on Jan 12^th, 2004, 12:36am

Coffee is the drink of the gods durring my episodes.Relpax seems to be working for me.No full blown attacks in nearly a week!!!!!!! I feel I may be able to have my nightly beers again soon :P

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Paigelle on Jan 12^th, 2004, 8:49am

Coffee helps me alot. I keep a pot ready to roll at night if needed. Also, it will make meds work quicker. Don't know why though. Just make sure your coffee is super strong and super hot.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by floridian on Jan 12^th, 2004, 11:29am

Coffee is more than just caffeine. It is a good source of choline, and is rich in anti-oxidants (on par with green tea and red wine). The hot temperature could also play a role.

Coffee in the short run is probably good for headaches in general, and CH in particular. Chronic large doses of coffee could be bad for CH, though. Somebody posted recently that high coffee consumption was even more pronounced among clusterheads than high nicotine consumption. Could be like imitrex, which provides short term relief but may actually increase the number of headaches in the long run.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by blindboy3am on Jan 12^th, 2004, 12:59pm

I started suffering from CHs two years ago and usually only during periods of Dry Climate (I live in FL so that's winter here). After the first year I gave up coffee and smoking and the next winter (last winter) I didn't have any. Well this year I was back to smoking and drinking coffee and BOOM! Here we go again. It's been a couple of weeks with two to three a day. Nothing is helping. HURRY UP SPRING!!!!!

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by TxBasslady on Jan 12^th, 2004, 1:16pm

I have to agree with Prense and 5 String on this one...the coffee definitely is a must!

And........I have never heard that caffeine can bring on a CH quicker and stronger [smiley=huh.gif]

Oh well, what do I know........... [smiley=huh.gif] Never got my Medical degree LMAO......But I damn sure got CH !!!!!!!!!!!!

PF vibes...........

Jean

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Paigelle on Jan 12^th, 2004, 2:18pm

on 01/12/04 at 13:16:40, TxBasslady wrote:

I think since we have CH, they should just give us honorary degrees in suffering. Hell, we know more about it than most doctors do anyway.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Janzokris on Jan 13^th, 2004, 2:52am

After reading everyones replies on this I tried it out, Im no a coffee drinker, but thought what the hell mite as well try it. It did sooth my CH as did having a smoke at the same time. Could this be a case of "mind over matter" go on shoot me lol I know nothing eases the pain totally but I will admit the CH did ease with the strong cup of coffee, did not go away completley but eased.

Just my tuppence worth

Janet

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Paigelle on Jan 13^th, 2004, 8:29am

on 01/13/04 at 02:52:19, Janzokris wrote:

Not mind over matter, our minds don't work during a CH. Read Floridian's post, it explains coffee a little better and its benefits.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Janzokris on Jan 13^th, 2004, 9:02am

Paigelle

Just read it, when I posted my message I was half sleeping and probably didnt realise what I was saying.....which half the time I dont.............but all advice here is taken as I am a total newbie to here and have to learn how to read as well as post ........lol
Not a great reader,

Janet

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by Paigelle on Jan 13^th, 2004, 9:15am

When you are getting hit a few times a day, you aren't suppose to be a great reader. Just being alive is all we ask for! ;;D

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by CJohnson on Jan 13^th, 2004, 10:26am

Coffee raises cortisol levels big-time.

PFDANs
-Curtis

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by t_h_b on Jan 13^th, 2004, 6:50pm

Janzokris,

The placebo effect is well proven and I have personally seen a patient have complete and instantaneous pain relief from IV saline injections.

I also think that even when a medication is truly effective, your belief that it works augments the effectiveness. Conversely, if you believe than a medication is ineffective, that belief decreases the effectiveness.

When I take Imitrex shots, they work so much faster and and are so much more effective than the studies that the manufacturer did would indicate that I have questioned whether this is the placebo effect at work. (But when I realize that I have that Imitrex "flush" it is obviously really affecting my body.)

I remembered seeing one study that seemed to indicate that clusterheads were especially susceptible to getting relief from a placebo. Don't belief that personally, but at least one researcher thought it important enough to investigate.

Caffeine certainly does help with vascular headaches, however, and a lot of headache medication contains it.

Title: Re: COFFEE?
Post by BlueMeanie on Jan 13^th, 2004, 7:41pm

For me Coffee does not abort a CH. It does help with the after-effects while coming down from one though. GOTTA HAVE COFFEE. It eases the pain and tension brought on from having an attack from the Beast.