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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Smoking
        
(Message started by: beasley on Feb 12^th, 2004, 11:45am)

Title: Smoking
Post by beasley on Feb 12^th, 2004, 11:45am

I have read some very contradictory information about smoking and cluster headaches. It seems that most studies that I have read mention that most suffers are smokers. Some articles suggest that quitting helps in the treatment of clusters while others say it does not.

While I am only in my second week of kicking a half a pack a day habit I am hopeful it may also help with the clusters. Any ex-smokers have any positive experiences?

Title: Re: Smoking
Post by thomas on Feb 12^th, 2004, 2:21pm

Sometimes a smoke can stop a ch from building up to the next level. I used to always smoke right after "surviving" an attack myself. But I don't smoke anymore.......... we'll just have to wait and see what happens next. ;;D

Title: Re: Smoking
Post by bobkip on Feb 12^th, 2004, 2:27pm

Quit twice for 3 months, didn't bother the beast at all.
Kip

Title: Re: Smoking
Post by pubgirl on Feb 12^th, 2004, 3:05pm

I just heard that terrifying 90% of the UK clusterheads surveyed were smokers. This is such an outrageous statistical proportion is HAS to be significant and to my mind, there HAS to be some kind of link. I know giving up doesn't cure them, and smoking doesn't cause them but.........

Floridian

I believe I read somewhere that there is a theory floating about around CH hypothalamus abnormality and propensity for addiction, or other reasons (as in the deficiencies in vitamins/minerals etc you have already posted on) why CHers might be more prone to addiction/find it less easy to give up. Any chance you could summarise it into idiot language and bullet points for me?

Wendy

Might be utterly irrelevant, but I am sure the anti-smoking drug Zyban blocked a brewing cycle for me (didn't give up smoking though and the cycle arrived shortly after I stopped taking the Zyban)

Title: Re: Smoking
Post by floridian on Feb 12^th, 2004, 3:39pm

Was going to post something, but my computer/brain malfunctioned, and I am a bit muddled. Apologies if a repost.

Wendy's right - not a 1:1 correlation, but a strong association. Some people who never smoke get clusters. Quitting doesn't guarantee the pain will lessen.

The numbers I saw were 25% of the general public, 75% of clusterheads smoke. Could be higher - 90%? Wow. The number crunchers tell us the relationship is "highly statistically signficant" which means the association is not a matter of chance. There is a cause-and-effect. But what?

Some docs think smoking is the leading cause of clusters. They may be right. It could be that nicotine messes up our acetylcholine chemistry, which causes clusters (along with some other defect that makes us special - afterall, not everyone who smokes gets clusters!) An alternative theory is that a disruption in our neurotransmitters makes us more susceptible to nicotine addiction (it 'hits the spot' more in us than the average person) , or that we are self medicating in response to pain.

In general, it's a good idea to quit.

One article suggests that smoking and drinking (and cussing like a sailor) increases the risk of converting to chronic.

Quote:

The reasons for evolution of episodic cluster headache to chronic are still unknown, but some factors, such as head trauma and other lifestyle factors--eg, cigarette smoking and alcohol intake--have been suggested as having a negative influence on the course of cluster headache over time.

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2002 Feb;6(1). What predicts evolution from episodic to chronic cluster headache?

If people other than beasley aren't gonna quit, consider risk reduction strategies (gum, lozenge, chewing tobacco). Still putting nicotine in the blood, but not fouling the lungs, causing emphysma, lung cancer. No carbon monoxide to damage the heart. In general, 90% of the damage from smoking is from the tar, not the nicotine. Chewing tobacco is pretty high in nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic and which also donate nitrogen to nitric oxide (inflammitory in CH).

Not saying that nicotine is a benign substance, but it doesn't cause most of the disease that comes to mind when you think "sick smoker." And my perspective is "just say no" is less rational than risk reduction. You don't want your 12 year old kid to go joyriding, but if they do, you hope they buckle their seat belt and stop at traffic lights. Not everyone will say no, so give them a middle alternative. In cluster headache pain, nicotine may be important in different ways- maybe it does mess the neurotransmitters. But I don't think we know.

Well, that's my 2 cents.

And good luck beasley - I hope quitting helps you.

Title: Re: Smoking
Post by Bob P on Feb 12^th, 2004, 3:53pm

In my readings I ran accross an article dealing with alcoholism and serotonin.

For years now I have suggested that smoking has nothing to do with clusters, rather, the same malfunction that causes the clusters also causes us to have addictive personalities.

Been to 3 OUCH conventions. At each one 95% were smokers and just about as many hit the booze real hard too.

Clusters don't cause smoking.
Smoking doesn't cause clusters.
A messed up hypothalamus causes both clusters and addictive personalities.
That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

Title: Re: Smoking
Post by ave on Feb 12^th, 2004, 5:51pm

Bob, I'd agree if you would top calling it an "addictive personality". That seems a thing you can do somehing about. It is not very man/woman who can rise above their endiorphins.

They are the ones to crucify! But on the whole you are right, I believe (that's no proof, I know!) and it's the messed up or deformed hypthalamus that causes clusters and endorphin malfunction.