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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Behavioral? Demographics?
        
(Message started by: marlin on Nov 15th, 2004, 10:42pm)
Title: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by marlin on Nov 15th, 2004, 10:42pm
Are almost all CH sufferers smokers or ex-smokers.  Is there a clear linkage?  I've smoked on and off for 30 years.  Quit for 7 years once and still got the CHs

I had been led to believe by far more men suffer from CHs than women?  From what I've been seeing on this board it looks to be about 50-50?

Does everyone get right-sided facial pain?

I'm right in the middle of an active period.  Don't want to go to sleep because I am certain I'll get a few wake-up calls behind my right eye socket before morning.
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by vig on Nov 15th, 2004, 10:50pm
most are smokers, but there's a few of us that aren't.  
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by E-Double on Nov 15th, 2004, 11:01pm

on 11/15/04 at 22:42:04, marlin wrote:
 Don't want to go to sleep because I am certain I'll get a few wake-up calls behind my right eye socket before morning.


Look into MELATONIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Has helped many of us wipe out the night visitors.

E.
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by nani on Nov 15th, 2004, 11:01pm
smoker
left side
all woman (well, before menopause anyway...)
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by Mr. Happy on Nov 16th, 2004, 12:00am

on 11/15/04 at 22:42:04, marlin wrote:
Are almost all CH sufferers smokers or ex-smokers.  Is there a clear linkage?  I've smoked on and off for 30 years.  Quit for 7 years once and still got the CHs

If you attend a meet, you'll think that 99% smoke, drink, and fornicate rampantly. These are mostly the attendee's, not the norm for the rest of the world.


on 11/15/04 at 22:42:04, marlin wrote:
I had been led to believe by far more men suffer from CHs than women?  From what I've been seeing on this board it looks to be about 50-50?

Your facts are false. The ratio is closer to 2.1:1 or so, clinically speaking. The ratio here on the MB is closer to 7:1 wimmen/men. It's a convenient place for feminine whining, especially since the medical community knows Wimmen Don't Get Cluster Headaches.


on 11/15/04 at 22:42:04, marlin wrote:
Does everyone get right-sided facial pain?

That's me, too.


on 11/15/04 at 22:42:04, marlin wrote:
Don't want to go to sleep because I am certain I'll get a few wake-up calls behind my right eye socket before morning.

It's a lousy club, but it's the only one we have. You're NOT feeling sleepy, You're NOT feeling sleepy, You're NOT feeling sleepy, You're NOT feeling sleepy.....

Shit,
RJ
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by BobG on Nov 16th, 2004, 3:21am

Quote:
Are almost all CH sufferers smokers or ex-smokers.

Seems that way.

Quote:
Is there a clear linkage?
 
IMHO, no. From reading this message board over the years I’ve noticed that clusterheads seem to have addictive personalities. Not just for the ‘sin’ addictions (drugs, alcohol, smoking) but for many others (chocolate, over eating, reading this board every day, etc)

Quote:
I've smoked on and off for 30 years.  Quit for 7 years once and still got the CHs

Since you quit for 7 years and still got the clusters that should tell us that there is no connection.


Quote:
I had been led to believe by far more men suffer from CHs than women?  

That is old, and false, information spread by doctors/neurologist that were trained by old, sexist doctors/neurologists that are stuck in the 1960’s.

Quote:
Does everyone get right-sided facial pain?
No. Mine have always been left sided.

Quote:
Don't want to go to sleep because I am certain I'll get a few wake-up calls behind my right eye socket before morning.
Like E. said, try Melatonin before bed.  Also try sleeping with the head elevated or reclined in the La-Z-Boy.
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by Bob P on Nov 16th, 2004, 9:58am
Side of face affected Left side ONLY 4281 35%  
Right side ONLY 5295 44%  
Both sides 2310 19%  

http://www.clusterheadaches.org/library/general/lifestyle.htm
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by sevlow on Nov 16th, 2004, 4:37pm
Absolutely have never smoked in my life, and have always stayed as far away from second hand smoke as I could manage.

Left sider here.

I only get mine during the day, all day, but sleep like a baby at night.
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by pubgirl on Nov 16th, 2004, 4:43pm

on 11/16/04 at 16:37:02, sevlow wrote:
I only get mine during the day, all day, but sleep like a baby at night.


Chris

Have I understood that right, your attacks last all day?

Wendy
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by sevlow on Nov 17th, 2004, 11:11am
Wendy,

The way mine show themselves is that I wake up in the morning feeling fine.  Then about 9:00 am shadows start coming out (Kip 1-3) lasting until around 3:00 pm when they ramp up to Kip 6-8 (if I'm lucky only that high, have maxed out a time or two) by 7:00 pm, and then hold steady there until around 9:00-10:00 pm and then they go away until the next day.

First time they appeared was September 26th.  Have had a PA, MD and Neuro all agree that it is CH.  Got the results of my MRI yesterday morning, and the brain was clean, but they found a cyst in my left tear duct that I saw an opthamologist about yesterday afternoon.  He found an infection, so has me on antibiotics to clear it up and hopefully the cyst will shink up on its own, and if I'm really lucky, the CHs will go away as well then.

You may recognize the last paragraph as it is what I also posted in my topic "Don't Mix Triptans" from yesterday.

On top of the three diagnoses from pros, I have read tons on it the past two months and taken the cluster quizes.  Everything points to CH, except for the two facts that 1) mine only occur during the day, and 2) they don't come on suddenly, and then go away after a relatively brief period (vs 12-13 hours as in my case).  I'm still researching and listening to all the input I can get in case it is something else, but looks/feels like CHs to me.

Do you have any thoughts on it?

Thanks,

Chris
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by nani on Nov 17th, 2004, 11:57am
Chris - I'm a "chronic" and shadow all day. Since I spend most of the day going about my business, I don't always notice how they come and go. I get hit relatively hard once or twice a day, and like you almost never at night. I also suffer from occasional very intense episodes. Just got over one a couple of weeks ago.
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by sevlow on Nov 17th, 2004, 12:43pm
Nani,

Yep, that's me as well.  I try to go about my day as usual the best I can, because if I let them get to me that bad I would have to quit my job, and my wife and 16 month old daughter wouldn't appreciate that.  Have a desk job, so no risk of injuring myself, except for the times I feel like whacking my head with the keyboard, and a boss who has been very understanding since they have started up.

I'm actually glad that mine occur during the day and not at night.  At least I am able to get uninterrupted rest to get ready for the next day.  Just can't imagine what it must be like for those who have to go through their day as normal, and then look forward to waking up to these things during the night.  Can't imagine a worse nightmare.

Since most cycles seem to be 6-8 weeks, I'm counting down the days to Thanksgiving, which will be 8 weeks for me, and hoping that I will find out that I am not going to be chronic.

Chris
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by don on Nov 17th, 2004, 2:32pm

Quote:
99% smoke, drink, and fornicate rampantly.


So the answer to another thread "Are there any positives to CH" is YES!
Title: Re: Behavioral? Demographics?
Post by pubgirl on Nov 17th, 2004, 4:53pm
Usual preface of I'm not a doctor and all that, but any unilateral headache, overlaid with periods of more intense clusterlike pain COULD be clusters, but equally and possibly even more likely could be a condition called Hemicrania continua. It is therefore crucial that anyone with these symptoms tries Indomethacin if they haven't already as it could be their "silver bullet" it has to be worth a few days of your life to give it a go. If it works, it works fast, days only!



http://www.achenet.org/articles/6.php

Wendy


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