Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


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

        New Message Board Archives >> Jul-Sep 2003 >> Is there a link?
        
(Message started by: Dpactech on Jul 17^th, 2003, 11:08pm)

Title: Is there a link?
Post by Dpactech on Jul 17^th, 2003, 11:08pm

Being new here I am not sure if this has already been discussed or not. If it has please direct me to the loction that I can get the information on that discussion.

I was wondering being as CH is often on one side of the head only and has been discribed as a neurological disorder. If there is some logic as to why it occurs on that particular side.

So my theory is it occurs on the "weaker" side of brain.
If this was true then you would feel the pain on the same side as your dominate hand.

This is true in my case as I am left handed and feel the pain on the left side.

Please let me know if this is the case for you as well.

Just trying to get an understanding of what is going on.

Thanks

Title: Re: Is there a link?
Post by BobG on Jul 18^th, 2003, 3:38am

Here’s some copy/paste information from the OUCH site (italicized)
http://www.clusterheadaches.com/about.html#CLINICAL%20FEATURES

Quote:

I was wondering being as CH is often on one side of the head only and has been discribed as a neurological disorder. If there is some logic as to why it occurs on that particular side.

neurological disorder? Hhmmmm….ok. Vascular dilatation puts press on the trigeminal nerve = pain. I have never heard of a “logic” as to why it picks one side over the other.

autonomic symptoms, although clinically apparent unilaterally, are present bilaterally, quantitaively more so on the symptomatic side (Saunte, 1984; Sjaastad et al, 1981).

Quote:

So my theory is it occurs on the "weaker" side of brain.
If this was true then you would feel the pain on the same side as your dominate hand.
This is true in my case as I am left handed and feel the pain on the left side.

I’m right handed and my pain has always been on the left side.

It is always unilateral, and generally affects the same side in subsequent bouts. However, it may shift to the corresponding region of the opposite side in 15 percent of patients (Manzoni et al, 1983b), usually for the duration of a bout, less often switching sides within a bout.

Title: Re: Is there a link?
Post by aprilbee on Jul 18^th, 2003, 8:02am

My pain switches sides in the middle of a cycle, it has always been that way, I guess my brain is just generally week? ;D ;)

Title: Re: Is there a link?
Post by BobG on Jul 18^th, 2003, 8:21am

Aprilbee.......Congratulations ;D

Clusterheads are .001 percent of the population.

15 percent of those have the pain change sides.

Of the 15 percent a few have the pain change sides during a bout.

That puts you somewhere at .00001 percent of the population.

You are a very rare duck! :D

Title: Re: Is there a link?
Post by aprilbee on Jul 18^th, 2003, 8:48am

GREAT!! I feel so unique!! When I took that cluster survey, I did notice that the percentage of 2 sided CH was low. Maybe I should start my own website? But I guess according to the percentages it wouldn't be a very popular site.

Title: Re: Is there a link?
Post by Bob P on Jul 18^th, 2003, 8:51am

Doc Goadsby's theory is that CH originates in the hypothalmic grey matter. His scans show activation of the hypothalmic grey matter on the same side of the hypothalamus as the headache. This activation does not show up when other types of pain are induced so he concludes that the activation is not caused by the pain but rahter the activation causes the vascular changes which cause the pain.

Which side of your hypo is fucked up is the question.

Title: Re: Is there a link?
Post by aprilbee on Jul 18^th, 2003, 9:14am

Apparrently BOTH!! :-/

Title: Re: Is there a link?
Post by jimbo on Jul 18^th, 2003, 10:20am

My wife says if the weaker side of the brain theory were true, I shouldn't get these fucking headaches. ;D

Right handed (In the shower anyway)LOL
Pain, always left side.

Seeya,

Jimbo

Title: Re: Is there a link?
Post by Dpactech on Jul 19^th, 2003, 11:14am

Thanks for the replies and the info. I appreciate the aid in my effort to better understand CH.

There is a ton of material to read around here (in posts and links)
I am starting to get through some of it.

I dislike not knowing exactly what is causing or triggering my CH (or what exactly is happing during) attacks almost as much as the attacks them selves.

I will continue to read on and ask the occasional question.
Thanks again.

Title: Re: Is there a link?
Post by forgetfulnot on Jul 19^th, 2003, 1:39pm

Right handed, left side here, but I shoot shotguns & rifles left handed also. Pistols right handed, Mean anything? Who knows.

Lee