Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


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

        New Message Board Archives >> Jul-Sep 2003 >> Hi everybody
        
(Message started by: Moni74 on Sep 9^th, 2003, 10:04am)

Title: Hi everybody
Post by Moni74 on Sep 9^th, 2003, 10:04am

I stumbled accross this site by accident and when I read Jeff's post on the front page, I was amazed. This was EXACTLY, almost to the letter, what happened to me about a month ago... but let me start at the beginning.

I've had headaches ever since I can remember. They developed into a full-fleged migraine when I entered my teenages. After several years of various medications, none of which had the desired effect, my lady doctor tried long-term acupuncture in the ears with me and it worked. Ever since 1995, I go for acupuncture when I notice the first signs and up until this summer, it worked fine.

I went again about a month ago, the migraine subsided, but two days later I wake up at night thinking "What the heck?" and that was the last coherent thought I had in... I don't know... half an hour, maybe an hour. I lost all feeling for time or my surroundings. Excruciating pain in the right side of my head, my right eye tearing and felt like swollen shut, the nose starting running on the right side and I simply couldn't do anything else than sit and cower in a fetal position, rocking back and forth whimpering until all of a sudden, it was subsiding. I finally was able to lay down again and I was felt so drained, I slipped off into sleep immediately.

Come morning, I felt a bit like my head was stuffed with cotton balls, but otherwise fine. No pain at all. But I rejoiced too early. For four consecutive nights, I had to endure this pain. Almost like a clock, it started at 2 in the morning. I was afraid to go to bed. The third night, I woke my husband because I was so freaked out I wanted him to take me to the emergency room. By the time he got ready, the pain was gone again and we never went. After those four nights, I looked like I was partying all weekend with little sleep and lots of booze.

My family made me see the doctor (my lady doctor was on vacation so I went to see her subsitute) and I told her the story. I really was afraid I had a brain tumor or something like that. This pain wasn't at all like migraine pain. She only went "Ah well, your migraine obviously returned - go see your acupuncture doctor." And then she started to ask me whether I felt like I had a sinusitis because she couldn't explain herself my runny nose during the attack. I even asked her whether she thought it could be a cluster headache (I've heard of it when I researched treatments for my migraine) and she acted as if she never heard of it. Jeez.

Reading what some of you have to endure, I guess I've been very lucky so far. And I fervently hope that it's never going to return again. Never ever.

I made up my mind to go see another doctor about it, though. Just haven't had the time for an appointment yet. Maybe I'll hang around here a bit and learn more about cluster headaches. I'm starting to think that what I had really was a cluster attack.

Anyway, nice to meet y'all. :)

Title: Re: Hi everybody
Post by echo on Sep 9^th, 2003, 10:46am

Glad you were able to find the site to search for the answer of migraine, cluster or a combination of both.

Not surprising that the GP didn't know much, or anything, about CH. I once read that the average GP had about an hours worth of training covering headaches in general.

Hope you find the answer.

Title: Re: Hi everybody
Post by Roxy on Sep 9^th, 2003, 10:47am

Hello Moni, and welcome. You might want to take the cluster quiz over on the left, that might help. Sorry this has happened to you, but you'll find tons of info on this site to help you and your doctor fight the good fight. Make sure you read the oxygen info....it' the cheapest and easiest abortive around. Verapamil and imitrex are your next best bets.

Just read, and read, and read.....all the info is good and will really help.

PFDAN,
Tracey

Title: Re: Hi everybody
Post by Linda T on Sep 9^th, 2003, 11:16am

Hi Moni and welcome. Unfortunately, your story is all too familiar.

You'll find the help and support you need here. Stick around.

Wishing you all PFDAN always, Linda T

Title: Re: Hi everybody
Post by Cooked Brain on Sep 9^th, 2003, 11:59am

nice to meet you too moni, welcome to the board ;D

Title: Re: Hi everybody
Post by Moni74 on Sep 9^th, 2003, 12:21pm

Thanks for your warm welcome guys. :)

I'll definitely look into the oxygen thing. Sounds good to me... if it helps. I turned to acupuncture against my migraine because I literally couldn't stomach all those heavy migraine drugs anymore. Didn't want to live with the consequences of not being able to drive a car for an extended period of time or hanging around in a pink haze all day. Not my cup o' tea.

As far as your other suggestions are concerned, Roxy, I'm German and I don't know whats available here and if it's sold under the same name. I'll see what my doc's got to say about all of this. But I'm already afraid that she'll be as blank as her sub in this department.

Title: Re: Hi everybody
Post by Cooked Brain on Sep 9^th, 2003, 12:52pm

sorry to say this moni, but if you get hit every couple of hours, lose your sleep AND your life believe me: you WILL take the meds...

I have occasional migraines too but they are almost just like a tasty snack compared to the clusters I have endured...

hope the oxygen works for you!

Title: Re: Hi everybody
Post by stevegeebe on Sep 9^th, 2003, 6:17pm

And they just keep comming. I'm amazed.

Welcome Moni to the eye of your storm.

Steve G

Title: Re: Hi everybody
Post by cootie on Sep 9^th, 2003, 10:27pm

Hi Moni74.....hope you can find somethin that works and gives you relief and most important....a doc knowledgeable enuff to do that for ya !! Good luck...print out info here and take it with you ! Pam that would hate ta have ta go to a 'I dunno' doc

Title: Re: Hi everybody
Post by Charlie on Sep 9^th, 2003, 10:32pm

Welcome aboard and sorry you had need to find us. At least you're with people who really do know what it's like. I hope you stick around. There are a lot of good ideas here about handling this horror.

Here are two links: One for a technique I found effective and a second link to a description of this disease which does a wonderful job explaining to employers and others that this has nothing to with what is thought of as a “headache.”

http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/

http://www.ouch-uk.org/ch/note_colleagues.cfm

Let us know how things are going.

Charlie

Title: Re: Hi everybody
Post by OneEyeBlind on Sep 10^th, 2003, 4:25am

Welcome to the board Moni. Sorry to hear the beast may be knocking on your door. Take the cluster quiz and if you truly believe it is clusters get back to the doc. Educate them if you need to, but you WILL want something to abort the attack should they start up again !! Good luck !!!!!