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        Supporter's Corner >> Supporter's Corner >> 1st Cluster this lifetime
        
(Message started by: swpete on Jun 25^th, 2003, 2:22pm)

Title: 1st Cluster this lifetime
Post by swpete on Jun 25^th, 2003, 2:22pm

I got my first cluster attack 2 1/5 weeks ago. After suffering for about 2 weeks straight with multiple attempted cures for allergies, antibiotics for suspected sinus headaches, CT scan, MRI etc. I FINALLY GOT SOME IMITREX.

After vomitting for 7 nights straight from the pain and losing about 10 pounds from lack of sleep and not keeping dinner down, I was very scared about what was going on. I had never heard of Clusters and have never had this before in my life.

At age 33 and male can anyone help? The prednisone has gotten rid of the current episode, but will this nightmare return and why have I never had this before?

Does anyone out there know why? My Dr. doesn't know why?

I moved to the east coast 4 months ago after spending 10 years at high altitude in Colorado, and had a history of dust mite allergies before Colorado because they are not as prevalent there?

This cluster thing is a f_ _ _ing nightmare. Are everybody's eyes black and blue in the morning? Has anyone else come as close to blacking out from the pain as I have?

Will this happen again?????????????????????????? or are you all going to tell me "join the club"

I hope to God not!

Title: Re: 1st Cluster this lifetime
Post by Margi on Jun 25^th, 2003, 2:42pm

Hi, I'm going to copy and paste your post up to the General board, ok? You'll get a bigger response there.

Vomitting is not real common for clusterheads, but it could have been a reaction to the Imitrex. I hope you don't have to join the Cluster club, too.

Title: Re: 1st Cluster this lifetime
Post by cathy on Jun 26^th, 2003, 1:14pm

Swpete...Welcome aboard...sorry your suffereing...PF vibes to you.

Cathy :)

Title: Re: 1st Cluster this lifetime
Post by Ree on Jun 26^th, 2003, 7:56pm

Vomiting isnt common but does happen..........any pain can cause vomiting... probably due to the meds and lack of food etc... but severe pain has brought tears to my eyes... good luck............ ree

Title: Re: 1st Cluster this lifetime
Post by jeh on Jun 28^th, 2003, 2:57pm

swpete,
I registered my husband on this board day before yesterday because we are old fogies and he doesn't do e-mail.He has had clusters since 1962,and when he started no one he came in contact with knew what he had .When you find a physician who does,stick with him and make him try something else if the first things don't work.I answered your post because you said you were from Colorado,and I have always thought there is something having to do with oxygen involved in these headaches.My husband was a crew chief on b-52's,then cross trained,first to c-124's and then c-141's before he retired.In all the time he was on flying status,he never had a cluster while flying.His first ones came when he was going to school,lasted for 3 months,and went away by the time he was ready to fly again.Two years later,on vacation for 2 weeks,his next episode started.He had a month's leave,so by the time he was back to flying,they were gone again.That lasted for 3 years,then after being off flying status for 3 weeks for surgery for a tumor on his thyroid,he awoke from deep anesthesia screaming with a headache and they were back again.All the planes he flew in were pressurized,and I became convinced either too much,or too little oxygen helped start the headaches.He is retired now,and has episodes almost every year.Imitrex was a God send,but this last time,again after surgery,it only worked for an hour or so
To make a long story short,he has vomited,tried everything known to man and still gets them.On Wednesday,the day I registered him,his Dr, was trying eletriptan,and I nagged him into drinking lots of water.Something helped,because for 2 nights now he has not had a headache .I just pray they're gone for a while.Insurance nor VA like to pay for Imitrex,and God knows we can't .If your physician doesn't know much about clusters,it isn't unusual.Have him visit this website,medline,many others.Maybe you can educate him.God bless you.
helen hoffman

Title: Re: 1st Cluster this lifetime
Post by murazzio on Jul 5^th, 2003, 7:21pm

Hi Pete

sorry to see you had a cluster encounter. I knew what I had for years but got diagnosed only recently. My GP was very alert and almost immediately he said "cluster". I asked what it was that was happening in my head that was causing these horrific pains. He said that it had to do with the widening of some bloodvessels in your head, causing pressure on the nerves and that should be what feels so bloody painful. He said it was not sure WHAT exactly is causing these vessels to expand. He even said they weren't exactly sure why and how some medications are working, but that most of them were to prevent too much bloodflow through the vessels. The medicines I had work well for now, so keeping my fingers crossed.

Hope you don't have to be here anymore, but if you do, these wonderful people will be here to help and advise.

wish you all PFDAN