Quite a few of you have told me not to waste my money on accupuncture, however, my neurologist is pushing it.  Has anyone out there had any success at all with accupuncture, and those of you who haven't, may I ask how many treatments you had before you shitcanned it?  I know everyone reacts differently to specific pain meds/herbs, etc., I just don't want to be looking for relief in all the wrong places, i.e. accupuncture, if it truly is a waste of time and $.  Any feedback is welcomed.

Whenever something, be it substance or practice, brings relief to clusterheads, you usually hear about it in spades here. Some of those are and have been:

• Oxygen
  
• Triptans
  
• Verapamil
  
• Lithium
  
• Olanzypine
  
• Psychedelics
  

I have to say I've never heard sung the praises of accupuncture for treatment of CH. Kind of falls into the same category as chiropractic. Both are useful, but more or less powerless against CH.

That said, if it helps you, who am I to condemn it?

Does that make sense?

THANK YOU Brew for your input!  And yes, what you said makes absolute sense. 
I know when I spoke of accupunctue before (without having had it) several people said not to waste my money.  No one has responded to this question other than you.  So it makes me wonder if ANYONE has seriously tried accupuncture and IF THEY HAVE, why they're not responding and telling me their experience...good, bad, or ugly. 
Again Brew...thank you for the words.  I'll let you know what I decide as to whether or not to keep this appt. and if I do, if it brings any relief.  Have a great day!

grace wrote on Oct 20^th, 2009 at 7:50am:

THANK YOU Brew for your input!  And yes, what you said makes absolute sense.  I know when I spoke of accupunctue before (without having had it) several people said not to waste my money.  No one has responded to this question other than you.  So it makes me wonder if ANYONE has seriously tried accupuncture and IF THEY HAVE, why they're not responding and telling me their experience...good, bad, or ugly.  Again Brew...thank you for the words.  I'll let you know what I decide as to whether or not to keep this appt. and if I do, if it brings any relief.  Have a great day!

I have considered it in the past, but was persuaded from this group that it is indeed "a waste of money and time".  The only reason I believed that because I went to a chiro for about 6 months and it did absolutely nothing for me so I based it off of that.
I also had some sacral cranial therapy done and it again did nothing.  I'll stick with the psychedelics :)

Thanks Chad. 
I did enough psychedelics in the 70's that you'd think I'd be cluster free for a lifetime.  I found the page on the RC seeds a couple of weeks ago, but now I can't seem to locate it again.  Help?  I get lost in a round room, so navigation isn't my strong point.
You know what's weird...my clusters didn't start until AFTER going to the chiropractor 21 visits total.  I thought he caused this friggin pain by snapping my neck like a twig. I was convinced I had a pinched nerve because of this or something.  I do believe chiropracty does have it's place, but my Neuro totally disagrees.  Anyway, thanks for your thoughts and if you could direct me to the RC seeds, I'd be grateful.

Grace,

Here's the most popular site.

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

BTW, seeds have little to no side affects.

I tried acupuncture about 35 years ago. I had maybe 5 or 6 sessions with no change in that particular episode. I would have liked to have had a CH while having a treatment but that never happened but it may have been interesting. I just wanted to see if it might abort a head ache.
If you are taking a vote put me down as a no.

Jim

Tried it some years ago. Snake oil.[smiley=twocents.gif]

Numerous treatments years ago.

Useless.

Yep tried it about 3 year ago.
Did nothing for me; would have thought being a chronic if anything was going to happen it would show, result ZIP.

It got expensive for the Acupuncturist as well; I also have Restless limb syndrome & every time I had a muscle contraction I would bend the gold needles, they'd go in straight & come out looking like a fish hook.

Cheers
Barry

Well, thank you all for your input.  I cancelled the appt. due to your responses, plus the fact that I could not find out anything on this particular accupuncturist.  I like to know who I'm going to before I let them experiment on me.  (This was all set up by my Neuro) 
I know I can always find answers here and I thank you for the support.

OK  . . . Reluctantly going to give my first response to this subject which has come up many times since I've been here (2/02).

I did have a positive response from a practitioner . . . well known in Chattanooga.  His practice has always been word-of-mouth.  He was 3rd generation accupuncturist, herbalist (huge apothecary), martial artist (could do things that defied physics), and had a PHd in Philosophy . . . was in his 60s.

I saw him three times a week for at least six weeks (traveling 80 miles one-way to do so).  The purpose was not primarily for CH, but for my battle with cancer.  I always had a B tank and regulator/mask in a backpack next to the treatment table . . . never had to use it during a session and attacks overall were reduced.  Plus, every visit, I would be given several zip-lock bags with "BBs" (small round black herbs of some sort) and other supplements (all in Chinese of course) . . . some of the herbs may have been kudzu . . . don't know.  Every visit was like a first exam . . . he would refer to a small index card to verify the main complaint and then start checking for changes in circulation and whatever else and would make changes in needle location and herbal supplements . . . the only constant needle position were the needles in the wrists (I think those must be the ones that almost knock you out) . . . 20-30 needles per visit, about 20 minutes on your back, then change needles and roll over on stomach for more needles and another 20 minutes.  The needles he used were sterile needles in blister packs which, if you didn't want them, he tossed in the garbage (I have quite a collection from 1/2" to 3")

The experience was positive for me.  After a year of minor surgeries and treatments, I was in a weakened state.  The treatments/herbs that Dr. Wong provided made me stronger and better able to handle the major surgery (bladder & prostate removal) which followed . . . I have never regretted the time or money spent.

That being said, there are good and bad "docs" in all fields . . . and if you're going the Chinese medicine route, you can't go to your local pharmacist or Rxlist.com and check for side-effects or complications which might occur from interactions with modern meds.

Anyway, that was my experience.

   Be Safe,   PFDANs

      Richard

Thank you Richard.  I'm really glad you had a positive experience and things worked out well for you.  When my mom had Lou Gehrigs I took her numerous times for accupuncture on the hopes that it would help.  Unfortunately, I believe that's one disease that holds no hope no matter what you try. 
I may revisit this down the road, but with a different accupuncturist...one who has a good reputation.  I do know if you've been on alot of meds (pharmaceuticals) it takes more sessions to clear the body of the chemicals.  For now, the kudzu and Taurine seem to have changed the severity of my clusters.  And that's always a good thing.  But I found your response very interesting and I thank you for it.  Wishing you the best........   

Hi,  I also have to say I'm pretty sure it worked for me, I was a chronic, for over 3 years, was on the o2 and a hand full of pills 3 times a day,plus the Imitrex injections, and Zomig tabs. I started Acupuncture for my hip pain, and it helped, so I kept going in 2x a week for 6 weeks. and I was CH free. I didn't know if it was the end of the cycle or not till I stopped going in for 3 months, after 2 months they came back. After a month of hell, I went back, after only 2 sessions there gone again. Now, almost a year later, my O2 tank still stands watch, next to the bed, with dust on the valve. I cant say 100% that acupuncture is what made them stop, I'm just so thankful they did, and ill keep my fingers crossed there gone for good. Ill keep going in once a week, and see what happens. Also, I did try some of the herbs a few years ago, and they didn't seem to work for me. It does take some time to work, like the herbs, so you have to stick with it.
  Scott.

after suffering for 39 years, since I was 17, I was just properly diagnosed a few weeks ago. After returning several medications I read about melatonin and started taking 9mg a nite. The next day was attack free. On the 4th day of this self treatment, I went to an accupuncturist. It is hard to find anyone with knowledge of the cluster problem and they seem to take a completely different approach. Let me say this, I use accupuncture for other problems but never again will I use it for cluster headaches.
The next 3 days were very hard on me. continual use of the melatonin has me attack free again. I still get some phantoms and threats, but it is very easy to handle.
may be using accupuncture when not in cycle, may help though.

I'm now a little interested in it. I do notice that if I put a lot of pressure on the main pressure point in my neck, I get almost absolute relief from CH pain. Its impossible to maintain, and the pressure is painful too.

Its where your neck meets your head, in the back. A chiropractor showed me it once, yet I rarely use it. You kind of push up and in just below the 'lump', right where your skull and neck meet. (couldn't find its name on google.)

I use a pain specialist here in Charleston. He is medically licensed in chiropractic and has an acupuncturist on site. So I have tried both on numerous occasions(yearly). I continue now with chiropractic as it helps with some work-related aches and pains. But I had no success with either for treatment of my CH. But, as I realize all cases of CH are different, I would never say don't try it. What does not work for me, might be your saving grace. Best of luck. Many PF wishes.

Much Luv, 8-)
Pfunk