Hello All!

I have spent the last few years suffering from headaches I believed to be cluster headaches. I recently saw a neurologist with 25 years in headache speciality who has suggested I might have a condition know as Hemicrania Continua, which are very similar to Clusters. The way you decide whether or not it is Hemicrania Continua is by taking indomethacine, a strong anti-inflammitory medicine. The problem is the use of this medicine long term causes horrible GI problems. Before trying this medicine I was taking up to 3 Immitrex a day! I have also tried Topamax, Metroprlol, ect. I cant stand the side effects of all these medications. I am only 22 years old and I strongly believe there has to be natural alternatives to help these headache conditions. I currently take Melatonin at night and I try to take Cayenne vitamins daily, but they sometimes hurt my stomach. I mostly eat healthy, try to stay as organic as I can, but I am sure you all know how expensive that can be. I know there has to be others out there who feel the same as me, so please if anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear about them. Thank you all and best wishes!

Holli   ;D

Oxygen.

   Potter

I understand that oxygen can abort a headache but I was thinking more along the lines of a natural preventative treatment....

I honestly don't know how to get more natural than oxygen. You are using it in large amounts as you read this.  Depends upon how badly you are hurting I suppose.

Try shrooms or RC seeds - also natural and very effective for many with CH's.

Marc

Since Indocin is the confirming test for HC, it would make sense to take it for a short time to see IF it does stop your attacks. Only then do you need to deal with the decision about longer term use.

Indocin is not "Drano" and the dose for HC is modest. Gut problems are not automatic and many people have used it for years without difficulty. AND, worst outcome, if you do have some side effect in your gut, there are protective meds you can use to control the problems without having to give up the benefits of the Indocin. The other benefit is that generic Indocin is dirt cheap, especially when compared to the abortives for Cluster H.

Bottom line:until you have a firm diagnosis, any questions about alternative meds is premature. Do the Indocin trial and then the other questions can be handled.

Hiya Holliwood  8-),

For Cluster headache I think I'd start with RC (Rivea Corymbosa) seeds as Marc suggested.

Now there's something natural for you, and it's a preventative.

There are also some cluster guys and cluster gals around here who feel that Kudzu (herb) has helped them. I seem to have some vague recollection that Kudzu might interfere with RC though (?) Maybe someone can pipe in here regarding that.

Meantime, what's the harm in sniffing some O2 to abort CH attacks while finding the right preventative?

I've been eating the most incredibly healthy diet - organic, blah blah for a good 15 years or so now. As with many people on good diets I started because my health was poor, in my case due to overuse of Prednisone for CH.

Anyway, FWIW, though a good diet is a preventative for a myriad of serious health probs, I don't tend to think of it as having much sway over CH.

Hwood0519 wrote on Oct 27^th, 2009 at 9:16pm:

I understand that oxygen can abort a headache but I was thinking more along the lines of a natural preventative treatment....

It's doesn't get anymore "natural" than oxygen my friend.  You don't ingest anything.  You just breathe.  I have yet to try it myself, but i'm confident when another cycle starts not only will it help aborting hits, but it will help the way the rc seeds work.

bejeeber wrote on Oct 29^th, 2009 at 2:21am:

Hiya Holliwood  8-)I seem to have some vague recollection that Kudzu might interfere with RC though (?) Maybe someone can pipe in here regarding that.

Kudzu will interfere according to Clusterbusters.

Kudzu:
"Anecdotal evidence suggests that kudzu can block the effects of psilocybin; one person reports that taking a normal dose of kudzu for a week completely blocked the psychological and physical effects of 1.5 grams of psilocybin mushrooms. Those interested in the Clusterbuster approach should consider the strong possibility that kudzu will interfere with that therapeutic approach."

Chad..I've spouted off enough on this site about my aversion to pharmaceuticals, so I won't beat that dead horse anymore.  I have chronic CH, but I've been using Kudzu Root (1000 mg, 2 before bedtime) and Taurine (500 mg.) thruout the day, along with head and neck massage, and Simply Saline to keep the nasal passages clear.  This is as natural as I could get.  (Aside from O2, which I haven't tried as yet)  However, my headaches are at a tolerable level using this regimen...less hits and when I have them, the longevity has been lessened dramatically.
Someone else mentioned using a dissolvable D-3 lozenger that stopped his headache..???   We don't get enough D vitamins anyway, so that wouldn't hurt to try as well.
Good luck Chad.

Sorry, thought I was talking to Chad.  Good luck Holliwood, and hey, Good luck Chad too...good luck EVERYONE.  How's that?
(I did too much acid in the 70's, only working on half a brain cell)

grace wrote on Oct 29^th, 2009 at 7:50am:

Someone else mentioned using a dissolvable D-3 lozenger that stopped his headache..???   We don't get enough D vitamins anyway, so that wouldn't hurt to try as well.

I gave this a go on 4 separate occasions. Didn't work one iota for me.

Quote:

Bottom line:until you have a firm diagnosis, any questions about alternative meds is premature. Do the Indocin trial and then the other questions can be handled.

Ditto
the bb

vitamin D3 :D :D :D

Ditto to Bob and The bb.  If it is determined to be CH I would suggest Kudzu unless you want to go the psychoactive Clusterbuster route.  I've not done the seeds or the shrooms, so I can't speak to them, but I know several who have and have done very well with them.

I'm using Natures Way Kudzu, 613mg capsules x2 at each meal.  I've been chronic for several years now, but since going to this dosage I rarely have to use my O2 unless I forget to dose.  The only side effect I've found with it is a little bit of gas, but that is no price to pay for the relief I've gotten.

However, I cannot stress strongly enough, get a GOOD diagnosis first.  There are to many things out there that can mimic some of our symptoms, but can be deadly.  Be sure what it is you are dealing with.  Besides, why start a regimen of treatment for a situation you may not even have?
JMHO
Jerry

Unfortunatly I have had a skin reaction to the Indocine and broke out in blisters and a rash that looks like large burns after only 2 days of taking the medicine. So I have to talk to the doctor about where we go from here as far as diagnosing me with hemicrania continua or clusters. Thank you all who understood my question and replied.  :)

I have been having reasonable results with hydrogen peroxide. (Remember to use a few drops of FOOD grade in good water.) It seems to increase the oxygen content of the the physical body. (There is definitely, definitely some link between these types of headaches and oxygen.) Has anybody found a good reason why oxygen, in one form or another, helps?
YOURS IN LOVES, DANiEL

Drinking a shot of peroxide has less free oxygen than a breath - and it is highly caustic. If it has any effect, it is from a very different mechanism than breathing pure oxygen.

Quote:

Has anybody found a good reason why oxygen, in one form or another, helps?

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I will pass on the peroxide.
Hope all is well with you Daniel
the bb