I don't know if there is a connection or not, but I have found that recently (last 3 yrs) that my CHs come during strange spikes in Hormones. 

In 2005 I was pregnant with my first child and had only 1 set of CHs in the beginning of pregnancy.  I didn't have a cluster again until 2007 when my cycled started up after having breastfed for a year.  I then had 1 single occurance of a headache in 2008.  Became pregnant again in 2008.  Next cluster was right before my child was born in early 2009, and now have stopped breastfeeding a year later and the clusters have started back.

I figured there has to be a connection, even though I did not see this pattern in earlier years.  Any thoughts?

I had a hysterectomy and nothing changed with my ch.  My migraines almost stopped completly.  I went from 12 migraines a month to 1 every year in the fall.  So I would say my migraines were hormonaly triggered but my ch no.

My thoughts:

Men usually get CH in thier late teens/early twenties when testosterone is running rampant.  CH often stops later in life when testosterone is taking a nose dive.

Women usually get CH later in life when estrogen is taking a nose dive.

Those who develope CH later in life tend to be chronic rather than episodic.

Are there dots to connect?  Heck if I know!

Bob P wrote on Mar 2^nd, 2010 at 7:26am:

My thoughts: Men usually get CH in thier late teens/early twenties when testosterone is running rampant.  CH often stops later in life when testosterone is taking a nose dive. Women usually get CH later in life when estrogen is taking a nose dive. Those who develope CH later in life tend to be chronic rather than episodic. Are there dots to connect?  Heck if I know!

And then there is yet another class with low testerone that find release with testerone therapy.  It's a real crap shoot out there.

-Dennis-

I've had clusters for 18 yrs (chronic) and only time I have been med and pain free is when I was pregnant, once in 2003 and again in 2005 they came back 2 weeks after I delivered. Nicest 18 mo ever!!

My thought is the answer is a very definite maybe!

There are so many of us who have such widely diverging characteristics that I don't think you can say yes or no to this one. 

Bob's post followed by Dennis's is a prime example of it.  Mine started when I was a teen (episodic) and went chronic when in my 40's.  I started hormone therapy some months ago and found some success.  Not as much as Dennis and Paul, but a marked difference.

Jerry

I hope I thoroughly muccied the waters for you enough with that! :D

amandaN wrote on Mar 18^th, 2010 at 8:42pm:

I've had clusters for 18 yrs (chronic) and only time I have been med and pain free is when I was pregnant, once in 2003 and again in 2005 they came back 2 weeks after I delivered. Nicest 18 mo ever!!

Man that would ALMOST make me want to have another baby!

That was the advice given to me by my neuro a few years ago when I told him the only time I'd skipped a cycle was when I was up the duff.     Didn't think it was so funny at the time  ::)

I've been wondering the same thing. I used
to notice that whenever I ovulated or my period started that is when I'd start to feel the pain starting. But it wasn't every month and I was in my early 20s. Only got it once every 8 months or so and only for 3 days continuously. Now it only goes away for a week or so and I have this excruciating pain and red eye for weeks, months straight. I'm 43 years old now, so have been dealing with it for over 21 years and just this past October, my new general doctor finally gave me a diagnosis, then I found this site. Am still waiting for Neurology to call me and my doc has even put in a 2nd request. I have to wear sunglasses all of the time and take over 4,000 mg of Tylenol a day, and sometimes up to 5,000 or 6,500 mg daily for over 3 weeks. Not good, but between this pain in my eye or my liver, my eye wins.

6,500 mg Tylenol a day?? You should do some reading here quickly, for you are ruining your stomach and liver with totally ineffective drugs for CH.

1) Click on the "Ouch website" link on the left of this page to find a headache specialist in your area. First step towards proper diagnosis and the development of a strategy for abortive, transitional and preventative treatment.

2) If you are still waiting to see a specialist, stop taking useless OTC meds in these dosages and ask your doc for a sample of Imitrex injections. They often have them as samples and if they work you are one step closer to identifying that you are dealing with CH. Get a prescription if they work and then also get a prescription for O2 (while reading the "Oxgen Info" tab on the left of this page to ensure that you are using it correctly).