Hello everyone,
My name is Paul and I am on my 15th straight day of CH.  I feel like the world is crashing down on me.  I have had these headaches for 23 years and believe it or not, was not diagnosed correctly until 2 years ago.
Right now the only med that works for me is Imitrex shots...down to 2 shots left....and doctors appt isn't for another 3 days........shoot me now !!!!!
I just quickly browsed some topics and I am looking or some advice if my shots run out. Plzzzzz helllllllppppp meeeeeee.
Does the water water water method really help?  Is there anything else i can try? 
At this point, I just want to give up....feels like my family and my job especially can not understand this torture I am going through......ANY advice i receive will be WELCOME.

Sorry....after reading other newbie posts....i omitted some relevant info:
I am 37 years old and live on Long Island.  Have 2 wonderful kids.
I believe I am what is known as an "episodic" sufferer in that my clusters usually "go away" for months.
My last attack period was in the summer of 2008.....woot almost 2 years pain free....oh but did i mention that attack period lasted 43 straight days?  :(

To extend your Imitrex use the link below.
START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE
On the left side of this screen, where you click on the 'message board' are some more links. Read the "oxygen info". Oxygen (O2) is one of the best abortives available, and is safer than meds.

Many find slamming energy drinks or coffee can stop individual CH attacks. Other meds we use as prventatives are, Verapamil, Lithium, Topamax, Kudzu, but everyone is different so finding what works for you takes time and effort.

Welcome to CH.com & Good Luck,
Don

Hey there ripblade!  I can believe the undiagnosed for 20 years.  I think I had the same thing.

Welcome to the website and the club nobody wants to join, but welcome anyways.  There is a ton of great reading here and people have had luck with all sorts of things including lots of water it would seem.  Too much to list, so follow a bunch of strands and see what people are saying. 

Here is my summary of what I read and then others can fill in what I forget.  Some things will work better for some than others so really read up and see if they are right for you:
-Oxygen works for most people, read up on it and make your doctor prescribe it.
-energy drinks seem highly regarded if taken right at the start of your attack.  I get by with coffee or cola but most people hit the redbull etc.
-START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE seems to have great success, lots to read there too. 
-several pharmacuetical options, but I haven't tried them so can't help.

Keep reading and good luck!!  You can get a handle on this if you really get after it.  Knowing your body and timing of the pain is one of the biggest hurdles to minimizing the CH.  Spend your waking, pain free time here for a day or 2 and see what makes sense.  You'll get lots of advice.

--Shaggy

Ripblade, welcome to a place you can always get support from others who do understand your pain.  There is a ton of info on this site, just research everywhere and anywhere..seek and you shall find.  Need to take a look at a few things in particular...start with page 1.  Understand what CH's are and be able to intelligently speak to doctors, family, employers, etc.  Read up on o2 and get yourself some ASAP!!!  Try the Imitrex tip recommended, should help you spread out your doses over the next couple days.  Water?...works for some, try it!  There is a page called "letter to employer" or something like that, print it and give to those who are close to you so they can better understand, it is very well written.  You will need to understand the differences of transitional, preventative and abortive meds...each category is unique and important to your proper therapy.  There are youtube videos that also may be helpful for you to understand you are not alone and to share with any family or friends that you are close to, so they understand you are not the only 1 in the world suffering like this.  No doubt about it, this is a living nightmare, we all have battled and we all are still here today, including YOU, hang in there and come here not only to read, learn and print valuable info to share with doctors, family, etc...but also come here to vent, seek advice, etc.  Welcome aboard, this place is called Clusterville and we are called Clusterheads and this CH website is open 24/7  ;)

WOOOT....I have to thank you ALL !!!!  I was awakened at 5:12am with my regular cluster.......I pounded a Red Bull as fast as I could.
I have to be honest.....I really did not think this would work.  But it did !!!
It is now 3 hours later....the headache never really came on....I do seem to still have the warning symptoms but I am soooo happy.  The first morning in 15 days that I can actually think and help my kids get ready for school.
I thank you all soooo much !!  I realize this will not stop every headache, but at the moment....just one headache gone seems like paradise  :D  Thank you thank you thank you.

Hi Paul and welcome. Great to hear you had success with the Red Bull!!!!

Now, as it has been mentioned read up and find out what will be the most effective defence for you. My savior has been o2, like many here.

All the best, Iddy :)

I don't use Imitrex anymore as oxygen has proven just as effective without the cost and the side effects. Read the oxygen info link on the left as it must be used correctly or it will not work. Just finished a 2 year remission...my longest EVER...and am at the tail end of a 12 week cycle. Thos little green E-Tanks of oxygen in my garage have been very close, personal friends these last 12 weeks. Will kill an attack in less then 10 minutes.

Kinda scary how fast a Red Bull or whatever energy drink flavor you prefer, can route the beast. I use Red Bull in concert with my 02 to prevent come back attacks.

Do talk to your doctor about a good prevent med, Verapamil, Lithium, Topomax...I use lithium, blocks about 70% of my attacks. Without a prevent in my system I used to get 2 slammers a day while on cycle, one in the am one in early evening. I'd have had to have an 02 tank strapped to my back to function normally with that many hits!

Don't know how you deal with my kids. I have 2 adult daughters, when they were growing up they knew how to start daddy's 02, bring him ice, and leave him be! Makes it a little less scary when they think they're helping you defeat the beast. Because they certainly know all is not right when the beast comes to town!

Joe

Joe

Sending along a couple of articles to help give you some grounding. #2 is PDF file below this message.)
-----------

 
Cluster headache.
From: START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE (Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases)
[Easy to read; one of the better overview articles I've seen. Suggest printing the full length article--link, line above--if you are serious about keeping a good medical library on the subject.]

Leroux E, Ducros A.

ABSTRACT: Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache disease characterized by recurrent short-lasting attacks (15 to 180 minutes) of excruciating unilateral periorbital pain accompanied by ipsilateral autonomic signs (lacrimation, nasal congestion, ptosis, miosis, lid edema, redness of the eye). It affects young adults, predominantly males. Prevalence is estimated at 0.5-1.0/1,000. CH has a circannual and circadian periodicity, attacks being clustered (hence the name) in bouts that can occur during specific months of the year. ALCOHOL IS THE ONLY DIETARY TRIGGER OF CH, STRONG ODORS (MAINLY SOLVENTS AND CIGARETTE SMOKE) AND NAPPING MAY ALSO TRIGGER CH ATTACKS. During bouts, attacks may happen at precise hours, especially during the night. During the attacks, patients tend to be restless. CH may be episodic or chronic, depending on the presence of remission periods. CH IS ASSOCIATED WITH TRIGEMINOVASCULAR ACTIVATION AND NEUROENDOCRINE AND VEGETATIVE DISTURBANCES, HOWEVER, THE PRECISE CAUSATIVE MECHANISMS REMAIN UNKNOWN. Involvement of the hypothalamus (a structure regulating endocrine function and sleep-wake rhythms) has been confirmed, explaining, at least in part, the cyclic aspects of CH. The disease is familial in about 10% of cases. Genetic factors play a role in CH susceptibility, and a causative role has been suggested for the hypocretin receptor gene. Diagnosis is clinical. Differential diagnoses include other primary headache diseases such as migraine, paroxysmal hemicrania and SUNCT syndrome. At present, there is no curative treatment. There are efficient treatments to shorten the painful attacks (acute treatments) and to reduce the number of daily attacks (prophylactic treatments). Acute treatment is based on subcutaneous administration of sumatriptan and high-flow oxygen. Verapamil, lithium, methysergide, prednisone, greater occipital nerve blocks and topiramate may be used for prophylaxis. In refractory cases, deep-brain stimulation of the hypothalamus and greater occipital nerve stimulators have been tried in experimental settings.THE DISEASE COURSE OVER A LIFETIME IS UNPREDICTABLE. Some patients have only one period of attacks, while in others the disease evolves from episodic to chronic form.

PMID: 18651939 [PubMed]

---