Does anyone have any history of head trauma, severe or otherwise?  I have been in 3 serious car accidents in my life, all of which produced concussions.  When I think back about the onset of my health issues, they seem to coincide with these accidents.  After the first one, I started with the migraines and after the third is when the migraines got worse and shortly after, I was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease and then CHs.  After reading all of the info on head trauma in athletes, I'm convinced that these neurological issues don't happen randomly and they'll only get worse as time goes by.  Has anyone thought the same thing?

Yes and Yes

Initial head injury in 1981 at age 11, within weeks of this injury became episodic CH'er and have been since then....with exception of another head injury in 2006 and went into remission until this past 8/6/2011 which I am still in cycle.

Some studies have noted an apparently high incidence of head trauma in patients with cluster headache. As an example, one study of 374 patients found a history of head injury prior to cluster headache onset in 15 percent. However, such an association does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship. In addition, the average time between head injury and cluster headache onset (10 years) seems too long to support a causative role.
I've attached the PDF containing this, labeled Cluster headache: Epidemiology, clinical features,
and diagnosis

I too have had head trauma (concussions) fairly near the time I began having CH's. Yet I also had serious concussions years before and after.

However my accidents near my CH onset also injured my neck, which I suspect may have played a role. Yet I wouldn't bet much on it, at the same time, since a fair number of others have had no such injuries and yet suffer from CH's.

It seems very logical to draw straight lines of connection, as to causality, I.E bad head injury = bad headaches. Yet I'm afraid if it was that simple, CH's likely wouldn't pose such a mystery to neurologist and Dr's around the world still.

The mechanism(s), better said the Pathogenesis of CH is very, very complex and over the head of most laymen. Since the prevalence of Head trauma seems to be quite low among total CH'ers, it seems unlikely a direct cause.

With all that said, even if it did play a role, I'm not sure it would really make any difference. I'm not saying its not worth discussion, or being critical, as I've asked the same question in the past.  ;)

---

My CHs started about a month after a concussion. Prior to that I had a headache perhaps once every 2-3 years.

So I'm pretty convinced that the onset of CHs is related to the concussion, but proving it is non-trivial.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I would have said the correlation between CHs and head/neck trauma was circumstantial or coincidental at best, but then I was rear ended. Pretty hard, too. Since then, even though I am chronic and get hit nearly every day, I was in a low cycle of chronic hits. Now, I am in a high cycle and get hit 4-6 times a day. With increased intensity. Could be I was heading that way anyway, but then again, the timing is suspect. How does it change things? Not much, except I am more aggressive in addressing the cycle (taking a pred taper now) and spending more time on O2. I'd like it to settle back down, that would be great. Blessings. lance

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2006 Apr;10(2):130-6. Links
Head trauma and cluster headache.Manzoni GC, Lambru G, Torelli P.
Headache Centre, Department of Neurology, University of Parma and University Centre for Adaptive Disorders and Headache, Via Gramsci, 14, 43100 Parma, Italy. giancamillo.manzoni@unipr.it

Post-traumatic cluster headache (CH) is a very rare occurrence. Only one such case has been verified in the literature thus far. On the other hand, a non-casual association is almost certain to exist between previous head trauma and future CH onset. Considering the generally long interval of time separating the two events, it is not easy to accurately explain the nature of the head trauma/CH relationship. Head trauma may damage extra- or intracranial peripheral or central nervous structures, hence predisposing to the future development of CH. However, there also is the possibility that previous head injuries may be more frequent among CH patients because of their lifestyle, which may leave them more exposed to the risk of traumatic events.

PMID: 16539866 [PubMed

Bob Johnson wrote on Dec 19^th, 2011 at 10:51am:

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2006 Apr;10(2):130-6. Links Head trauma and cluster headache.Manzoni GC, Lambru G, Torelli P. Headache Centre, Department of Neurology, University of Parma and University Centre for Adaptive Disorders and Headache, Via Gramsci, 14, 43100 Parma, Italy. giancamillo.manzoni@unipr.it Post-traumatic cluster headache (CH) is a very rare occurrence. Only one such case has been verified in the literature thus far. On the other hand, a non-casual association is almost certain to exist between previous head trauma and future CH onset. Considering the generally long interval of time separating the two events, it is not easy to accurately explain the nature of the head trauma/CH relationship. Head trauma may damage extra- or intracranial peripheral or central nervous structures, hence predisposing to the future development of CH. However, there also is the possibility that previous head injuries may be more frequent among CH patients because of their lifestyle, which may leave them more exposed to the risk of traumatic events. PMID: 16539866 [PubMed

Bureaucratic bullshit!  >:( There IS a direct correlation between head trauma and Cluster Headaches.

We've got enough testimony on this short thread to prove it's not very rare and that the literature should be revised to include more than just one such case.

It does not--in science--make any difference that a thousand people report a head injury followed by Cluster. There is an axiom in science: "correlation is not causation". That translates to, because two events occur in sequence does not prove a causal link.

For our forefathers, "thunder curdles cream", seemed like a reasonable explanation. It just isn't true. The chore of good science is to work out the hidden events, processes, etc. which cause an outcome.

In the history of medicine is a long, interesting story about the doctor who tried to introduce sanitation practices in child birth wards to prevent the massive death rate associated with delivery. He was fired by two hospitals for such "heresy." Point being, without knowledge and study the causal link could not be accepted by the medical world of that time.

There was a charming letter to the editor in a magazine in which the writer said: "I don't know why people are so interested in science. Why, science keeps changing all the time!"   That's what finding "truth" is all about.

Pardon me, I used the incorrect word....Cluster Headaches were CAUSED by MY head traumas and appears to be a consensus of others on this short thread also.

Cause and effect...it can be tough. I think every normal, red blooded american male can point to a significant head trauma in their life. I don't know of a single male friend who hasn't had at least one concussion in their life.  ;D

If we stick to the idea that a screwed up hypothalamus remains at the root of our evil, is there a specific head injury that only affects a gland buried deep in the brain?

JOe

Now we're getting somewhere, great question Joe ;)

"Getting somewhere" requires a holding firm to a core theme of good science-- skepticism.

A few days ago I noted a neighbor has a bumper sticker which reads:   "You don't have to believe everything you think."

That's a good scientific mind in operation....

i believe that if it were not for head injuries (that i would not have this condition)...with that being said,i recall having a conversation with dr.kudrow appr 10 years ago in this regards (all he could tell me that it was possible) i honestly don't think we will ever know of why we have this fu..ed up condition,but we have it and we also have this great site, so we will never be alone again...we are all in the same boat,so lets keep on rowing...btw, in 2007,i had another head injury (about a month later) i went from chronic to episodic...i am 100% convinced that head trauma was in my case...btw,what the f..k was that dr. talking "about our lifestyles"  ???

Guiseppi wrote on Dec 19^th, 2011 at 2:07pm:

Cause and effect...it can be tough. I think every normal, red blooded american male can point to a significant head trauma in their life. I don't know of a single male friend who hasn't had at least one concussion in their life.  ;D If we stick to the idea that a screwed up hypothalamus remains at the root of our evil, is there a specific head injury that only affects a gland buried deep in the brain? JOe

bump!

Quote:

btw,what the f..k was that dr. talking "about our lifestyles"  ???

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One day I took a dump and the next day my CH started.  CH must be related to visiting the can.

Bob P wrote on Dec 20^th, 2011 at 6:50am:

One day I took a dump and the next day my CH started.  CH must be related to visiting the can.

That oughta shut 'em up. ;)

Bob P wrote on Dec 20^th, 2011 at 6:50am:

Quote: btw,what the f..k was that dr. talking "about our lifestyles"  ??? START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE One day I took a dump and the next day my CH started.  CH must be related to visiting the can.

Lenny, the lifestyle comment relates to a thread I started a couple weeks ago about my theory of a Dopamine imbalance.

Bob P, that sarcastic analogy was stupid and not appreciated from those of us whose CH's were caused by head trauma.

It seems to me we will only "get at" the question of causation through more intensive research which does include anecodotal evidence. I believe this is most especially true when a comparison of those drugs which do help to prevent or abort CHs are laid out side by side, in order to find some causal link among them. Why does both O2 and Verapamil, or Verapamil and lithium, or the whole gamut of interventions including OTC's like Melatonin, Taurine and Vitamin D3 have a salutory effect? I think it is the inclusion of these OTC's that will yield the most interesting data partly because they work while the other more tested drugs also work. It's easy to fall back on known pharmaceutical data when discussing tried and true prescriptive drugs, but throw in the others? It will require researchers to broaden their scope of what may or may not be at work. Same if you throw in clusterbusters, which you should. A broad longitudinal study covering the probable effects these interventions have on the brain and neural system could be quite telling. Blessings. lance

Bob P wrote on Dec 20^th, 2011 at 6:50am:

Quote: btw,what the f..k was that dr. talking "about our lifestyles"  ??? START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE One day I took a dump and the next day my CH started.  CH must be related to visiting the can.

[smiley=applause.gif] [smiley=applause.gif] [smiley=applause.gif] [smiley=applause.gif] [smiley=applause.gif] [smiley=applause.gif] [smiley=applause.gif] [smiley=applause.gif] [smiley=applause.gif] [smiley=applause.gif]

Nice post Bob!  Still laughing at that one. 

Anyway, thanks to soccer in my younger years and after school football, I've taken one too many blows to the head.  That resulted in 1 confirmed concussion after the CT scan, 18 stitches another time and 2 stitches at another .  It doesnt help if you improperly head the ball in soccer either.  It's known that heading the ball on the top of our heads can cause the basic HA.  You're suppose to use your forehead since its the strongest part of the skull.  I've had too much head trauma in soccer alone, however I don't think there is a link to clusters.  Why?....because I had sinus infections before the head trauma and I think those were cluster cycles misdiagnosed in my mid teens.

LasVegas wrote on Dec 20^th, 2011 at 8:01am:

Bob P, that sarcastic analogy was stupid and not appreciated from those of us whose CH's were caused by head trauma.

CH caused by head trauma seems to be the exception, not the rule. Lighten up, dude. It's Christmas.

[/quote]

Lenny, the lifestyle comment relates to a thread I started a couple weeks ago about my theory of a Dopamine imbalance.

Bob P, that sarcastic analogy was stupid and not appreciated from those of us whose CH's were caused by head trauma.


[/quote]

Gregg just read it,thank you...Bob P. is a good man and was having a little fun (don't take it personal) as that's not his style...Lenny

Lance has the right idea--until we touch the reality of $.
----------------

Lack of Access to Specialty Care, Insufficient Research Funds Plague Headache


July 10, 2008 (Boston, Massachusetts) — Two new studies suggest that US patients with headache lack access to specialty care and that the field is suffering from a serious shortage of research funding.

In the first study, investigators developed a national and state-by-state report card of access to headache care in the United States and found that even those states ranked as having the best access were frequently lacking.

"By any standard, specialized care is widely unavailable across the United States, and even the highest ranking states are not doing very well," said principal investigator Elizabeth Loder, MD, from the department of neurology at Brigham & Women's Hospital, in Boston, Massachusetts.

In the second study, investigators at Washington University School of Medicine, in St. Louis, Missouri, examined the headache research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over the past 20 years.

Among other findings, the study revealed the total NIH annual budget for headache research is approximately $13 million. However, relative to the burden of disease and compared with other chronic conditions, including epilepsy, asthma, and diabetes, the researchers concluded NIH-funded headache research falls far short of the mark.

"We were able to identify only 111 research projects over a 20-year period funded by the NIH. If we compare the funding of headache to other chronic diseases, accounting for multiple different burdens of illness, it suggests that NIH funding of headache research should be greater than $100 million annually," said study investigator Todd Schwedt, MD.

Both studies were presented here at the recently held 50th Annual Meeting of the American Headache Society (AHS).

Expert Advisory Group

To identify and highlight deficiencies in access to specialty headache services, Dr. Loder brought together an advisory group of headache experts and consumers to develop indicator measures and benchmarks of access to care.

"We chose availability of care as a measure of quality, because we reasoned that it doesn't really matter how good care is if people can't access it," said Dr. Loder.

The advisory group looked at 3 major indicators of access to care. These were:

Supply — Measured by the number of AHS member headache specialists per million residents and the number of specialty headache inpatient programs per state.
Availability — Measured by the longest distance a resident would have to travel to see an in-state headache specialist and average waiting times for evaluation with an in-state headache specialist on a nonurgent basis.
Affordability — Measured by the number of triptan tablets per month covered by a state Medicaid program and the percentage of state residents with health insurance.
Using the best available data, a numerical score was calculated for each state and measured against the panel's benchmarks. A score of 100 was considered satisfactory; between 75 and 99 was rated as satisfactory minus; between 55 and 74 was unsatisfactory; and a score of less than 55 was a failing grade.

For supply, the top-ranking state was New Hampshire. Wyoming and Idaho ranked poorest in this area, with no AHS member headache specialists in the state. Multidisciplinary, long-stay dedicated inpatient headache treatment programs were available only in Illinois and Michigan.

==============Balance of article deleted=========
[Medscape, 7/10/08]

Lenny wrote on Dec 20^th, 2011 at 10:26am:

Lenny, the lifestyle comment relates to a thread I started a couple weeks ago about my theory of a Dopamine imbalance.

Bob P, that sarcastic analogy was stupid and not appreciated from those of us whose CH's were caused by head trauma.


[/quote]

Gregg just read it,thank you...Bob P. is a good man and was having a little fun (don't take it personal) as that's not his style...Lenny
[/quote]
Tough not to take that comment personal.  It's also tough to not take person hearing your wife or brother or co-worker say that "I get those too", "it's just a headache, take an aspirin and go lay down for a few minutes."  Yeah, right!

Because I know what i've been through for 32 years and I know how CH's have ruined my life beginning at age 11 within weeks of my head trauma.  So don't tell me to lighten up because it's Christmas!

and I know what the doctors back in 1981 confirmed of my "headaches" being caused by the head trauma I endured at age 11.  I've went 32 yrs on this confirmation, so this thread/subject is as personal as it gets!

If somebody would have made that stupid comment to me back then, I could envision the out of control 11 yr old to stab that guy repeatedly in the eyeball with a knife to teach him the TORTURE of the DRAGON.

Just because somebody contributing on this thread does not have a history of head trauma, should not discount those of us who have CH's that were caused by head trauma.

How much trauma does it take to be considered trauma?  I'd bet almost everyone in the world would say they've cracked their head a number of times in thier life.  How hard does that hit have to be?  How does that hit equate to the extra bundle of nerve fibers on our hypothalamus?

Why an abnormal percentage of blue/hazel eyed CHers?  ( yes this is true.  I looked at the % of blue/hazel in the general population and the % in CHers).

Why an abnormal % of smokers?

Why more men than women?

Why, why, why?

My comment was an example of correlation vs causation, and yes, it was sarchastic.  Believe me, after being a clusterhead for 41 years, I know that we all want to know why.  Grabbing at staws and making them absolutes won't get us there though.  There's a person on the "Med" board who is sure her attacks are caused by lead from a scratched coffee cup.  Is she right?

Merry Christmas.
lyg

I heard this article on ABC Radio Australia yesterday while out on a field trip & my ears pricked up when I heard the statement below.

TERRY MEEHAN: Yeah. That's - they don't necessarily have to be inside a bushmaster, it's hard to know the range that the blast will affect people with the roadside bombs. They could be 10, 15, 20 metres away from it, be knocked off their feet have a little bit of a headache, think nothing more of it.

But there's now evidence to suggest it leads to the early onset of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, cluster headaches.The full story can be read on this link.

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Cheers
Barry

I have had 3 concussions all prior to the CH starting and all within a 3 year period. I often questioned whether there was at least some connection.