Finally made it to Arizona. Was pain free for a whole month before the trip and made it through the trip wonderfully. Was anxious because I has to drive 4 days to get here but it all went great. But...... As soon as I got here it all went down hill. I can't stay out in the heat for more than an hour or it triggers a nasty one. Has any one else had a problem with the the heat?

Lancet. 1999 Sep 18;354(9183):1001-2.
Comment in:
Lancet. 2000 Jan 8;355(9198):147.

A new cluster headache precipitant: increased body heat.

Blau JN, Engel HO.

Exercise, a hot bath, or elevated environmental temperature provoked cluster headaches, within 1 h, in 75 out of 200 patients. This new observation accords with recognised precipitants--alcohol, histamine, and gyceryl trinitrate--perhaps via generalised vasodilatation or hypothalamic activation.

Publication Types:
Letter

PMID: 10501368 [PubMed]
==========
We get regular, if infrequent questions, around attacks when working outdoors, active sporting events, etc.

You might try 1mg melatonin about one-hour before going into a heat situation which you know will trigger an attack. Works for some of us.

I've wondered about that too. It makes sense to me that, being a vasodilator, heat could trigger an attack.

yup heat is the trigger for me.... i sleep next to a wide open window and only under a sheet!! and when i get one first thing i do is get ice cubes wrap them in a tea towel and put it on my temple..works a treat!

Heat is a big trigger for me also.  Bob I've never heard or tried taking melatonin before going out into the heat!  I usually take many breaks for water, and to squirt myself with my squirt bottle , or stick my head under the sink sprayer to keep myself cool.  I'm definately going to give that a go!  Right now we are in a HUGE heat wave here in NC  triple digits through Tues day (high's of 105ish!, staying indoors as much as possible!  Thank goodness we have great central air!)

I live in New Orleans, and the heat here is almost unbearable for me when I'm having an attack; Which is now. Started May 20th. The heat is a big factor in my attacks. What really sucks is that I work outside as an ironworker. Try explaining a cluster attack to a blue coller Coon Ass. lol I find that a cool pack loosly wrapped around my neck helps. Anyway, I hope you can enjoy Arizona. I will pray for you.

Gonna try the melatonin!!! Been trying to stay inside during the day and going out in the evening. But have to get my butt back to work soon. Thank god i am a nurse and will have an inside job. I hate it because i dont like having to rearrange my life for the beast. it pisses me off!!! Its beautiful here and i want too see everything. Went too a flea market and that was a mistake. lasted an hour. made me mad. Even upped my topamax to see if that would help. Not up to what the doc wanted me to be anyway.

Try dissolvable alavert, works for me. 8-) I'm also going to try Petadolex herbal supplement. Ive heard alot of good thing about it...

I have tried petadolex. Didn't do anything for me but everyone is different. Wouldn't hurt to try it. My mothers doctor gave her coupons for her to give to me so I tried it.

what dosage did you take? 50 mg 75 mg?? and what was the total amount you took?
If you take the 50mg you take 50 mg in the morning then 100mg before bed, the 75 mg one in the morning then one before bed. they take a few days if not weeks to fully start to help you.

For the longest time, I thought it was only barometic pressure (as in, "storms") that got to my CH.  Then I kept better records, and I learned that high heat (especially with humidity) can trigger a nasty CH if I'm not careful.  Number one task is getting cooled down.  Number two?  Hydrate!

Short answer?  Yes, high heat coupled with dehydration can definitely trigger CH for me.  Your mileage may vary.

Been trying to keep hydrated. I dont think i have drank so much in my life!!!! Made an appointment with a new neurologist here and when i talked to the receptionist she said to me .... "let me guess... The heat is really getting to you isnt it?" i said... "sure is."

I dont remember how much of the the pedolex that i took. But i am the kind of person who doesnt get instant results I tend to give up. Let me know how it works out for you.

I live in AZ plus Im a painter by trade, so im in the heat all the time, its not the heat for me but the dust. It always seems like I get them at night more than anything, when I do I use the Alavert and put my head under the faucet and run warm to hot water on my head, pain is gone within minutes. But everyone is different. Ive lived in AZ all my life never been affected up until about 4 years ago. stress seems to be my trigger

Heat has always been a factor for me. While living in FL, I was miserable. When I moved to MA, the seasonal element of my chronic cycles was much more noticeable. I get hit in the winter, too, but not as frequently. Stay cool and keep your O2 near! blessings. lance

Of all my cluster episodes, they have either come in the spring or winter. Summer heat never bothered me, and growing up in Texas I was exposed to a fair amount of that. I guess seasonal changes are worse for me than anything else.

Rfigs81 i notice you are in pheonix. we just moved to glendale. can you recommend a good neurologist around here? it would be so wonderful if you could.

DR. Mark Winograd
Suite #151E  5757 West Thunderbird Road, Glendale, AZ 85306
(602) 843-3811
Male, Age 68, Graduated 1969, Albert Einstein College Of Medicine Of Yeshiva University

you can make an appointment by calling 1-888-272-1045

Rfigs81 wrote on Jul 5^th, 2012 at 1:15am:

DR. Mark Winograd Suite #151E  5757 West Thunderbird Road, Glendale, AZ 85306 (602) 843-3811 Male, Age 68, Graduated 1969, Albert Einstein College Of Medicine Of Yeshiva University you can make an appointment by calling 1-888-272-1045

8-) I love seeing this kinda stuff not only our banter...chitty chat, ( and I HATE DOCS... really truly

Thanks for the hook up!!! Gonna give him a call!!!

Anytime  :)

Sauna'd yesterday morn and lasted 15 min. Just chugged red bull and think my cycle is starting. Heat and Low pressure combo me into trouble.

Try dissolveable  Alavert (antihistamine) works for me 

Never heard of using Alavert. Gonna try that too

Heat is a trigger for me too. In fact, if I can get cold on my face really quickly when I feel one coming on it can stop the pain from getting worse. Sometimes. 

When at home I keep water balloons in the freezer. When I need it I'll wrap one in a thin cotton dish towel and press it next to my face. When I'm in cycle (now) I sleep with one of these wrapped in a bath towel next to the bed so that I can reach over and grab it when the beast wakes me up. Wrapped in a terry bath towel, it stays frozen all night.  The balloons are great because unless ripped they don't leak all over my pillow like ice cubes in a bag used to.

Yes heat has always been a trigger for me. It's actually also a symptom. I get hot and anxious when they are coming and. Old and sleeping as it faxes away.

Ironically, the endorphins released during exercise usually help me. Since I don't own a pool I am always searching for a way to exercise and stay cool.

So one night my husband comes out of the shower and hears a huge racket in our room and found me doing naked wind sprints with all the fans pointing at me. Although he tries to be supportive he couldn't help but laugh which made me laugh hysterically.

So ther I was a thirty-something mother of three, naked, with tears and snot running down the left side of my face doing wind sprints in my bedroom at 1:00 am laughing hysterically and the ridiculousness of this condition hit me.

Once upon a time CH suffers where thought to be possessed or insane.  I can't imagine why.......

Bonnie lee wrote on Jun 29^th, 2012 at 11:47am:

Finally made it to Arizona. Was pain free for a whole month before the trip and made it through the trip wonderfully. Was anxious because I has to drive 4 days to get here but it all went great. But...... As soon as I got here it all went down hill. I can't stay out in the heat for more than an hour or it triggers a nasty one. Has any one else had a problem with the the heat?

Yes!  Residing in Las Vegas with common daily summer temps exceeding 110 F is a living nightmare for me, often triggering attacks especially when I have not had much to eat/drink that day.

2 pieces of advice...stay in the A/C and/or refresh in the swimming pool.

-Gregg in Las Vegas

Hi, all,

When the core body temp rises, the body absolutely freaks out, so it is no surprise to us that people have all sorts of events secondary to excessive heat.  It is interesting that so many of us have this response, though. 

It seems that there are a great many factors that 'get the ball rolling' when it comes to CH.  I continue to believe that we will soon establish a(n) hypothesis that accounts for at least some of the initiating factors (triggers).  There just has to be some sort of explanation.  Doesn't there?  I believe there are many ways to start the explosion, and that medscience has been shortsighted in trying to the 'cause', when there are likely a whole boat-load of causes. The focus has been on abortives, and a few guesses at what might be called preventatives. 

Take care, and may your days get better and better. 

TJ