Hello all.  First off thanks to everyone who has helped me in the past. 

My CH started about 10 years ago after a botched visit to a dentist (causation not determined definitely).  It was for a routine cavity filling.  The dentists hit me with novicaine 6 times and could not get me numb and ended up drilling and filling with no local anesthetic.  I knew from the minute i walked out of the office something was wrong.  My mouth and my head felt 'different.'  I always suspected that the attempts to numb me damaged something, not the drilling.  Who knows.  The rest is history.  Episodic cluster cycles, typically one 3-5 week cycle per year at different times of year.   Tried different meds with no success until I found I convinced my doctor to prescribe me O2. 

I am now in a cycle.  2-3 weeks in, just hoping any day now I'll get a night of sleep.  It seems I have two choices in this cycle.  If I abort the 2AM hit with O2, I avoid the massive hit.  But then I get little hits, a bit worse than the shadow I have all day long, the rest of the night.  Seems like I'm doing something wrong.  IF I don't abort the 2AM hit, and just pace, cry, and cuss my way through an hour of absolute hell, I go right to sleep after and do not get another hit, just the seemingly unavoidable all day long shadow. 

I do not take meds.  I will not take meds.  I'm dealing without.  I breathe O2 until the pain is gone.  Should I keep going well beyond?  I guess what I am looking for on tips to make O2 work to its fullest potential.  Or any new information on how to avoid all these small hits or even advice on ways to go thru a day withouth the lingering.

Thanks and god bless all who deal with CH

This is the "newest latest and greatest".

Follow this link  to the medications section of this board and read the post "START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

It’s a vitamin/mineral/fish oil supplement, all over the counter stuff, that’s providing a lot of relief for people who have tried it, it’s healthy for you even without CH!

I've been pain free for almost 3 years after being a 30 year plus episodic, using this regimen. Helping lots of people, pennies a day, give it a look see. Sorry you're back. :( It's a pisser how beasty never seems to lose addresses.

Joe

toddsciant wrote on Jan 18^th, 2013 at 4:27pm:

I am now in a cycle.  2-3 weeks in, just hoping any day now I'll get a night of sleep.  It seems I have two choices in this cycle.  If I abort the 2AM hit with O2, I avoid the massive hit.  But then I get little hits, a bit worse than the shadow I have all day long, the rest of the night.  Seems like I'm doing something wrong.  IF I don't abort the 2AM hit, and just pace, cry, and cuss my way through an hour of absolute hell, I go right to sleep after and do not get another hit, just the seemingly unavoidable all day long shadow.  I do not take meds.  I will not take meds.  I'm dealing without.  I breathe O2 until the pain is gone.  Should I keep going well beyond?  I guess what I am looking for on tips to make O2 work to its fullest potential.  Or any new information on how to avoid all these small hits or even advice on ways to go thru a day withouth the lingering.

Some people stop on the oxygen once the pain has gone, others keep on it, sometimes reducing the flow rate for a few minutes afterwards.

Others will have an energy drink (taurine / caffeine - like Red Bull or Monster) or a strong coffee afterwards.

What you need to do is to experiment and keep notes on what you've tried and what the effect is. Then hopefully you'll start to notice a pattern and can home in what works for you.

Do read the oxygen info on the left too. There might be something else to pick up.

Some people have had good results using melatonin. Hopefully someone who has used this will provide some details.

Also look at the vitamin D3 posts that Joe mentioned. It's getting great results for lots of people. Give it a go (I did and I've been CH pain free for over a year and only about 10 CHs in the last two years).

Todd, sorry to read you are in cycle again.  We understand your frustrations.  You have plenty of info here to read on o2 abortive methods that have proven very effective for most that use o2.

I would recommend staying on the o2 breathing normally for at least 5 minutes AFTER your attack is aborted.  This usually helps with "rebound" attacks.

As for actual aborting an attack using o2, you should be sitting upright, using a Non-rebreather mask, and hyperventilating the o2 at flow rates that allow hyperventilation such as at least 15 lpm, ideally 25 lpm.  Very important to get on the o2 immediately at onset of attack.  As soon as you feel that twinge in your eye/head, get on the o2 and start panting like a dog out of breath, hyperventilate until the attack is gone.  Could be 3 minutes of hyperventilating efforts, could be 15 minutes, it is exhausting especially in middle of the night, but keep at it til aborted, then lower the flow rate to adjust normal breathing for the additional 5 or 10 minutes to hopefully avoid the repeat/rebound attacks.  Good luck ;)

-Gregg in Las Vegas