I'm curious about we older people with clusters and wonder if they abate/lessen with advanced age.  I'm approaching 66 and have been in remission since January 2012---the longest EVER.
I've had recent medical events which would dramatically influence my future treatments if needed for clusters.  The last cycle before this remission lasted over a year and came from hell itself.

John  :)

I know a gentleman who suffered horribly for years with CH, but claims the CH stopped completely when he was 60 years old. He is now well into his 80s. I know this one case does not show or prove anything, but I just thought it was interesting.
slim

John, I'm heading toward 61 and have had these buggers for over 25 years. I still get them. Right now they are under control (managed) by meds but I have no confidence they won't come back. I get the occasional I'm still here(!) knock. But others have said that after a certain age they did melt into the background. Here's hopin' for you and me! blessings. lance

I am 63 now and have had them periodically for the last 17 years. Used to be every three years but the last two have been four years apart. In the middle of one now and hope that the next will be when I am 67. I don't think age has much to do with it despite what they say. Perhaps my opinion is just a little jaded because of where I am now.  :(

I'm 66 now and have had these suckers for almost 40 years. The cluster I'm in now started over a year ago. I get at least one wake-up call each night at least 5 days a week. I'm on low dose verapamil. These attacks are very mild, Kip 3-4, just enough to wake me, and after a shot of energy drink they're gone in about 10 to 15 minutes.

Yes, rather quick taper to zero starting around 67.

Thanks so much to all of you for your insight and experiences.  I'm hoping these sucker are gone for good, but will settle for anything less then what I had before.  I feel encouraged.

In early January I had a heart attack and lucky for me a hospital was right across the street.  I had one stent installed in the circumflex (sp?) heart artery.  My verapamil was taken away, the imitrex, zomig, etc. are now gone.  I'm not quite sure about the red bull, etc.  I was given nitro which I have used twice and no CH--yea.  My cigarettes are history as they blamed everything on my smoking and lifestyle.  I'm now taking fish oil, Vitamine D3 @ 5,000 IU per day. I'm now in cardiac rehab with 3 days per week at the Y.

Strange thing---I never feared death during this ordeal, but frightened about the thoughts of CH.

John

Another data point for you: 

My attacks have decreased dramatically over the last few years.

They began in my mid-teens, and got progressively worse, peaking in my mid-thirties. 

The clusters got much longer, but also fewer and farther between, after about age 42. 

I've only had a couple of clusters in the last 8 years, none in the last 3 years; and I am not taking any preventives, other than about 3000 IU of vitamin D per day.

I'll be 53 in May, and I'm not really thinking that they're gone for good, but maybe...

Dennis

*sigh*  The only disadvantage of being 33.

On the other hand, here's hoping you all out-geeze the bastard sooner rather than later!   ;D

djphrenzy wrote on Feb 13^th, 2013 at 10:58pm:

*sigh*  The only disadvantage of being 33. On the other hand, here's hoping you all out-geeze the bastard sooner rather than later!   ;D

I guess I was lucky (or unlucky) because I was 47 years old at onset, rather than average age of 20-30.

John

I started getting them when I was 19 and I'm 53 now. The 1st 10 years or so, it seem like I got them every spring and fall. Then they started coming anytime and the pain got alot worse every year. The last 15 year or so I've had a couple times where I went 2 year headache free. Then five year ago I had my worst cycle every. 4-6 aday and 4 1/2 months. I really didn't think I was going to make it threw it with out killing myself. That was my last cycle. For myself I hope there is something about gettin older that they start to go away. I have been feeling like I might be getting them back lately. I've had some slight pain in the side of my head that they alway start. I'm hope thats all it's going to be. I thank God everday for another day without a cluster. I thank all of you for being here. God Bless you all.

This is a very interesting thread and I hope everyone on the forum contributes. Although I'll wager there have been similar discussions in times past.

For myself, fairly regularly episodic from about the early 30s to late 40s, give or take. Hard to remember at this point.

I went about 4 years without a cycle in my early 50s and then had one 5 years ago. Then just a few sporadic one-offs until the current cycle at age 59.

And while it would be nice to think that I'll continue to have 4 and 5 year bouts of remission and maybe even a complete cessation one day (soon, please), I'm taking nothing for granted with Our Friend.