Does anyone have family members that suffer from CH? My father gets them chronically, but I am getting conflicting information regarding a genetic predisposition. 

We also get very similar symptoms, except his are chronic. I was just curious if this was common.

Yeah, that can happen (conflicting information)


"Cluster Headache in the United States of America:
Demographics, Clinical Characteristics, Triggers, Suicidality,
and Personal Burden*"

Family History of Cluster Headache.—Of the surveyed
patients, 82% denied a family history of cluster
headache. Of those with a positive family history, a
first-degree relative was noted in 17%, with fathers
being the most commonly cited relative in 6%, while
mothers were noted to have cluster headache in 3%.

Headache
© 2011 American Headache Society Published byWiley Periodicals, Inc.
ISSN 0017-8748
doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2011.02028.x


There are some other publications that indicate genetics are indeed a determining factor:

Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 2008, 3:20 doi:10.1186/1750-1172-3-20
START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

"Cluster Headache"

Initially, CH was not thought to be a genetic disease. With
official criteria published and the increasing recognition
of the disease, a genetic aspect of CH has been identified.
Cases of twin pairs affected by CH have been published
[30-32]. Studies using large twin registries have shown
that monozygotic twins present a higher concordance rate
for CH (2/12 pairs) than dizygotic twins (0/25 pairs),
indicating the existence of genetic factors, but monozygotic
twins can also be concordant or discordant for CH,
confirming a role for environmental factors [11,33]. Family
studies of CH patients' cohorts have shown a familial
aggregation in 7% to 20% of patients, and a relative risk
for first-degree relatives between 14 and 39 [34-36].

Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 2008, 3:20 doi:10.1186/1750-1172-3-20
START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

It comes down to how you decide to interpret the data. Just because it's plastered all over the place don't make it true...


Peace Of Mind

I have a large extended family, 13 siblings, closing in on 200 with children, nieces nephews, great nieces and nephews and so far I'm the only one with the black straw.

Joe

My mom and her dad both had cluster headaches. Both of them eventually grew out of them sometime in their 40s. I'm hoping for the same. I have two brothers and a sister that don't have them, but I am also the oldest, so it's possible they might but haven't started yet.

No, CH were unheard of before me!
My dad had major sinus problems, so we thought I had sinus headaches in the beginning. I didn't know any better, I had never had any problems before. He had told me that hot water helped him, so trying to "cure" mine, I burnt my face with the hottest water possible. Turns out, it didn't help, and I didn't have a sinus problem either.