Well, from personal experience, my family has informed me I'm rather abrupt and aggressive at this point. I had no clue, as I cannot tell the tone of my voice, so I have no idea how I sound.

Hell, my boyfriend has even said I've been more aggressive, but his opinion was, I had enough to worry about, and that if he could get used to dealing with me like this, so could everyone else.

I've had other neurological conditions do things similar to this. So for my family, it was nothing new. Except the extent of aggression I've shown. Apparantly it's gone to a whole 'nother level with the clusters.

I wonder if the hypothalmus has anything to do with this? If it malfunctioning might be effecting other things, too?

I personally do not know if CH themselves cause a change in personality  but for me the stress of being in cycle causes me to be more stressed and feel more overwhelmed.  When I am overwhelmed,  I tend to be more moody and anxious.

In addition,  certain medications that I take for CH like prednisone for example create a shorter fuse.

Kelly

The best way I could explain it would be that it’s kind of like death or dying. You have to grieve your loss of control over your life. I am chronic, and so also have made it through the process. I will add that O2 has really helped the desperation at times.

You have to go through all stages of denial, anger, understanding, and finally acceptance.

You will be hard pressed to find a LT chronic that whines and moans about there condition. I don’t mean that in a negative way, I whined like a dog in a bear trap when this friend came to stay with me unannounced.

Episodic sufferers that never get treated / diagnosed properly are living in fear. Something is coming for you and you don’t know when or where. You don’t know how to fight it and the weapons you have are useless. I remember back when this first started for me like it was yesterday. Every 3-4 weeks I would get what I now know was a K9. TMJ?? Brain tumor??  I had no clue… I remember those days…

I personally don’t treat anyone different unless they show utter lack of understanding for me when I’m in pain. The rest of the time is PF and I walk away one day stronger.

Episodic sufferers (diagnosed) on the other hand are subjected to all kinds of drugs at one time. They are ill prepared understandably (doc’s med’s) to treat in time to avoid the worst of it. They are well under diagnosed and understood without the rocks (of knowledge & experience) to get a doc that can help them more understand what this creepy little thing that pops in and out of their life really is.

Just my take on it, and by no means endorsed by the party at large.

Edit to add; could it have anything to do with quitting smoking?

Roland.

In general, I'm a pretty even-tempered guy.  I attribute that to the fact that I've had some life experiences that have made my thresholds a tad high.   

Nevertheless, I tend to be more short-tempered during a cycle (I'm a long-term episodic).  I don't medicate--which is an entirely different thread--so it's not the medications I'm taking.  More than likely, it's due to the lack of sleep and the sheer toll that getting beat up takes on me.  Although I'm luckier than many here, this stuff sure takes a lot out of a person.

I suppose I'd have to say that I'm aware that my temper's a little frayed during a cycle, and as a consequence, I try to compensate for it by forcing myself to think before I react. 

Fortunately, my wife and daughter are aware that I'm not myself during a cycle, and they're more apt to tiptoe around.   

Best,

George

Personality change because of a little headache?

I'll have you know I remain the epitome of sweetness and light whether I'm PF or being slaughtered nightly by K10s. My moods never change, I continue doing the dishes happily and singing while taking out the garbage.

To me, mood change or personality swing have never been a part of it. I simply deal with CH as it happens and get on with life.

Of course, there are some who may disagree with my assessment but they are liars. You hear me?  Liars!!!  Nasty, sinful rumour-mongers who couldn't lie straight in their graves.

They pervert the course of justice, eat babies in their spare time, and I'll happily drag this pain-ridden body through the high-voltage network just to go poo-poos on their 'post' buttons.

The worst and most unforgiveable crime among these horrible nay-sayers, these traducers of an otherwise perfect personality, is they'd even suggest a CHead might get just little tired, frustrated or annoyed!!!

Personality change?  Pshaw!!  Would never happen to me.

Cheers and beers,

Brian down under.

Yeah, what Brian said... I'm always sweet and loveable and I've been chronic since 97...

It's just those crappy people who come around me that should be banned from the earth!!!!

Hugs BD

Blake, my husband, displayed these tendencies when he was in high cycles.  I marked it up to being a  by-product of depression.  Depression can produce some of the same mood swings.

Who can blame you all....I'd probably be mean as a hog angry and short tempered too.  

Wishing you well,
Jackie

During cycle, I am more moody, depressed, a little more "snappy", get frustrated by my short term memory loss due to the Verapamil, ( but a good trade off for sure ) more tired due to less sleep, and so on.

See, no real change here with me, just my same ole' self.

I am a much easier going guy out of cycle than in, for sure.
I guess that the pain we suffer just simply wears us down, as we try and lead normal lives.

Yes, personality change for me during a cycle.

There has been more than 1 time that i've had to say im sorry after an attack. But my wife now knows just leave me be, and check on me every so often, when a hit came on i would run to the torture chamber and she always stood guard. I would be finshed without my wife Barb. Thanks Coach Bill.

Mood swings? Always. I go from hysterical laughter to the black hole of despair in no time flat. Then I linger for long periods in depression.

But... that was way before I developed CH... I'm Bi-Polar.

Now that I'm a Chronic CHer... the lack of sleep whilst in high cycle tends to make me less cheerful. But... why whine? I can't expect anyone to understand that although I'm a nice person... I really don't have the resources to be cuddly when all I can manage is the effort it takes to keep myself from blowing my brains out.

I kind of look at the world as a giant nursing home when I'm like this... I'm the old person in bed, suffering , drooling and wetting myself... and the rest of the world is the staff of, uncaring... over worked, sadistic orderlies who begrudge you even a few drops of water... let alone compassion.

So... instead of inflicting myself on anyone when the moods get too bad... I generally withdraw or look for some form of comfort here.

If everyone here has their panties in a wad... then I generally just withdraw.

I've been through this shit enough times to know that eventually it will pass... and being mean to someone else while I'm going through it... won't make it better... and it won't make it pass any faster. ...and guess what? my moods are neither mine nor anyone else's fault.

with warm regards,
Tony

Linda_Howell wrote on Dec 8^th, 2008 at 10:53pm:

Funny? I thought the old basket was being serious for a change.