I started having the headaches a few weeks ago... about 9-12am... 9-12pm and 4am...

Up until last night, I just thought it was a sinus thing, because I could feel the pain move from behind my right eye, towards my ear, and eventually down my neck, kinda like tube. And that side seemed stuffed up until it was over.

I have noticed it would hit when I went out drinking... Last night I had one in the club... I just kept walking and drinking water (It seems to help a bit.)... but aside from a little residual ache, I was ok after about a half hour.

When I went to bed it hit bad again... I don't know how long I slept... I don't look at the clocks... but it was back with a vengance... I jumped in the shower... (that seems to help too) ran it out of hot water and rocked on the couch like an autistic child until it passed.

I don't know what's happening. And I'm afraid to get diagnosed with something an insurance company might try to use against me. Even this site/forum... But I can't work and live like this.

If there isn't a real treatment... can I just handle this myself and avoid a label in my chart? I have to pay out of pocket anyway.

Edit: This hasn't been happening every day... sometimes twice or three times a day... then nothing for a day... then it hits again. It's not predictable.

Any advice would be appreciated, but I'm really hoping someone can give me an easy "out". Not that you aren't great people, but I can't take this as a way of life.

What Jenn said!
Get a diagnosis cause it might be something "severe" as well.

Oliver

It isn't a matter of what you can get but a matter of what (condition/problem) you have.

So do yourself a favor and go to a neuro asap!

Oliver

1 I hate Dr.s who think you're making it up, and between "events" I'm fine.

2 No insurance.

3 I'm afraid with a diagnosis like this, I won't be able to get any later.

I thought I was fine after being ok for two days in a row. Last night/this morning was as bad as it has ever been.

I've broken bones....
...this is worse.

Gundude wrote on Jan 1^st, 2009 at 5:18pm:
 Neurologists deal with this all the time. Some suck, some don't. go here: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or  Its a list of Dr's who are well-informed on ch.

Gundude wrote on Jan 1^st, 2009 at 5:18pm:
I've had many cycles with no insurance.  

Gundude wrote on Jan 1^st, 2009 at 5:18pm:
You can get it later. ch doesn't make you uninsurable. It may make you have a "pre-existing condition" that you have to wait to get coverage FOR THE CH, but won't stop the rest of the insurance.

Gundude wrote on Jan 1^st, 2009 at 5:18pm:
  yep it is.  Its best to find out WHAT it is first.

UnderTheRadar wrote on Jan 1^st, 2009 at 6:21pm:


"Balls?" I don't get where I insulted you.

But if there is a relatively common way to get this to stop once it starts, and there is no real cure or prevention beyond the o2 or heavy drugs I can't afford anyway.  Yeah, I'm going to do it. And I'll call that "An easy way out" considering the options.

Yeah, it could be something else. I'm not a hypochondriac. I don't want drugs. But, I could go broke paying one weeks worth of blood tests and MRIs I'm certain they will want to run to be 100% certain what this is.

How much is a Neurologist and lab fees? $250? $500? $1000? Just an MRI costs $2500.

I might be out of a job soon enough. So yeah, as bad as this hurts, I don't have the luxury of doing this "The right way".

Frankly, I'm desperate for options. I'm trying to spend my dollar in the most effective way. If its something else... more information on CH will help me find that out. If o2 from the welding set works, I'll try it. I have found out for myself that drinking water and scalding hot shower massagers do a little, and trying to shove my eyeball into the back of my head with my fist doesn't change a damn thing. (I think it's just a hobby really.)

Any other fast acting vasal constrictors that work?

Shouldn't epinephrine or another synthetic adrenalin work as well?  Like an epi-pen for bee stings, for instance.

"Any advice would be appreciated, but I'm really hoping someone can give me an easy "out". Not that you aren't great people, but I can't take this as a way of life."

The insult, my dear, comes from the insinuation that there IS an easy way out; if there was, do you think any of us would be here?

"But if there is a relatively common way to get this to stop once it starts, and there is no real cure or prevention beyond the o2 or heavy drugs I can't afford anyway.  Yeah, I'm going to do it."


Oxygen and drugs ARE the relatively common way.  Just what other option are you looking for?  

"I could go broke paying one weeks worth of blood tests and MRIs I'm certain they will want to run to be 100% certain what this is."

Yes, and there's a damn good reason they will want to run tests.  Cluster headaches won't kill you.  But there are many other things that mimic CH that CAN kill you.  Can you afford that?  


"Any other fast acting vasal constrictors that work?
Shouldn't epinephrine or another synthetic adrenalin work as well?  Like an epi-pen for bee stings, for instance."

It's not that simple, babe.  This is not just about blood vessel constriction. Feel free to read all of the posts and soak up the information on this board and learn as much as you can...

"as bad as this hurts, I don't have the luxury of doing this "The right way"."

No one here is going to diagnose you or give you permission to not see a doctor and just "treat yourself" to save money.  But it sounds like you have already made your mind up, so good luck to you. 

No on all of 1-8 with some nausia (once)... but only if I had a really full stomach before it hit.

Yes on all the rest, except time of year. I've never been through this before... I don't know if the time of year.

With the exceptions of 10 & 16, I don't have to be asleep for it to hit, and they do vary in intensity. I don't always totally lose it.

Last night I was at a new friends house, and I was able to disconnect enough to keep responding to her when she wouldn't shut up and leave me alone. (I felt it start a bit about 3:45, hell from 4-4:40 and it fully subsided by 5am.) I was even able to get "frisky" before 5, but felt perfectly fine and looked at the clock at 5 exactly. I drank several cups of water, some Coke for caffine/sugar, and just walked and rocked it out. No drinks at all. No drinks since the new years adventure in hell, actually.

I am/was a regular social drinker, and I am an ASE parts tech and mechanic. Between cores, shops I walk into, and the occasional defective fuel pump... I work surrounded by fumes.

It doesn't matter. I've been such a wreck lately from the long nights, and going home early a couple times, I'm quite certain my job is soon to be a thing of the past. So I suppose I won't have to worry about that for long.

Oh yeah...the "kip scale" New years day one little one at the bar was a 6-7 I definately wouldn't have been able to sleep, but I could fake polite hellos. (I was drinking a lot of energy drinks at the time, I wonder if that had a moderating effect?) The one after I went to bed was a head banging love fest of me trying to shove my eye back into my skull and trying not to yell and wake people up. 8-9-10

But about 50% of my functional time, I may not be exactly in pain, but I can feel something... like a dull ache... like a weak hangover, still fully functional, but you know you drank... does that make sense? It changes before it gets bad.

Side question. Any of you guys know if this would prevent me from passing my FAA flight physical?

There is no easy way with clusterheadaches. Best get a diagnosis so you know what your up against...then get 02.
the bb
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or
I hate it for you

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Although the *look back* period is bogus (they went back a year on my daughter).  They key is, if you are treated for the condition, they can only exclude the condition for up to a max of 12 months, many companies have a 6 month exclusion.

Lack of insurance?  Not the best bet, but if you have a university medical center near you, try that.

Gundude wrote on Jan 6^th, 2009 at 1:53pm:


For what its worth, I am DAMN PROUD OF YOU for making that call! When you get your referral, call the neuro's office BEFORE  you go, tell them you don't have insurance and that you're paying out of pocket. #1, they'll usually give a discount, and #2, you can make payment arrangements IF you discuss it in advance.

You should also call your GP's office and ask them to call you if there are any cancellations; that you are willing to reschedule to get in sooner. You'd be surprised how many earlier cancellations they have that they want to fill.

You keep strong, ok?

All the best,
Jen

I'm also going to call the GP monday and have him bone up on CH. If he thinks he can do it himself, I might be able to get out without paying the neuro.

I can hope right?

Oh yeah, my 10pm came at 11:45, nothing overnight again, and I'm having my first afternoon round in a week right now. (about a 5, as you guys rate them)

Do you notice the weaker ones last a whole lot longer?

"Delayed by weather" Required supplies are being held up... it might be tonight, or maybe tomarrow. My friends are doing their best to help me, so I can't be angry. But it's all I can think about.

It doesn't matter, I guess. I'm on my way out of my "cycle" ... it's been over 4 weeks and the frequency and intensity of the attacks are starting to subside.

I'm actually afraid of that too. Not that I'll miss the pain... I'll never get nostalgic for that... but if the treatment I've worked out isn't administered during the cycle, I won't be certain that I've taken control of it. I need to know I can stop this when it happens again.

I'm actually calm. My car got stuck in my complex driveway when I came home this morning... but I didn't yell. I didn't freek out and fly into a rage, like I normally would. I just dug it out with silent efficiency and quipped about the mainenance service we get for our rental dollar.

I've been really quite pleasant lately. The background "Shadows" are still there... about half of the time... so I guess you could say I'm in pain right now. (kip 3) But the scale of what is painful and what isn't has been kinda revamped. It's like finding a zen spot to sit on the edge of  a knife. Don't wiggle, it won't help, and it doesn't change a damn thing anyway. I find it hard to even explain how it feels. Yeah, it hurts, but that's fine, it's not like I can't sit still, I can sleep, I can talk... That means things are pretty good. Good is relative, and bad isn't here... yet.

I understand why this place exists. Nobody else would understand what I'm saying.