There are many people in the woorld that suffer from cluster headaches because of sleep apnea. I am one of those people with some expereince with them. I have severe sleep apnea and after 45k in surgeries and being assited with a CPAP for 3 years I still have the cluster headaches from time to time. Once a month. The reason I know it is a clusterheadache and not a migrane is because they go away in about 20 minutes-3 hours and always come when I am asleep. I know that it is probably from loss of oxygen while I am sleeping however while having had the surgeries and using the CPAP faithfully I can not understand hwo I could be having loss of oxygen still? I sometimes think the strap around my head and neck have something to do with it but, I was getting htem when I did not use this CPAP, so I don't know I guess I am just cursed with them. My Doc. perscribes hydrocodone for my nueropathy and the headaches but soemtimes I think it makes them worse? I don't know what to do the pain is unbearable. I am grateful to be alive. God Bless you all. If you are a sleep apnea suffering from the waking up with the worst head and neck pain you have ever had post a line here and tell me what helps you. I find caffiene helps me a little.

Welcome to the board. Brew is right, you have 2 separate distinct problems that you need to treat. Glad you got the CPAP machine, have heard it works wonders for the sleep issues. For Cluster Headaches.....

A 2 pronged approach, separate and distinct from your apnea.

1: a good prevenataive medication. This is a medication you take daily to reduce the frequency and the intensity of your hits. I use lithium, others use verapamil or topomax, some combine the lithium and verapamil to get relief. Others on the med board to read about and discuss with your doctor.

2: a good abortive medication. The headache starts, now what? Your first line abortive should be oxygen. Read the oxygen link on the left. I can abort an attack in 6-8 minutes using oxygen, but it must be used correctly. Imitrex injectables work very well but there is some concern overuse can extend cycles.

I am very concerned about your doctor. No knock on him but it doesn't sound like he knows much about CH. Painkillers are worthless for CH and cause significant problems.

Glad you found the board. Now it's up to you to educate yourself and assist your doctor in your treatment. The good news is you'll never be alone again.

Joe

There seems to be a growing connection between the two, but not the understanding of why.  I doubt it's the oxygen issue really.  Oxygen (pure) in high volume helps CHs because of it's affect on your blood vessels.  Stopping breating doesn't seem to me like it would do the opposite and trigger an attack.  There very well may be a connection, but what the connection is, and why are not fully understood.  Heck, the reason CHs happen in the first place isn't known.

Good question on both fronts. There is a growing belief that it's not all connected to the constrictive effects of the 02 that makes it so danged effective. Someone said the research on CH is like 10 blind guys describing an elephant. I'm not sure they'll put it all together in my lifetime!

Joe

Guiseppi wrote on Feb 5^th, 2009 at 7:26pm:


So very true.

i  use a cpap too, and i think that when i do sleep i get deeper sleep which helps from the exhaustion ch leaves us with. alot of my hits  are during the day and evening with only a couple at night and since the cpap i am able to get back to sleep a little easier.
as far as narc's use caution my friend they can cause their own rebound ha's and truly are very effective on ch much. at least for me.