Hi, I'm Jessica---very new, both to the board and to CH.  I have tons of questions and have a lot that I need to clear up in my own head (on top of the pain), but I have to start somewhere... so here goes:

Has anyone else heard of (or been) a pregnant woman with CH?  I read one little blip in an article that said it will often resolve in pregnancy... Mine seems to have started during pregnancy.  But other than that, I've found no mention of it anywhere.

I am 18 weeks pregnant, and my cluster started one week ago, middle of the night.  I am having between 3 and 6 bad attacks a day, and have hurt my neck (i think) which is causing some migraine-like pain in between them.  I was told by my partner that it's because I'm banging my head into the wall and hitting myself over the head with things and pulling my hair...  umm, a little harder than I realize. 

My boss won't let me come to work if I'm still having them.  She knows I'm pregnant and has said it's better to stay home and take care of me, and says that I'm no good to her in the office if I'm still having them.  I've just applied for short-term disability, for which I pay for good coverage, but I'm starting to wonder if they will approve it. 

Am I just completely crazy??  Has there ever been a pregnant woman with CH before??

Headache. 2009 Jan;49(1):136-9.
Cluster headache during pregnancy: case report and literature review.

Giraud P, Chauvet S.

Centre hospitalier d'Annecy, Service de Neurologie, Metz-Tessy, France.

A 32-year-old pregnant woman presented with cluster headache (CH) during the third trimester of a normal pregnancy. Pure oxygen mask inhalation was ineffective, and intranasal lidocaine applications were realized associated with oral methylprednisolone, given at 1 mg per kg once daily. These treatments rendered the pain tolerable and the pregnancy went to its term with no consequence on the baby. This case of CH attack during pregnancy raises the issues of the influence of sexual hormonal changes in women with CH and the way to treat this disease in such circumstance. To date, there are no therapeutic guidelines available; this case suggests some possibilities.

PMID: 19125883 [PubMed
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Re: Clusters and Pregnancy
« Reply #1 on: Oct 29th, 2004, 8:37am »   

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Issues about med effects are sufficiently complex and  fluid that I would work closely with your ob doc and, ideally, with a headache specialist (acting as a consultant).

Given where you are in your pregnancy, you might print out this message and show to your doc.
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CNS Drugs. 2003;17(1):1-7.   


Safety of sumatriptan in pregnancy: a review of the data so far.

Loder E.

Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. eloder@partners.org

The high prevalence of migraine in women during their reproductive years means that new drug treatments for migraine, such as the serotonin 5-HT(1B/1D) receptor agonists (the 'triptans'), are likely to be widely used by women of childbearing potential. Scrutiny of these agents in an effort to detect any signal of teratogenicity is thus important. A systematic review of the medical literature was conducted to identify information regarding the safety of sumatriptan during pregnancy. This agent was chosen to be investigated because it has been available for the longest and is the most widely used of the triptan class. Information was obtained regarding the impact of migraine on pregnancy outcome, and data on sumatriptan use in pregnancy were obtained from animal studies, preclinical drug trials, postmarketing surveillance efforts, prospective pregnancy registries, national birth registries and teratogen information services. Synthesis of information from these sources is sufficient to rule out a large increase in birth defects from sumatriptan use during pregnancy and is reassuring for cases where inadvertent exposure to sumatriptan during pregnancy has occurred. However, current information is not sufficient to rule out small increases in the risk for birth defects. For this reason, caution should be exercised in making a positive recommendation for the use of sumatriptan during pregnancy.

Publication Types: 
Review 
Review, Tutorial 

PMID: 12467489 [PubMed] 
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I checked drug info on medscape.com and this is o.k. for limited use in pregnancy. 

1: Headache 2001 Sep;41(:813-6   


Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.

Rozen TD.

Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. The initial olanzapine dose was 5 mg, and the dose was increased to 10 mg if there was no pain relief. The dosage was decreased to 2.5 mg if the 5-mg dose was effective but caused adverse effects. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and two patients became headache-free after taking the drug. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. It alleviates pain quickly and has a consistent response across multiple treated attacks. It appears to work in both episodic and chronic cluster headache.



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Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.
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OTC meds are not very helpful with cluster, as you know, but may be one of the few options available to you. Some folks have good luck aborting/easing an attack by applying an ice pack to the pain site. Others find very hot water also works; others have used a hair dryer blasting the pain site works! No predicting; just try.

Jess, just wanted to intoduce myself. I write as Tanyana here on ch.com.  I was just dx'ed with clusterheadaches last Auguest after a very smart imedicate care doctor treated my headaches with oxygen.  That started my grateful journey with oxygen.  I was able to stop that headache or hit as were call them in only 15 minutes.  Went away with a clear mind and wiithout pain!!! I started using oxygen to stop or abort my headaches e ver since.  My insurance pays for the o2 and delivers it right to my house.  In November, I found out that I was two weeks pregnant. I am now 12  and a half weeks pregnant and have continued to use o2 to abort my headaches. I use Skype for instant chat as well as video chat if you are intreasted it is a free download at: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or You are welcome to pm me or contact me on skype or via email at pattyroth13@yahoo.com  MY Skype name is: Tanyanaroth.   If you are not ready to contact me that is ok also.   I have a couple to people that can explain o2 useage to you and in more detail. Please let me know if you are instreastd in more information.   
I welcome you to ch.com and know that you will find many new friends here with the family.

Wishing you pain free days and nights, Tanyana