Hello, this is my first post, and really hope my last one.  My husband has suffered from Cluster Headache since he was 12 years old.  He is now 35. He has been having the episodes once a year, and each time it lasted for over three months.  WIthin that period he had a maximum of 7 and a minimum of 5 episodes per day, each of no less than 30 minutes. 
To my joy, last year a new doctor prescribed him a new medicine.  Not that it is new in the market, but it was the first time someone had told him about it. The name is IMIGRAN, by Glaxo Smith Kline.  It comes in injectable version but also as pills.  He argues that the injectable ones are much faster, durable and effective.  He combines that with Verpamil from Orion Pharma that lowers his blood pressure. 

The reason why I am writing this is that when I met my husband and I experienced his suffering, I came to the internet, and the information I found helped me understand what it was, and how to handle it, him and myself during the episodes.

This 2 drugs together have made wonders.  He has the pain, but it lasts 10 minutes, no more than 2 times a day maximum, and the pain is just like a normal migraine.  He just lays down on the sofa, and waits when before he would scream and say that he was going to jump out of the balcony.  And I can tell you, he was not joking.  This has been the second year, and I did not want to write immediately after the first year, beause I thought that maybe we were just being lucky. But now, that the same happened in this year's episode, I feel more confident to tell you my experience.

Well, that is all I had to say.  If you knew this already, then great.  If you did not and by trying it you get better as well, then I am extremely happy.  And if you want to try it or already tried it and it did not work for you, I wish from the bottom of my heart that you dont give up! there is for sure something that will work for you!

All the best, and my sincere best wishes for all that go through this difficult situation.

Hit and run post? I think not.

I think you're going to have to stick around, daita. Once you become a member of the family, you can't leave the family. It's not tolerated.

See if you can get your husband to come on here. He can kick it around with some folks who know exactly what he's going through.

Daita,

It doesn't matter one iota if we've all known about Imitrex and Verapamil.  What is important is that you found this place.

There is so much information here as well as folks who want to help you sort through it.  Please do not let these be your only posts.  There are other supporters just like yourself who can help you deal with this, make you laugh, and give you tips and pointers and take you under their wing so to speak.

I hope you can convince your husband to come here also.  At times he may need to vent...oh hell, some times he may need to scream, cry and cuss and we'll all be here to listen and allow him to do that too.

What state are you in?  There also may be someone near-by who can become a sort of buddy to you, help you get squared away with oxygen and show him how to use it, etc.

Linda

welcome to the biggest family in the world
I use Oxygen at a flow rate of 25 and abort an attack in 5 min wich gave me back my life (not that i really had one in the first place) I hope you can get your husband to join our little band of merry men as the help and support is second to none.

Mark (feeling very robin hood today)

Yes Daita...stick around.

I use Verapamil as well, and it is a good one, but I will never in my life be without an O2 tank , weather it be in the closet, (during remision) or by my bed.
   You really need to try it out.
  And Welcome !         lorac

Hi Daita!  Welcome to the nuthouse!  Have your husband at least do some reading here.  There is a tremendous amount of great info that is helpful to know even if one doesn't use it directly.  Understanding is key to dealing with it most effectively.  When you understand what is going on you can deal with it with more confidence.  Knowing there is a vast family out here to help support you is priceless.  I know I was on the verge of suicide when I found this place, and that was before I went Chronic.  I never would have made it had it not been for DJ and this crazy family that I joined.

Please look into the oxygen.  Print out some of the information on the oxygen info button (in yellow) to your left.  If your Dr has any further questions about it refer him to this page or to the O.U.C.H. website for more information.  The info button talks about 15 lpm, but I found that 25 lpm works so much faster.  I, too, can knock out a hit, even after it has gotten a good hold on me, in 5-8 mins. 

Oxygen has no side effects, and is considerably less expensive than Imagran.  Also, it will not cause rebound headaches.

Glad your husband has found some relief.  I also hope you both will stick around and become part of this family.  We are always looking to adopt nice people!

Jerry

Yes Daita, do encourage your husband to search for info FIRST HAND.

CH is not common at all, and is not studied, at med schools, as thoroughly as more common forms of migraine. Hence, most doctors who are not neurophysicians are not very well informed, especially on therapies, most of which are relatively recent discoveries.

Most senior CH patients who have tried different therapies over the years will be far more informed than the average family doc.

Daita,

I too am a VERY private person,this site was a life saver for me...In the last part of 99,my ex-wife called me and told me that she had to speak with me in person (not on the phone) when i got to her place she brought me straight to the computer and showed me this site(within minutes i was very choked up) remembering how almost every night of battling with the beast thinking that there is someone else out there doing the same and thinking that i would never meet another clusterhead.....If i recall correctly i must of stayed on her computer that day for 5-6 hours reading all i can read and for the next month or so i would do the same( driving her crazy)i did not have a computer at the time .....Please try to get him to atleast come to the site and read.....Lenny

And then you had the opportunity to meet some really special people 


[/quote]
Yes indeed...i will never forget that day( that was a special day for me)...BTW,that was the one and only time that i ever met with other clusterheads.....Lenny

Hi Daita

My husband has also suffered from cluster headaches since he was about 10 but was only diagnosed about 6 years ago.  He also takes imigran in injection form, but on his last visit to the doctor, they were worried that his blood pressure was very high.  I am concerned that he is injecting too often, but know he will do anything to make the pain go away.  He is still experiencing several episodes per day but gets relief quickly once injected.  You mentioned that your husband takes medication for blood pressure.  Is his high blood pressure caused by Imigran or something else.  I was thinking that my husband should ask the doctor to give him blood pressure tablets also.  Thanks

bejeeber wrote on Oct 17^th, 2009 at 12:08pm:

I beg to differ.

There exists more that TWO tons of practical info on this site.

Absolutely. I'll give you that.