Hi there,I am 25 years old
and my headaches started at the age of 16.
I have read almost all messages in ch.com forum(and all over internet).
I had found Imigran at my first cycle of this year.
Now only O2 and Imıgran injection work on me.But both of them effects last max. 1 hour.
Especially Imigran had horrible effects on me,
it changed my epidomic CH to chronic CH! also increased attacks number at the day and makes the pain stronger.Now demon visits me many many times at each day and each one last 3 hours.
repeating rebound headaches.
This means almost all day!
Every single day for 4 months! No work no sleep!
no one understand my despair..

A new doctor suggest me that pulling my impacted wisdom teeths.She claimed that they are probable cause of the headaches.
ch due to an impacted wisdom tooth????

I read the messages about pulling teeths, I know it wont work but what if a miracle will happen?
she is very assertive about this point. 100% guaranteed by her.
is anyone outthere who has benefit from tooth pulling????
thnx..

Rouge:  Give us bacjground in everything you have tried.  Be very specific.  Flow rates for O2, type of mask, dose on meds.........

Then people here can begin to see what we can suggest.  TRUST ME, take the time to share everything you can and I bet you will get suggestions that will help to some level!!!!!

Dental problems can certainly cause headaches, however, cluster headaches are not caused by dental problems. 
If curing your clusters is the only reason you want your teeth taken out, forget it.

I first, want to say that I think you are incredibly brave to deal with all that you have lately.  Daily - that many hits - I get them so I understand - but not that many for that long.  I get multiple hits per day - sometimes none for 24 hours, but average about 10 a week.  I have been experiencing them without any medication or help until I found this site a few days ago - and already I have them under control.
For you my friend, I would strongly advise that you have your dentist talk to your headache specialist - if they both agree that it might help - then great.  But we both know that you are experiencing a great deal of physical and emotional pain right now, and that causes us to each sometimes.  These horrible attacks can be very motivating.  The issue is that we are so desperate that we do start considering alternatives "just in case" they work. 
I have been bringing myself up to speed on this a lot over the past week - and maybe you need to vary your treatment again.  Finding what works for each of us seems key - and it varys.  But even within individual cases, we do change, and this keeps me thinking, that we must have open minds even with ourselves.  If our treatments are not working well, and it sounds like yours is not if you cannot even work, then you need to be strong here and refocus your attack.  Change things up (I know I know - let go of something that works?  AM I crazy?)  but I just went throug a month without any assistance of any kind and worked all days but one.  Not easy to suffer and deal - but it is our lot now right?  The first thing I learned on this site was that we have this - we have to deal - and how much life I can have around this is totally up to me and how hard I fight.  I want to fight. 
We are here - you are not alone - not even for one attack are you alone.  I suggest you engage your doctor and you look at some changes to your routine - the 02 level, the medications, in addition to the over the counter stuff (red bull, nasal sprays etc.)  I use this headache buster spray - its made from peppers - I think it only helps because forces me to deep breath with leads us back to the 02.

If you are having as many hits with the duration you mention then your treatment is really not working friend.  So many of these others have reached a totally controllable state with these, they minimize the attacks, and when they do come, they snuff it out. 

Go back to the start line and give it another go - read up - learn, and shortlist things that you and your doc can switch up based on what seems to work for the others.  We can benefit from their experience here - so utilize that.

You need your life back.  With all your teeth!  I dont think you are wrong to look and consider everything - absolutely, but I am not sure that going through some major dental work will do anything more than cost you money.

You are in my thoughts today - stay strong.
Jake

I have had several dental procedures years ago due to clusters before I knew any better (root canals that were okay when they got in there).  They never helped.  I have also had doctors tell me I have TMJ (while in a cycle of clusters) even when they can't detect it.  I know now that unless there is significant evidence of another problem, I should wait until the cycle is over and see what happens.  I still get caught up in it from time to time wondering if there is something wrong with a tooth or my ear, so I get it checked out and when my cycle is over...I get tickled at myself because it is all gone again.  Then I think...why can't I learn.  It is so real at the time, I guess.  But at least I know now and don't have any  procedures...I just make sure I don't have an ear or tooth infection and need an antibiotic. 

What we really need is a pharmacist or doctor that HAS clusters to help us.  Wouldn't that be great.  I also have a pharmacist in the family and it has helped with my knowledge of body functions and medications, but that's all.  They are a great resource for you to use in your quest, but they don't experience and can't imagine what you are going through...and that is the rest of the story. 

Good luck!
Joni

    IF you like information on health, Consumer's Report has a newsletter about health issues only. For the last couple of years they have posted procedures that "appear to be done more often than medically justified."
    Wisdom-tooth extraction is right up there with cesarean section and surgery for back pain. Cutting out heartburn (whatever that is) and good old hysterectomy is there. And angioplasty and surgery for weight loss and enlarged-prostate precedures.
    I have learned that I have a lot to learn. AND I have learned that the august medical industry has plenty to learn too.
LOVE, DANiEL

I agree with many of CH Family Members, if your tooth (teeth) are bad, get it (them) taken care of...

But trust me, NO dentist procedure going to help your CH's...

A few years ago we did a short in house video in Davenport (DAVCON)... We did not see each others interview, so we had know idea.. When we had our OUCH Convention in Richmond, VA (?)...
I was able to view the finish product... It was in that film that I learn that some one that I care a great deal for had been told the exact same thing by her dentist. This member had all of her teeth extracted, and she is still suffer with CH's...

I went from episodic to chronic also, and I wasn't taken Trex...

I Pray that you find something that works very soon.

Peace & Blessings
LadyLuv

Quote:

If this is true (that she personally guaranteed it), I'd turn 180 degrees and run - don't walk. This dentist has no clue about medicine or dentistry being more of an art than a science.

Seriously, dude - get your butt to somebody else, preferrably a headache specialist.

Like Bob P said, if your wisdom teeth are impacted, they should probably come out. But they have NOTHING to do with CH.

Rouge320 wrote on Nov 8^th, 2009 at 6:03am:


Hopefully you're using the half dose (just as effective as full dose, really!) method with those injections.

If you haven't read about it yet, the info is at the "imitrex tip" link on the left of your forum view (if you don't see any links on the left, please mention it in a reply here).

Keep your teeth.  If you have a toothache have them pulled, but not for a headache.  What will your Dr do if the HA's don't go away?  Reinstall them?  How do you "guarantee" something like that?

I used to use Verapamil also, added Lithium to it and got some relief, but the side effects were worse than the help I got.  I started using Kudzu instead and have had excellent success with it.  I'm chronic also, and have learned to handle them through what I've learned here.  I know it is hard to handle right now, but give yourself a little time to educate yourself and you will find a way to do better. 

Jerry

Bob Johnson wrote on Nov 8^th, 2009 at 6:10pm:

Fascinating. I had never heard that before. Three years ago, after 20+ years with CH, I developed what I can loosely describe as an idiopathic neuropathy of the third branch of our old friend, the trigeminal nerve. Nothing helped it. Pain was constant and psychologically more devastating than cluster, due to the fact that I couldn't perform my job as a teacher. Thought I'd be out of work the rest of my life (saw everyone for prosthodontist to endodontist to orofacial pain specialist). Finally I experimented with putting in the plastic things that you use to whiten teeth and found less pain. Told my orofacial guy and he has made me thing molds or splints. When the pain is bad, these allow me to speak and work. Some sort of distractive pain.
Anyway, when I get over a 4 on the KIP scale, the same side of my gums light up like someone put a live 120 volt wire there. Never heard that others feel pain there. As to the wisdom teeth being causal, that's really, really hard to believe. Hang in there, friend. It's a really rough ride, but things will get better with a different regimen.