hello, I have read that kudzu, and melatonin is helpful if your short on cash. Both can be found at health food stores, or gnc/vitamin world.
Everyone swears by oxygen here so look into getting that. If you cant afford to see a doc and get a prescription. Go to a welders supply store.
Drink redbull at the first sign of a hit. It helps me.
If you can't afford redbull by the case, go to GNC and buy a bottle of taurine, take taurine and drink coffee as soon as you feel hit coming on.

I can crush 3 red bulls and sleep like a baby when in cycle. You are correct, for me, I have to drink it at the first sign of a headache. Doesn't have as good effect on me if I wake up in the middle of the night and it is already pounding. However I still crush one anyway.
Ice packs and cold air outside also help me a little. some prefer heat though.
Doesn't have to be redbull though, anything with taurine and caffeine will do the trick. some cant stand the taste or smell of redbull.
If you decide to try pure O2, they say you have to do it at at least 10-15 lpm. Most regulators dont go that high, so you have to buy your own. Also use a non rebreather mask. The folks around here say it will abort an attack in 5-10 minutes.
My doc hasn't prescribed O2 yet, but I'm going to talk to him about it next time I go

1. See "helpful hints" file under the first section, "specific".

2. See "water x3" on the left of this page.

3.This med has found a fair amount of support here because it's as effective as Imitrex and about $3/dose, making it affordable. As you read this abstract, note that several people had their attacks stop!

4. Your doc can give you samples and you will know with 1-2 episodes/uses whether it works for you.

5. Print this abstract and give to you doc. If you ask him cold turkey he will freak out but with medical literature to support you....  This med is showing up in several lists of medical treatments for Cluster which means that it's being recognized as effective and safe.

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Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):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.

PMID 11576207 PubMed

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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.

I don't wanna be discouraging, but beware that your average neurologist who isn't an actual headache specialist will be a bit of an ignorant bozo regarding CH, and will be inclined to do as much harm as good.

Sorry, I know, it sux.