Well howdy yall. I sure as hell didn't want ot be here (don't take it personally) but after a 15 year hiatus, my cluster headaches have made a "triumphant" return to my life. OH how I missed you, agonizing pain that wont let me sleep. OH how I missed you lil Dance. OH how I missed you Devil. Where did yall go? My life was fine while you were gone. Welcome back and thank you for sending my life into the crapper. How generous.
OK, enough snide saracasm for now I suppose. Hey folks. The name is Robert. Howdy from lovely Austin Texas. Yup, the headaches are back with a vengeance. I had them about 15 years a go, a cluster that lasted for about 6-9 months if memory serves (which it does less and less at my age  )
I am a director/technical director at a TV station here in Austin (KXAN, KNVA, and KBVO [SHAMELESS PLUG!  ]) Getting a CH right before or during a show TERRIFIES me. If that happens, all I can do is pop a Zomig (works so-so) and focus on the show and barrel through it. Can't do the dance as I have to sit there for the length of the show. And the headaches make it hard to communicate, but as the leader I have to. All I can do is pop a Zomig and hope it kicks in ASAFP. Of course as fate would have it, it happened last week. RIGHT before our 10 PM newscast. I got through it with a clean show, but it was pure agony. The headache subsided right at the end of the show and I was so wiped I had to just lie down on the floor and take a little nap before I headed home.
MOST of the time they hit within a few hours of me going to sleep. Standard symptoms. Left side of the head, "clogged" left nostril, left eye so bloodshot I expect blood to actaully start flowing out of it, droopy let eyelid. Yup, classic cluster. Currently the doc has me taking butalbital as a prophylactic and Zomig as an abortive. Having doubts about the butalbital, but the Zomig is effetive it seems. It keeps the headache from going full blown usually, and sometimes it does seem to make it go away quickly.
Me? Well as I said I work at a TV station. I am a diehard, in my blood, until I die St Louis Cardinals baseball fan. As well as a fan of all University of Texas sports (HOOK EM HORNS!). I am an avid gamer. Some PC, mostly PS3. My PS3 ID is Lothar36. Look me up and friend me fellow cluster gamers. Maybe we can make a MAG clan called "Clusterfu**ers"  Or look for me on Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Be really careful with Butalbital as a prevent........carries a high risk of addictive issues. Verapamil, Topomax and Lithium are popular, tried and true prevents that don't carry the addiction risks.

Do look into the oxygen. If you can afford a demand valve set up, you can keep an E-Tank at your desk and breathe right through a program production. You HAVE to breathe anyways......few wll even notice you're sucking the 02 and the speed with which it aborts is mind blowing. I've been in law enforcement for 30 years. Kept an E-tank in the cruiser and would huff on the way to calls!

Then look into the imitrex injectables, or at least the nasal spray. Provides extremely fast relief for many. I use the energy drinks in a pinch also. I prefer sugar free Red Bull but any containing caffeine and taurine will provide some relief if chugged at the start of an attack.

Joe

This is what I love about this website. Very practical solutions for someone who outlined his situation. And then, the phone number to a neuro who "gets it"! Wow, Robert, I think you are in great hands there in Austin TX!

Christy

Robert Lovelace, III wrote on Mar 29^th, 2010 at 9:11pm:


Hi Rob.  Welcome.

You have a pill form of Zomig.  I've been at work when a hit comes along and cannot step away, important to focus but the ability gets overwhelmed when pain is overriding. 

For work, a very convenient to take abortive that will help much sooner is the nasal spray form, Zomig has it and Imitrex.  When you feel like a hit is coming on, early, a simple hand motion from pocket to nose with a crafty manner doesn't break stride in important work you may be doing, arresting a hit before its full extent. 

I use oxygen at home but at work a pill definitely won't do because to endure the incapacitating ability a CH hit can have before it works is too telltale to respond to anything else.

Good advise above.  Tell a doc about your circumstances and what would be practical for you to use.  The injectables are even faster acting and have a great convenience, too.



the show must go on.