Hey everybody,
my name is Gabe, and I found this website while searching for some answers for my consistent headaches. I am 17 and just about to graduate high school. I play sports year-round (football, basketball, and baseball) and will continue to play baseball at college.

I had my first cluster headache this last fall, after the football season was finished. At first, they weren't severe - simply pesky headaches that came for about an hour and then left. About a week after they started, they got bad. Both at night and around noon every day.  I know I have no need to describe the pain.

I am mostly here to see if anyone has any tips or tricks that can fend of a quick attack...

Thanks.

So much you need to do!!!Especially before leaving to go off to college....says a daddy who has already sent 2 kids off to college.

Get to a doc, and go through all of the annoying testing to verify CH. It's annoying but necassary to rule out the ugly stuff. Any sudden onset of head pain deserves a trip to the experts!

But for now.....stay away from the over the counter stuff, ibuprofen, tylenol, aspirin, etc....over use will result in rebound attacks, and it's not good on your innards.

Energy drinks, any containing healthy amounts of caffeine and taurine......chugged at the first sign of an attack...and I mean chugged!....will abort or lessen an attack for many. Add a daily supplement of magnesium, calcium and vitamin D to your diet. Lessens the overall effect of CH for many.

Hang in there.

Joe

Joe is on target. Don't assume that your self-diagnosis is correct. There are dozens of types of headache AND, confounding the issue, many other disorders which appear to be Cluster, but which are not. So careful sorting thru the possibilities is important.

If you have the option DO NOT use your primary care doc of any local neurologist. Few doc have the training and experience to deal with complex headache disorders. So,

LOCATING HEADACHE SPECIALIST

1. Search the OUCH site (button on left) for a list of recommended M.D.s.

2. Yellow Pages phone book: look for "Headache Clinics" in the M.D. section and look under "neurologist" where some docs will list speciality areas of practice.

3.  Call your hospital/medical center. They often have an office to assist in finding a physician. You may have to ask for the social worker/patient advocate.

4. Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or ; On-line screen to find a physician.

5. Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or Look for "Physician Finder" search box. They will send a list of M.D.s for your state.I suggest using this source for several reasons: first, we have read several messages from people who, even seeing neurologists, are unhappy with the quality of care and ATTITUDES they have encountered; second, the clinical director of the Jefferson (Philadelphia) Headache Clinic said, in late 1999, that upwards of 40%+ of U.S. doctors have poor training in treating headache and/or hold attitudes about headache ("hysterical female disorder") which block them from sympathetic and effective work with the patient; third, it's necessary to find a doctor who has experience, skill, and a set of attitudes which give hope of success. This is the best method I know of to find such a physician.

6. Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or NEW certification program for "Headache Medicine" by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, an independent, non-profit, professional medical organization.
        Since this is a new program, the initial listing is limited and so it should be checked each time you have an interest in locating a headache doctor.
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I'd also encourage you to avoid starting to sample this and that fix, in the absence of a solid diagnosis. Especially, avoid OTC pain meds which don't work for cluster but which, if used too much, can lead to more headaches. I.E., self-diagnosis and self-treatment is not wise!

Hey Gabe,

You're doing the right thing coming here - it's critical  to get really aggressive about this and learn as much as possible.

Just realize that even a headache specialist may not have all the answers for you. For instance good luck finding  one who will prescribe the most effective O2 - hi flow, non rebreather - without you asking for it (or alternatively arranging on your own to go high flow).

You'll probably want to be fully prepared in case an episode strikes when you're in college next year. Abortives like imitrex inhaler, zyprexa, can be used right while you're sitting in class and could save ya, IMO. You'll want to have something like that on hand BEFORE any episode starts up.

And listen party boy  , NO ALCOHOL while in the midst of an episode!!! Alcohol will trigger a slammer of a hit like no other for most of us, don't find this out the really really hard way.

Reading thru about 10 or so of the other Getting To Know Ya Topics here is a good way to get indoctrinated quickly, because you'll start seeing common threads in the replies from the vets who have found out how to beat this thing down.

Yep, all good advice.  I sat through many college classes in severe pain.  I found that a big gulp of coke from 7-11 prior to my morning classes pushed away the CH attack.  I can't really concentrate on caffeine so I didn't learn that much sometimes.

After diagnosing and getting your 2 month supply of redbull (or whatever) check out the stuff going on at Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Hell, you'll be doing stuff at college anyways, might as well kill 2 birds with 1 stone (kind of joking, I never did, but I was a rarity).  I was a baseballer too, catcher (stopped after high school probably saved my knees).  The busters work with ethneogenic plants and fungus to kill the cluster attacks and abort whole cycles. Psilocybe mushrooms have been working for me and you can read a thousand different stories about others. 

Check it out if you like.  Most of it is not legal but most of it works like magic.   (smile face dude say have a good time at school!)

--Shaggy

I understand Gabe.  I too have stayed away from caffeine for some of my life.  But welcome to Clusterville.  I make my recommendations based on a several circumstances:

Allergy medication didn't work, neither did anything else.

Severe pain, mostly debilitating.

I would rather take some caffeine and then play baseball, than sit on the bench writhing in pain.

I would rather find a way to manage the pain than go on disability etc.

And I would rather do an illicit drug that 1/2 the high school kids in the country are doing than load up on expensive pharmaceuticals and all of their side effects.

That's just me though and I am not trying to tell you or anyone else what to do.  The reason I say all of this to you is that you are young and brand new to the cluster world.  They may not be clusters or they may and they could get worse too.  It is so hard to tell the first few years.  Only you know what is right for you, just put these thoughts in your back pocket in case you need them in the future.  When I look back on my clusterhead life, I would do some things different.  And my suggestions to you are what I would have done differently.

I am wishing you many pain free days and great collegiate success!  We are always here if you need us.  Oh and if you are describing cluster headaches to your doctor and they give you allergy medicine, see another doctor, headache specialist if you can.

(smiley guy says good luck!)

--Shaggy