While I'm glad you have a GP who recognized your problem, his treatment, so far, is not useful for Cluster. Pain meds (tramadol) have almost no place with Cluster and I don't grasp his intention of giving the second one.

First, let me direct you to your excellent support group.
They will be able to help you with local sources of help.

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or
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Here are two lists of commonly used meds for Cluster.
Any doc who is not working with there meds may not be very nicely experienced with Cluster.

HERE ARE TWO MAJOR DOCUMENTS WITH RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS FOR CLUSTER HEADACHE, ONE FROM A U.S. PHYSICIAN, THE SECOND FROM EUROPE.
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Here is a link to read and print and take to your doctor.  It describes preventive, transitional, abortive and surgical treatments for CH. Written by one of the better headache docs in the U.S.  (2002. Rozen)
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Treatment guidelines from Europe

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A. May, M. Leone, J. Áfra, M. Linde, P. S. Sándor, S. Evers, P. J. Goadsby:
EFNS guidelines on the treatment of cluster headache and other
trigeminalautonomic cephalalgias.
European Journal of Neurology. 2006; 13: 1066–1077.

Download free full text:
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Also useful to start learning both about the nature of Cluster and a fuller discussion of treatment.




Cluster headache.
From: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or (Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases)
[Easy to read; one of the better overview articles I've seen. Suggest printing the full length article--link, line above--if you are serious about keeping a good medical library on the subject.]

Leroux E, Ducros A.

ABSTRACT: Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache disease characterized by recurrent short-lasting attacks (15 to 180 minutes) of excruciating unilateral periorbital pain accompanied by ipsilateral autonomic signs (lacrimation, nasal congestion, ptosis, miosis, lid edema, redness of the eye). It affects young adults, predominantly males. Prevalence is estimated at 0.5-1.0/1,000. CH has a circannual and circadian periodicity, attacks being clustered (hence the name) in bouts that can occur during specific months of the year. ALCOHOL IS THE ONLY DIETARY TRIGGER OF CH, STRONG ODORS (MAINLY SOLVENTS AND CIGARETTE SMOKE) AND NAPPING MAY ALSO TRIGGER CH ATTACKS. During bouts, attacks may happen at precise hours, especially during the night. During the attacks, patients tend to be restless. CH may be episodic or chronic, depending on the presence of remission periods. CH IS ASSOCIATED WITH TRIGEMINOVASCULAR ACTIVATION AND NEUROENDOCRINE AND VEGETATIVE DISTURBANCES, HOWEVER, THE PRECISE CAUSATIVE MECHANISMS REMAIN UNKNOWN. Involvement of the hypothalamus (a structure regulating endocrine function and sleep-wake rhythms) has been confirmed, explaining, at least in part, the cyclic aspects of CH. The disease is familial in about 10% of cases. Genetic factors play a role in CH susceptibility, and a causative role has been suggested for the hypocretin receptor gene. Diagnosis is clinical. Differential diagnoses include other primary headache diseases such as migraine, paroxysmal hemicrania and SUNCT syndrome. At present, there is no curative treatment. There are efficient treatments to shorten the painful attacks (acute treatments) and to reduce the number of daily attacks (prophylactic treatments). Acute treatment is based on subcutaneous administration of sumatriptan and high-flow oxygen. Verapamil, lithium, methysergide, prednisone, greater occipital nerve blocks and topiramate may be used for prophylaxis. In refractory cases, deep-brain stimulation of the hypothalamus and greater occipital nerve stimulators have been tried in experimental settings.THE DISEASE COURSE OVER A LIFETIME IS UNPREDICTABLE. Some patients have only one period of attacks, while in others the disease evolves from episodic to chronic form.

PMID: 18651939 [PubMed]
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A core lesson which many of us have learned the hard say--we need to know more than our docs! Most physicians receive little training and have little experience in dealing with complex headache disorders. It's not uncommon for people to require several years and multple doctors before they find the skills which they need. Hence, the more you know, the better position you are in to evaluate the quality of care any particular doc is offering.

Hope you will stay here, exploring the buttons (left) and reading other folks' messages: a good way to learn.

Welcome to the board, Bob's advice is spot on and golden, as is bejeebers. Only thing I will add is to suggest you try energy drinks when you feel an attack coming on. I use Red Bull but any containing the combo of caffeine and taurine will do the trick. Chugged at the first sign of an attack, many find they can abort or at least really reduce an attack.

Joe

Thanks everyone for the replies, I'll print some of the info off if I make it in to work tomorrow.

I already have a prepayment card, thanks Nigel.

Will get the Red Bull in. does anything like ProPlus help out of interest.

Quote:


Some people here find that caffeine is enough to help with a hit , but most find the combo of caffeine (0.03% min ) and taurine (0.4% min) in energy drinks work better , and I doubt if pro plus will work fast enough being as it is in pill form and will take at least 20 minuets to start working .

God bless

Nigel

madbird wrote on Aug 15^th, 2010 at 2:09pm:


Keeping a headache diary for a time is not uncommon as a useful assessment tool.  Ask what specifics to monitor.

Some usual ones:

date
time, start/finish
intensity, rate 1-10
any possible preceding symptoms
possible triggers
medication, and dosage
relief, complete/moderate/none


I've read of good ones around here, but don't have a copy.