Just getting back after a couple years absence.  Have moved several times and now settled in California.  Seem to be going through a mild "season".  Not sure if it is change from Hawaii to California climate.  Feels a lot like a head cold with a constant runny nose and eye pain on the right side.  Rarely goes over a 2 for now, but dreading the "big one" to hit.  A lot of stress with move and new job.  No insurance yet, so no meds, other than left over vicodine, which sometimes helps.

Last time I was here, I was able to help a fellow sufferer with some information I had learned, so I thought I would repost.  One of my triggers is tea.  Iced tea, hot tea, green tea, black tea.  Though this was strange because coffee and soda don't bother me, so it's obviously not the caffeine.  Learned that back in the day, dentists used to prescribe tea bags to stop the bleeding after an extraction.  Tea contains tinactic acid, which closes off blood vessels -ahh, the light dawns.  I respond well to torodol shots, a strong anitinflamitory.  So, I need those darn blood vessels open wide and lots of hydration and oxygen.  No more tea for me.  Hope this helps others again.

Welcome back, "Alice." And dittos, double dittos, to everything Ginger said! Blessings! lance

Welcome back!  I love your screen name  I say that to my son all the time. 

I never knew that about tea, so thanks.

I hope the big one doesn't hit, but if it does you'll get plenty of support and advice here.  Stick around 

Wishin you all the best,
Kate

Welcome back....Sorry to hear that the Beast is bothering you..

Peace & Blessings
Ruthie

Welcome CnC!
Sorry you had to be here!   
For some info on the surgery, go to the medications tab and see the thread started by Neal for a play by play on his experience.

The only other thing I have to add is about the vasoconstriction nasal sprays - generally just be quite cautious about using them for more than 3 days in a row.  There is actually a condition called rhinitis medicamentosa - this is where the nasal mucosa gets dependent on the spray to constrict.  Without the spray, the mucosa will rebound back to being more swollen and irritated than before - some people get into a cycle where they just can't stop the spray without getting completely blocked up and end up taking the spray for months or years...
And, you know, that just can't be good for CH!

Thank you all for the information.  I am going to follow up on the surgery.  When I was diagnosed 15 years ago, no one knew anything.  I went the gamut from a thyroid condition, to brain tumor, to allergies, to ENT (who diagnosed me with "nonspecific rhyonitis" - basically a term that means "I don't know what the hell it is", to a neorologist who said it's not maigrain, but I don't know what it is, to you are faking it for drugs.  I was being given Tylenol 4 and taking 4 to 6 at a time.  Ended up in bed for three days unable to move, cry, eat, drink, and barely able to breath.  Finally my GP came back from maternity leave, took one look at me and told me it was Clusters (She had another male patient that had them) and throw away the t4's because they were rebounding me.  She then started me on a strong antinflamitory, which worked fairly well for a while until it started bothering my stomach too much.  From then on, it was different types of meds and finally taking naproxen on such a frequent basis that I now have ulcers and cannot take any antiinflamitories orally. 

So, with the "nonspecific rhyonitis" diagnosis, and the warning from lettucehead, I think I should stay away from the nasal sprays. 

For some info on the surgery, go to the medications tab and see the thread started by Neal for a play by play on his experience.

I will check this out. 

Unfortunately, since my last posting, I am in full blown "season".  Started in earnest yesterday early morning with the nausea, then the migrain, then built to a 4 cluster.  Hung on all day.  I work as a Resident Manager for a complex that has not had a manager in 8 months and we have a lot of catch up.  Cannot afford to take time off and have a difficult time "coming out of myself" to deal with tenants.  Woke up again around 12am with a 2 that was quickly gaining ground, then got up again around 7 with the demon trying to decide which side of the brain it wanted to attack.  Began on left and then slowly, but visciously clawed and climbed its way across the hemesphere to rest on the right side. 

I tend to be a righty, but on a few occasions have had them on the left and on fewer occassions had them switch sides.  I am guessing others have had the same experience.  Usually when it moves I can feel tendrils, like skinny octopus tendrils crawling across the top of my head.  This morning it was more like a grabing and clutching as it dragged itself across, seemingly taking chunks of my brain with it.  Took a vocodine and it is down to a barable 2 again. 

Just keep me ion your prayers.  Have 2 leases to type this weekend and a couple of showings. 

Guess I shouldt complain so much, I have been blessed with them staying in the low range and it has been about a year since the last "season".  Just so hard to feel blessed when you're in the midst of it.  I know there are others that suffer much more than me, but the selfishness jumps out and then it's "but this is me it's happening to". I'm hormonal right now, which I think is contributing.  So, forgive me if I offend anyone.