Hello my name is Chris and i am from Western NY. I am 28 years old and i have been dealing with these for about 9 years now. I still remember the first attack i ever had and how they never stopped after that. I have been diagnosed with Chronic Cluster Headaches. Mine have always been the same never changing. I would always have 1 per day lasting approx 30 - 45 min and that was it, until recently. The last few days have been horrible (As i am sure most of you can understand). I have been getting approx 5- 7 per day and lasting anywhere from 20 min to 4.5 hours in which i took my imitrex stat dose for the first time ever. I have always been able to work through them on my own for the most part sometimes i would use my oxygen if i was home and able to. The weird thing is that until recently i have never had more then occasional day where i did not have 1 attack. About a week and a half prior i had none, so i went about 9 days without having a single attack. Oxygen does not seem to help most of the time over the last few days but sometimes it does. One thing that i have noticed over the last few days is normally when i have a attack i always tend to put pressure with my head on the temple. I could always feel the hardness of my vein running through there, but not anymore.

Well anyways thank you everyone for letting me talk to it out..

Working with a headache specialist would be my first choice for you. This is an area of such complexity that the average doc rarely has the skill/experience we often need.

But, broadly speaking, variation in the experience of CH is not uncommon. Subtle variation in degree, location, duration, etc. is surely common in the early period of someone developing CH but the old timers can also tell you stories about changes which occur with aging.
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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.

Quote:

Many have found a higher flow rate with a better mask helps the effectiveness of O2 therapy.

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

And you can buy your own regulator on e-bay. They're pretty cheap.