I think for the most part people would say Cluster people need vasoconstriction, the narrowing of the blood vessels. 

As an employee of a plumbing wholesaler, i have never  really quite understood this.   If i have too much "pressure"  per say and sometimes can actually feel my head blood vessels pulsing above my ear; wouldn't you want to relieve the pressure???

Why wouldn't we want vasodilation..., the widening and relaxing of the vessels? A relief valve per say.   

I know for a fact there are dozens of people on here a lot smarter and more  experienced w/ terms/ researching and what not.  And I mean that w/ respect. 

Here is what i would like explained....   Caffeine, energy drinks are pushed alot on here.   they are a constrictor.

O2 is pushed period.  and this is where i get suckey......   a by product is CO2.   carbon dioxide is a  dilator, right???   Widening the vessels.

Please explain.    thanks

It is my understanding that when we experience pain, it is due to our blood vessels dilating  thus causing pressure on the Trigeminal nerve.  We need vasoconstriction to cause those vessels to shrink, relieving the pressure on the nerve.

Jeannie wrote on May 3^rd, 2011 at 12:22pm:


Seems reasonable.   

Jeannie wrote on May 3^rd, 2011 at 12:50pm:



Saturates the blood with what?  do you have a link?

Potter wrote on May 3^rd, 2011 at 1:20pm:



now link for how O2 make vessels constrict.

Jeannie wrote on May 3^rd, 2011 at 1:40pm:


You said O2 saturates the blood and causes blood vessels to constrict.


Now when I went to school and I made a claim,  i had to back it up.

And I did look.   How bout you show me.

Potter wrote on May 3^rd, 2011 at 2:08pm:



I did google it.  I can't find it.   That is why I asked for a link.  I am serious.   

Interesting to note that he is saying that the primary mode of action is NOT as a vasoconstrictor but on its effect on the central nervous system. Doesn't change our appreciation of this class of meds but suggests we need to change how we think about the nature of CH.
==============================
Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2007;(177):129-43.   


Serotonin receptor ligands: treatments of acute migraine and cluster headache.

Goadsby PJ.

Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK. peterg@ion.ucl.ac.uk

Fuelled by the development of the serotonin 5-HT(1B/1D) receptor agonists, the triptans, the last 15 years has seen an explosion of interest in the treatment of acute migraine and cluster headache. Sumatriptan was the first of these agonists, and it launched a wave of therapeutic advances. These medicines are effective and safe. Triptans were developed as cranial vasoconstrictors to mimic the desirable effects of serotonin, while avoiding its side-effects. IT HAS SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN SHOWN THAT THE TRIPTANS' MAJOR ACTION IS NEURONAL, WITH BOTH PERIPHERAL AND CENTRAL TRIGEMINAL INHIBITORY EFFECTS, AS WELL AS ACTIONS IN THE THALAMUS AND AT CENTRAL MODULATORY SITES, SUCH AS THE PERIAQUEDUCTAL GREY MATTER. Further refinements may be possible as the 5-HT(1D) and 5-HT(1F) receptor agonists are explored. Serotonin receptor pharmacology has contributed much to the better management of patients with primary headache disorders.

PMID: 17087122 [PubMed]
=================================================================
J Clin Neurosci. 2010 Mar 11.

What has functional neuroimaging done for primary headache ... and for the clinical neurologist?
Sprenger T, Goadsby PJ.

UCSF Headache Centre, Department of Neurology, University of California, 1701 Divisadero St, Suite 480, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA.

Our understanding of mechanisms involved in primary headache syndromes has been substantially advanced using functional neuroimaging.

THE DATA HAVE HELPED ESTABLISH THE NOW-PREVAILING VIEW OF PRIMARY HEADACHE SYNDROMES, SUCH AS MIGRAINE AND CLUSTER HEADACHE, AS BRAIN DISORDERS WITH NEUROVASCULAR MANIFESTATIONS, NOT AS DISORDERS OF BLOOD VESSELS.

PMID: 20227279 [PubMed]

I have to admit I am having difficulty finding the information on line.  I based my response on the information I have acquired here and from that of my headache specialist.

This V vs. V business has been around for decades when it was first proposed as the explanation for migraine. Peter Goadsby's work, which I quote above, reflects the current thinking about causation, i.e, migraine and cluster are not caused by a dysfunction of the blood vessels. He writes elsewhere that the changes in blood vessels are a secondary reaction rather than the cause.

So, unless you have some interest in this question, just wondering what's going on, you can drop the issue. The throbbing which you mentioned is not an important issue, i.e., not central to your pain.

Marc wrote on May 3^rd, 2011 at 10:18pm:

i wish i knew who cat was and the "other" line of thinking.    I am for sure that there is more here than V vs V.  It is one of the reasons I don't spend much time on here.  Partly because of the energy drinks pushed.   Caffeine .....   on a defective hypothalamus .....  no wonder we cant sleep.  think about it.   really

Nobody's asking you to believe. We're just telling you what works. Take it or leave it. Many find great relief (myself included) by chugging an energy drink at onset. You don't want to believe it? Don't.

Here's your links:

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

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

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

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

You can stop getting pissed off because other people won't do your research for you.

Jimi wrote on May 4^th, 2011 at 4:21pm:


Well, Jimi, I  do know some people who could benefit from having their brain shunken  .