W3ndy Hi I'm new to this site and pretty new to Cluster Headaches. I'm 36 and was diagnosed with CH autumn 2009. I went to a great neurologist who put me on verapamil/ prednisolone Which worked great and stopped a 3/4 month cycle. I didn't have any more CH until summer 2011, but inbetween these bouts I've had what the Dr has called 'panic attacks'. Consisting of severe pains in head, sudden high BP, pains in chest and whooshing in ears, now I'm not convinced they are panic attacks as they don't accompany periods of stress or anxiety and they happen at the same time of the day/ night as the CH do??? Now summer 2011 I started a bout of CH which began with the 'panic attacks' becoming more and more severe and ' mutating' into the CH. As soon as I got going on the verapamil everything stopped no high BP bouts which always and only happen with a CH or 'panic attack'. And no CH between starting the bout in July and being drug free in Oct when I was finely able to wean off the verapamil and be CH free. However since January and more so in Feb this year the 'panic attacks' seem to of started building up again, which in the past has been the build up to a bout of CH. Now I just wonder if anybody could shed any light on this, as it's driving me crazy not understanding wether I just suffer from CH or CH plus panic attacks and how to manage both. As a note my BP goes so high that the machine won't read until the CH starts to fade and then it's been as high as 220/ 160 at all other times incl times of perceived stress my BP is text book 170/110. I realise I've waffled on and I'm lucky compared to most because I have a drug that works. But I really would appreciate some advice on the BP/ panic attack thing many thanks