I looked briefly and didn't see a similar topic started before...

Just thought it would be interesting to hear your stories about the first time you ever experienced the cluster headache, and maybe the relevant conditions sorrounding it.

I experienced my first one a few days after arriving in France. So I jumped 4 or 5 time zones overnight. And as I was flying overnight and would have to wake up and go about my day, I took an ativan which helped me sleep through it. I had a couple of great days in Paris, landed in Cote d'Or, and woke up the next day with the beast for the first time ever. I thought it was a complete abnormality, couldn't believe it when I woke up with the same pain for the next few days...

Things that have remained the same for me at the onset of a cycle: one week prior to equinox or solstice; very irregular sleep two or three nights before; being away from home; first time having intercourse after a long time without.

Would love to hear about your experiences, so please share.

Did you fly to epcot or drive? From where? How long after you arrived did the first one start?

After I had had an inner ear percussion. That is where the laser an opening into the eardrum and inject vancomycin and steroids for a total of 3 days in a row. Lasted for the next three months, every night same time. Now a year later it has returned......exactly a year later without any procedures prior. I did have tonsillitis so bad it required I'VE antibiotics, oral antibiotics and 2 injections. My face was swollen on that side. Don't know if related or not. Been well for a week and headaches still here.

Mexico City. maybe high altitude and heat combo.

I honestly don't remember my first cluster headache attack.

Quote:


lol, Oh it's been done before.  But we've had so many newcomers in the last few years that it bears repeating I suppose.


Hottest part of summer, 1987.

Sitting on the floor trying to program my new T.V.

Started feeling some pain behind my eye  that went from a zero to a 10 in about 3 mins..

I was certain I was going to die and that something in  my brain had just burst.

rolling on the floor in agony.

Children ready to call the paramedics.

Subsides....in about an hour, only to re-visit me for the next 25 years, give or take a few months.


Unlike some of you, (Most of you) I was lucky.  I looked up this pain in a medical book, and because I knew someone who was personal friends with the GREAT Dr. Kudrow, I got in to see him with-in weeks.   (Google Dr. Kudrow)

I could only wish and hope that others who are out there right now wondering WTF is this pain, could be diagnosed and treated as fast as I was.  Some folks here have waited years and years to be diagnosed correctly,  after having teeth pulled, sinus surgery, money spent on Chiropractic, snake oil salesmen and more.  MUCH more.

I really thought I would be on a message board for ALS not cluster headaches. My grand father died from ALS along with my father and 2 brothers. I thought that the cluster headaches HAD to be connected to ALS. Guess not though.

They started a year ago, waking me out of a dead sleep, feeling homicidal.

I don't remember my first time. I already had a headache for several weeks after a concussion when I noticed that at random it would rapidly escalate to something that at the time I thought was pretty painful for times between 5 minutes and 30 minutes before vanishing. Over the next month it got more frequent and severe before I ended up in hospital for a week where I had virtually every test you can think of, including where they wanted to record my blood pressure changes during an "attack" whilst demanding that I didn't thrash around with the pain (this was a month or so later by which time it was evolving into the classic CH symptoms).

It was late summer 1983. I started my morning as usual.... A joint before school. Five classes later, in English class, BAM! I still remember the hopeless feeling. I forgot to mention that that joint was laced with PCP. My first CH started just as I stopped tripping. I don't know if this has anything to do with the cause of my CH and I probably never will. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to be funny, or glorify drug use. I'm a recovering alcoholic/addict, and sometimes it sucks not being able to use a narcotic pain reliever when really needed. The bottom line for me though is that when I start, I can't stop. Opiates have never been of any help to my CH anyway. On the contrary, they seemed to antagonize my headaches. Ok, now that I've thrown that out there.... I hope everyone has a pain free evening. BTW, the D3 seems to be working wonders.