Like many - first diagnosis for me was a sinus infection.  If I had a continous 2 day attack I think I would jump off the roof - so either this dude (or dudette) is one tough SOB, or it ain't a CH.

Lol, exactly! 

TMJBeav, my first neurologist had me get an MRI because she couldn't understand why I was having 2 "migraines (as she called them)" in one day.  When they called me and told me I had sinusitis, I was elated because I thought "finally, an answer to these horrible headaches."  Turns out my infected sinus was on the other side.  I left the office almost crying that day.  This was before I was properly diagnosed with cluster headaches or really knew anything about them.  I went through a couple of diagnoses though...  Stress, migraines, psychiatric/somatic headaches.  I was 15 when they started and 30 when I finally found out what they really are.

Issue is that docs will be trained in those conditions which they are most likely to encounter--and we aren't one of them.
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Medical education in headache
Posted 9/26/07, MEDSCAPE   

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Abstract statements from a study of headache education in medical programs. Second para. specific to neurological residency training. Gives good idea of why it's difficult to find a sharp doc.
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"Objective. To explore the extent of headache education received by medical students and residents.
Background. Headache is a common, often severe, and sometimes disabling problem. However, 49% of sufferers do not seek professional treatment -- of those who do, only 28% are very satisfied. One possible reason is limited education of physicians about headache.
Methods. Surveys were sent to all allopathic and osteopathic medical schools, 200 family medicine residencies, and all 126 neurology residencies. Information requested included the amount and perceived adequacy of headache education and any plans to increase headache education.
Results. Response rates were 35% to 40%. MEDICAL SCHOOL LECTURE HOURS RANGED FROM 0 (4%) TO >5 (24%) WITH 92% HAVING NO PLANS FOR AN INCREASE IN HEADACHE EDUCATION. FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY LECTURE HOURS RANGED FROM 1-3 (30%) TO >5 (34%) AND CASE PRESENTATIONS FROM 1-5 (23%) TO >5 (41%), WITH 88% OF PROGRAM DIRECTORS HAVING NO PLANS FOR INCREASE. NEUROLOGY RESIDENCY LECTURE HOURS RANGED FROM 1-3 (11%) TO >5 (64%) AND CASE PRESENTATIONS FROM 1-5 (23%) TO >10 (57%), WITH 80% HAVING NO PLANS FOR INCREASE.
Conclusion. Undergraduate medical education in headache is limited. Despite medical schools perceiving their training as adequate, both neurology and family practice residency program directors believe entering residents are inadequately prepared in headache upon entering the program."

"Neurology Residency Programs
Neurology residency program lecture hours varied from 1 to 3 hours (11%) to >5 hours (64%) (Figure 2). The number of case presentations ranged from 1-5 (23%) to >10 (57%) (Figure 6). Forty-two (95%) of program directors believed that their headache education was adequate (Figure 4). Interestingly, 20% of neurology programs indicated plans to increase training in headache management. Similar to the family practice programs, 68% of the program directors believed that new residents had inadequate knowledge about headaches upon entering the program while only 11% of the program directors believed that their residents were well informed about headache."

maybe the patient had back to back clusters for two days? but more then likely sound like a migraine to me. But i was misdiagnosed by a ENT who totally scammed me told me i had sinusitis and had abnormally small sinus passages and needed balloon sinuplasty which i was ecstatic about, finally these headache will stop, i will have my life back. Well i under went a $17,000.00 surgery i thought my old insurance was going to cover come to find out they only covered $1,500.00. i refuse to pay the rest being i feel that there was absolutely nothing wrong in the first place with my sinuses, and it was just a way for him to try and make money off of me. I never got chronic sinus infections or anything. So i am looking into a lawyer for that. I think probably around 80-90% of CH sufferers get misdiagnoses with something sinus related.

Diefaster,

Now that there is funny.  At least a real sinus infection can be cured and it's done with.   CH cannot.

AppleNutClusters wrote on Jul 18^th, 2012 at 8:39pm:

This is interesting, I am also very prone to an ear infection in my left ear, same side as my clusters and there is a very close correlation between a cluster cycle starting and an ear infection setting in. Only hassle is that the clusters don't stop when the infection is cleared. I'm honestly not sure on the cause and effect hear though, if its the swelling from the infection that irritates my clusters or the stress from the cluster attack that irritates the ear.

Agree with Bob.  I think maybe one could possibly exaggerate the other because of the stuffiness of the nose on the affected side, tearing eyes.  I even find that I have a little water in my ear after one.  I once asked my neurologist why I heard noises in my head when I got a CH, and he told me it was because of the activity going on with my sinuses during an attack; hence the stuffed up nose, etc.  Here, I just thought it was the ticking from the bomb in my head just waiting to go off. 

Bob Johnson wrote on Jul 19^th, 2012 at 9:06am:

Bob: I have never gone it alone treating the clusters and always worked with a doc, altough I have moved around quite a bit so theres been a lot of re training involved. What I do know is that in the last three years the onset of 5 cluster bouts has been followed withinn 3 to 4 days by an ear infection. Not saying that they are linked but that is a bit of a coincidence in my book

I find that ear pain in general can trigger more attacks in cycle. Out of cycle, no problems.