Hello JoeG, and welcome! Airline travel can be a bugger for CH sufferers. Whether or not the rapid changes in altitude, or the high altitude, is a direct trigger we always run the risk of getting a hit on the plane. Some travel a lot, and I tend to keep my travel to a minimum. I don't like going anywhere without O2 handy and that is just impossible on a plane. So I carry imitrex injections for fast relief if needed. I haven't yet arranged for O2 on arrival at my destination but again, several here do so. I pray you work this out. God bless. lance

I fly a lot, about 90 flights this year and slightly more last year mainly short trips but with some international flights, but so far I've never had a headache on a plane yet.

However I'm always very well prepared. I fly with sumitriptan (imitrex) injections in case of CH and sumitriptan tablets plus pain killers in case of a migraine (I get both). For international flights I also buy some Red Bull (easy to get in any airport after security). I make sure I know where these are in my travel bag and keep them close at hand so I can get to them quick if needed.

I've never had any issues taking the sumitriptan auto-injectors through security but I've got the container they came from the pharmacy in with the prescription details. The only item which has been looked at is an oxygen regulator and that was only as it shows as being a large, unusual metal item. Once I've explained what it is and that I'm not flying with oxygen cylinders there have been no issues.

Where I've been flying to one destination either a lot or for an extended period I've arranged for oxygen to be available whilst I've been in cycle. I've done this in both Australia and NZ via BOC (local oxygen company).

So just like with anything else CH related a lot is down to being prepared for the worst just in case.

If you get a CH every time you fly, you might want to talk to your doctor about possibly doing a short prednisione taper to cover you for each flight as this will act as a strong preventitive. Other people have experimented with taking a triptan as a preventive with mixed results. Again, discuss with your doctor.

I see you've taken the car option. Hope it works out well for you.

For Red Bull I use it in a few ways. The first is for shadows where it seems to knock it down a few levels on the Kipp scale or even kills them. Another is when I've nothing else around to abort a CH (rare), in which case it helps reduce the intensity and duration of a CH. Then when I'm hit by a high Kipp CH I will use it just after killing off the CH both to help recover from the CH and to avoid it returning.

For all of these uses I open the can and drink it very quick. It was ages before I even knew what it tasted like as I drink it so fast.