Posted by Stu on May 02, 1999 at 23:14:16:
In Reply to: Re: wondering posted by Jim Ambrose on May 02, 1999 at 08:48:57:
I think you'vr probably gotten the gist of what a CH is about from the responses thus far. A few things to add: 1) CH comes on fast - usually no more than 15 minutes from the first inkling to a rip roaring headache. They almost always happen on only one side of the head, and usually feel like they're right behind the eye. I describe it as feeling like someone is grinding a blunt stake into your eye. (Gruesome, but that's what it feels like to me -- no, I haven't compared it with the real thing!)
The eye on that side of my face will get bloodshot and start tearing. The eyelid on that eye will droop. Some times the pupil of that eye will appear a little smaller than the other. I will sometimes get very pale, and at the height of the headache my head will be covered with sweat.
A couple of pretty good diagnistic aids: If it's CH, cafergot suppositories will probably abort a headache if taken in the first 5-10 minutes; if it's CH, drinking alcohol (even a little) will usually start a headache within 15 minutes; if it's CH, a sublingual nitroglycerin tablet will give you a roaring headache in 5-10 minutes. (I don't recommend either of the last two except with medical help readily available -- the headache will be especially severe!!!
I've found that cafergot suppositories are a godsend, although ergotism is a nasty side effect. Oxygen (100% through a facemask at 8-10 l/min) is very useful, and verapamil at 240-480 mg/day kept the headaches away for 5 years. (Unfortunately, they eventually returned.)
Frankly, I hope for your sake it's not CH, but good luck if it is!