Posted by Darrell Hawkins on May 28, 1999 at 19:07:49:
In Reply to: I need your help! posted by drummer on May 27, 1999 at 18:51:06:
Dave,
You are so right. These are not headaches. They are the worst of nightmares! I had rather have root canals every day than these things! I really can not imagine having any pain worse. And if there is a worse pain..I certainly don't want to know about it. My clusters usually come every fall or early spring. This year they started on March 20th. Most of the time, the prednisone and sansert that I take (usually around a month) does the trick. This year has been worse though. I had to take that shit for almost two months. The only thing worse than the headache itself is taking that horrible medicine. I start with 80 mg of Predisone for about 3 or 4 days. And then taper off it over the next week to 10 days. But as I said this year..it didn't work too well. Actually even right now, I am experiencing some remnants of these headaches. I am a bit worried about this cycle going so long. I am hoping that I am not about to go CHRONIC. The pain of my headaches is usually over my right eye, temple. The pain feels like someone with an ice pick or knife jabbing into my head and then twisting it! Normally I don't get nausea unless the pain lasts for a while. This bout, I have been sick three times. I started taking imitrex last year when I would get a headache; and it works fairly well. Usually it will knock the headache out within 20 to 30 minutes...but sometimes it just does nothing...go figure.
Anyway.. I wish I could find some trigger that brings these on... The only thing that I know for sure is lack of sleep. And unfortunately I think stress is another inducer. The past 12 to 15 months for me have been the most stressful of my life...so maybe that is why this bout is so long and severe.
Hope this helps US out some. Let me know how I can help more.
dgh