Posted by Chana on June 05, 1999 at 19:18:24:
I have been reading your message board for a while now, trying to think what I could possibly add to your forum. I have been a CH sufferer for about 12 years now, though I honestly don't remember the year I started (probably selective memory). I've had 4 children, and though contrary to popular belief I AM A WOMAN, just ask my husband & kids. I used to suffer once a year in the summer for about 4 to 5 weeks and went into remission for several years, then zap...they came back again. However this past year, I've had them every season or every 4th month. Thought I was surely going crazy til I read all your posts and realized that these things do change in course.
My doctor has always insisted that I had a sinus infection & prescribed an antibiotic. Finally at the ER this Feb. I was given Imitrex. I don't think it really helped much, took much too long to work and I didn't like the aftereffects.
I know that wine, too much or too little sleep, weather change, painting all will trigger an attack.
A couple of weeks ago I read a posting about using black coffee as an abortive. So far (Thank God)it has worked for me, though the one's that wake me at nte (a new thing for me) take a little longer to bust. I could really talk on and on, but I just wanted you all to know how much this forum means to me. I finally have a place I can go to and read about what I've been going through all these years.
One last thing that really bothers me, is when I tell people about the CH, they all tell me, "women don't get clusters"...I didn't know they're were so many experts out there among us.
Thanks so much for being here.
xoxoxChana