Posted by Craig on July 28, 1998 at 09:54:25:
All the existing medical treatments focus on preventing
or aborting the headaches. Why? We only get the headaches
during a cluster - I can happily drink alchohol at all
other times.
Shouldn't the treatment focus on preventing or aborting the
cluster?
What is the cluster anyway? Look at all the clues we have!
1) periodic
2) causes headaches, typically of short duration
3) pain caused by swelling blood vessels
4) only one side of head affected
5) intolerence to alchohol etc.
6) headaches can be aborted by breathing cold air at the onset
In addition to this almost every sufferer has a belief
that there is a particular action, such as shaking the
head, jogging, applying pressure to the neck etc. that
might abort the headache - Why? Is this borne out of
desperation?
People with stomach pain don't go through these bizzare
rituals. This behaviour is symtomatic of CH, and it's
one of the things that non-sufferers find hard to accept.
Recently I discovered another condition that has some
elements in common with CH. It's called MVPS. Like CH
it's unpleasant and usually dormant, but even when
symptomatic it isn't dangerous, just unpleasant.
MVPS has been linked to migraine. Draw you're own
conclusions:
http://home.pacbell.net/llogsdon/mvp.html
http://www.nursing.wright.edu/practice/mvp/default.htm
http://thyroid.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa082597.htm
The difference with MVPS is that they know exactly what
causes it.