Posted by Tracey (207.61.25.164) on July 26, 1999 at 18:38:37:
New to the site. Amazing! This is maybe my 4th or 5th episode of CH in my life. I get them very infrequently - the last time was May/97. I also think I get them a little easier than the rest of you; I have had the urge to bang my head on the wall and I have felt like life isn't worth living with the pain, but mine do manage to stop after a while. I usually get them about 3-4am, which puts me out of action for the rest of the day (if I can get rid of the pain and actually get some sleep, I wake up feeling as if I'd been beaten up - which I have, I guess). Currently they're hitting at 11-12pm, which is very strange. I normally read in bed for a bit and then the lights go out at 11 and I've had a night where I've been fine and then as soon as the lights go out - boom. I've never taken any of the drugs you're mentioning. I'm coping on Tylenol 3's, which is probably baby aspririn to some of you.
I gather that nobody really knows what causes these things. I hate to ask, but could it be stress? My last episode in May/97 was the week of my wedding and it hit me three nights and then not at all. I can't imagine what stress I'm under at the moment, except for the heat. Are there any relaxation techniques that have worked for anyone? At lot of you are probably laughing at me right now, but I'm starting to fear that my CH's will eventually become as bad as yours. I also find that if I pop a tylenol first thing, before it takes hold, that helps. I've started using ice, and I guess it helps a bit.
I was reading some of the notes about how do you work with a CH and I have to say that there is no way I could continue to work with a full-blown CH. I couldn't even imagine it.
Nice to be here,
Tracey