Posted by Cathy (24.95.189.21) on August 25, 1999 at 20:12:07:
In Reply to: MIRGAINES v CLUSTER HEADACHES posted by ANT on August 25, 1999 at 16:37:15:
To all wanting to know the difference between the two types of headaches, migraines and clusters. The following is a very detailed and descriptive narrative of what I have suffered with having both types of headaches. I have given this description to several people, and have been told it is the most concise and throuogh description ever seen. A DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. I by no means am saying these symptoms will lead to a 100% cluster diagnosis or a 100% migraine diagnosis. However, I have read and discussed the differences with many people, including doctors, to feel that the correct diagnosis is first and foremost! Both attacks screw up your life in a major way. The sooner you get a correct diagnosis, the sooner you will be a treat the HA correctly. Neither headache is pelasant. One is not "worse" than the other. An explanation of that later. Here goes:
MIGRAINE--SYMPTOMS & REACTIONS:
The headache is usually on one side of the head, behind the eye and into the nasal cavity area. For me, the pain has travelled from one side to another side of the head during an "attack", but the majority of the time it is on one side. I am generally stuffed up and it often feels as though it is in my sinuses. Many people confuse migraines for sinus HAs or infections. I can't apply THE KIP SCALE to the pain. The pain can be, what I consider, mild to moderate. It is not severe--rather a dull, throbbing pain that is there, won't go away and VERY annoying. My eye sometimes waters, my nose usually runs a bit. I don't cry due to the pain. I will cry, however, because it is very debilitating to me and disruptive to my daily activities. I cannot function normally. I can't handly any kind of noise or light. They make the migraine worse. I have to seek a dark room and try to sleep. I have tried every OTC med for sinus relief and HA relief. Nothing took away the pain or side-effects---just helped me sleep. The migraine, with no medical intervention, lasts from 24 hours to as long as 3 days, with no break except for sleep. I get very nauseous and usually vomit. I cannot perform normal daily activities. I have to lay down and "take it easy". When the migraine is over, I am full of energy and am able to do anything.
CLUSTERS--SYMPTOMS & REACTIONS:
The pain, for me, is always on the right side of the head for me. I get a stuffy nose along with pain that travels from behind my eye, down through the jaw, into my teeth and gums. Occassionally, evem my ear has hurt. The pain is excruciating----like someone sticking a red-hot poker into your eye socket and twisting it around and around for up to 3 hours, with no let up. The pain does not "throb" for me. It starts out minor ( a 1 on the KIP SCALE) and quickly escalates. I always cry, and not because I am a wimp. I have done many things from scream, hit, punch, pace, rock, etc. I have never been able to sit still or lie down. This is NOT saying that others with CH can't sit still.....some say they can, I just can't. The attack last from 45 minutes to a few hours. When it is over, I am very tired and weak. I need rest, but only when the ch is completely over. I do not get sick to my stomach and vomit, although others say they have. I get violent, loud and plain rude. Noise and light have no effect on the cluster as they do with migraines.
Now, as to whether I would rather have a migraine or a cluster??????I can't answer that. With Imitrex, I can abort either, so I don't care in that instance. Without the Imitrex, however, a migraine with moderate pain that puts me in bed for 2 - 3 days........or a cluster with SEVERE pain that lasts for 3 hours. I still don't know which I would prefer. Knowing the cluster will be gone relatively quickly, I might pick the cluster. But the pain is SO INTENSE that I hate even thinking about it. The migraine lasts for 2 to 3 days, and I am worthless during those days. When the "side-effects" kick in, I can't do anything that takes movement.
Well, that's it. Anyone who has any questions, please feel free to e-mail me or post. I think that getting people to understand the difference between the cluster attack and the migraine attack will, in the end, help everyone who visits this site. As I said, correct treatment is what is needed. And no one can get the right treatment without knowing what they have.
Hope this helps. And, again, I apologize for the length.
Cathy