Posted by irene on September 20, 1998 at 19:33:21:
In Reply to: Re: Women Sufferers posted by Brian W on September 20, 1998 at 08:14:48:
Brian,
You made a good point. After nearly a year of being diagnosed with chronic clusters and NO relief from every conceivable med, I went to the Mayo Clinic twice. Two weeks ago, I saw the head of the Headache Clinic there. I always felt I had Migraines, another type of continuous vascular headache and the dreaded cluster. The MD's felt I had a cluster-like syndrome but a variant. The ONLY med I haven't tried was Indocin. So that's what they recommended. I could have a variant of Chronic Paroxysmal Hemicrania or Hemicrania Continua (even rarer). In effort to shorten my saga, the Indocin is helping!!! I never thought I would experience a HA-free day in my life. I am on max doses (with side effects) but everything is a trade off in life. I still am having "minor" HA's but I am on the correct path now. I truly hope and pray.
The lesson: Never, ever give up. There is always hope. Perhaps some of us are misdiagnosed or experience variants, like myself. Oxygen did help early on and Imitrex is a life saver. This site has been a link to my sanity. I thank DJ and everyone.
Keep on praying for pain free days,
My many thanks to all,
irene