Posted by Todd (216.199.5.159) on December 05, 1999 at 15:09:35:
In Reply to: I agree! posted by Greg on December 05, 1999 at 13:27:27:
MUCH of the published information about clusters is anecdotal, out of date and/or just plain wrong. We need to be extremely careful when we cite this data. For example, using the same links here we can find the following:
"The pain is so intense that most sufferers cannot sit still and will often pace during acute attacks." (National HeadAche Foundation)
"pain that will awaken a person from sleep..." (HealthAnswers.com)
"Clusters are probably the easiest headache type to diagnose because the symptoms are almost always the same." (Migraine Association of Canada)
The first two would seem to directly contradict the statement you quoted from Russell, 1981. Which is correct?
Again, if EVERYONE would read and think about the posts before reacting, MUCH of this dissension and hurt feelings could be avoided. In my original post, I CLEARLY stated that I recognize that we are all slightly different in triggers, intensity, frequency, duration etc. I criticized the popularity of the 'atypical cluster' diagnosis as being representative of shoddy medicine. I thank Lars, because his is the first credible report of alcohol NOT triggering a cluster that I've heard so far. Yet one more important, albeit frustrating, bit of data about clusters. MSG is not a trigger for me, to my knowledge. Alcohol is a guaranteed trigger, during cycle.
OUR group here seems to be contradicting the Male/Female ratio, but we don't really have the hard data needed to pick a number. Of course, I could always go back to the links and pull out the description of male sufferers as having ruddy complexions and hazel eyes and thereby knock almost everyone out of the 'sand box', myself included. OR, I can continue to listen to differing opinions and experiences, read CAREFULLY the published data and THINK! as in actually reach my own conclusion.
As a good friend just said to me after reading your post, "We don't mind people playing in our sand box, we just don't them pissing here" Makes the sand all lumpy, smells like ammonia (a trigger for some) and is basically unsanitary.
KTSSU,
T