Posted by John Hallahan III (205.160.191.109) on January 28, 2000 at 04:20:04:
Hello all!
I Recently stumbled onto this site and I think I've found a home base! I'm a 48 year old Viet Nam Veteran on %100 disability because of my 31 year CH syndrome.
I've been through every available treatment and 10 years ago I gave up on any hope of ever finding reliefe from Drugs. I waited 10 years for Glaxo to get Sumatriptine (Imetrex) approved and on the market to find it gives me and about %40 of the people that take it severe Angina. Which I would gladly suffer through if it helped abate the headaches.
Going through the V.A. I have been overdosed on Prednisone Therapy. turned into a raving madman on Tegratol, eaten enough caffergot to buzz Ney York, Put into Pain management clinics where I knew more about T.M. and Bio Feedback than the instructors, Put on sandsert for 4 times the recommended dosage and time limit for the Medication to be safely used.
I've endured dozens of Histamine IV sessions. Had Oxygen Therapy,Indicin,Inderil,Verapamil,DHT,Lithium,
Ergomines,Nubaine,Methadone,and scores of other Maintainence meds as well as the full sprectrum of Pain Meds up to and including Injectable Demerol, Morphine and even in the begining when no one believed me I self medicated with Heroine(IN Viet Nam).
I went Drug and Doctor Free almost 10 years ago(I dont even take asprin or tylenol. Only Vitimans) and still use the only system that has ever helped me at all. I dont smoke,Take durgs(Recreational)or drink alcohol(Never Drank)
I have very Cronic Clusters, 4-12 episodes a day, 365 days a year for the past 31 years. Probably the best thing that I ever did was check into the rebound theroy.
I discovered a lot of validity in that area and when I stopped looking at the drugs as the only out and faced the facts that,
#1 I would not die from an attack.
#2 I would have another attack as sure as I breath
#3 Pain Meds were not really helping,just giving me a buzz in between attacks.
#4 Sooner or later the attack would end, just as it started,if I just wait long enough.
Well,what has always worked to abate my headaches is standing outside the shower and leaning in and running the cold water over my head where the pain is. The faster I get to the shower when I realize it's starting the sooner it abates. Keeping a dark cold room with running water is the best pain control I've found. I carry an Ice Bag with me everywhere I go!
My headaches are so prevassive that I start having an attack when I'm sleeping and I dream that I'm having one, suddenly I'll realize that I am really having one and I wake up and go to the shower. When the attack ends I go back to sleep.
I average 3 attacks every night and don't sleep over 3 hours total all night. If I stay active and keep my endorphanes up high I have less attacks and they are eaiser to abate. My problem now is after having to be on Chemotherapy for the past 6 months for Hepatitis C, I don't have the strength to go out and Sail,Bike,Jump rope and do all the other trigger exercizes to get the endorphans up. After 8 years of
around 3 to 4 attacks a day and 3 at night I find myself back up to 12 or more attacks a day. It's 4am and I've slept 1.5 hours today, I just finished the shower and have been sitting here with a gallon ziplock bag full of Ice on my head while I type this message. It's freezing cold in the house and I cant run the heat for the family because it sets off the attacks. Well enough for my introductory message. I'm happy I found some other people that can understand what life is like at the Hallahan House, but saddened by how many of you suffer a similar fate. Thanks for the oppertunity to unload and I'll write again soon.
John J. Hallahan (Sailpappy)