Posted by NicholasD (209.83.95.33) on February 14, 2000 at 16:03:42:
Hi everyone, I am not sure if I have the classic cluster headaches or not, the kind I get is where my right nostril swells and plugs up, I have heard this termed histaminic headache, that is followed by a pain like someone is tearing off the right side of my head or the familiar railroad spike in the right eye coming out the right ear kind of thing. I suffered from these since 1978 until 1994 until they just went away. My headaches were triggered by aromas such as dairy liquid manure spreading, strong chemicals, namely hydrogen sulfide gas from out of tune cars, ammonia, acetone, and the like, also wood burning smoke is a trigger. Seems like the more I am exposed to chemicals the sorer my right nostril gets and the easier it is for these terrible headaches to trigger. I have been free of these headaches for five years until I caught some virus that is attacking my nostril membranes again, God these are terrible headaches.
My attitude is that my face is not being ripped apart and I can loose these headaches just as quick as I get them, I feel that there is some kind of facial swelling that takes place and nerves are being pinched that makes me think my head is being torn apart, cut the swelling, and the headache is gone. When these headaches come, my first response is to coat the inside of my right nostril with Orajel, I learned this by accident some years ago, those you have had these headaches will do anything to get rid of the pain, the action is to shrink the membranes, let the nose drip and the headache goes. Another thing I have is an oxygen concentrator, 80% oxygen with a face mask can normally knock a headache in about 30 minutes, low doses of prednisone also helped me like 5mg every other day, if I don't get into a hard cycle, 25 mg of Amitriptyline can also stop a headache in about 45 minutes, my doctor says I have to takes these for several weeks to get affect, but not with my body, the long term effects of Amitriptyline are not good, weight gain, dry mouth, so I think the fewer the better, Amitriptyline is a nerve deadener, and for me, the pain relief only lasts about 4 hours. Others may be like me and there can be something in the air that triggers these headaches, in which case, the best thing to do is to leave, sometimes I can break a terrible streak just by driving north ten miles into the country where the air is cleaner, wish you are the best, these are terrible headaches.