Posted by Jack Boyd on December 16, 1998 at 15:08:03:
In Reply to: Re: Anxiety Disorders?/morality issues of disease posted by Dianna on December 16, 1998 at 09:07:40:
Lots of evidence that the hypothalmus and the neurotransmiiter serotonin play important roles in this thing. Serotonin has been a "hot" chemical for awhile now. The new generation of anit-depressants ( serotonin uptake inhibitors such as prozac, zoloft,etc.) have had great success in regulating serotonin to improve mood. Serotonin is a sleep and mood regulator among some other things it does. It is no coincidence that clusters are often seasonal and are induced by sleep.
One of the more interesting postings on this site was the one about melatonin being successful in preventing attacks. Melatonin can be bought without prescription and is known to effect serotonin levels ( often used as a sleep aid ).
My understanding of the pain from clusters is that the blood vessels constrict and then dilate ( something that serotonin also regulates ). The pain comes from the dilation and is very, very real.