Posted by John B (204.17.44.175) on September 06, 2000 at 20:10:43:
In Reply to: surgery posted by scott on September 06, 2000 at 11:49:00:
Hi, Scott,
I've had chronic clusters for 11 years, so I understand the urge to grab a knife and cut one side of your head right off. I've wanted to do it myself a thousand times. It is very tempting to consider surgical means to stop the pain. I've looked into it, and what I've learned has given me pause. For one thing, it is not 100% effective; far from it. It seems that only about 30% of people that get their nerves cut get permanent relief. What they do get is permanent numbness to various parts of their face, eye, tongue, etc., without getting the relief they are looking for.
Before we talk a lot about surgery, what else has your wife tried? Has she tried verapamil, Topamax, Sansert, Lithium, Depakote, and all of the other preventative medications that have been effective for some of us? Is she being seen by a qualified neurologist with cluster headache experience? Talk to us...
If I am going over things you have posted about before, I apologize.
Post more about what is going on...
LYG
JB