Posted by Stewart Turnage (64.217.152.114) on October 27, 2000 at 11:00:26:
I have had fractures of fingers, arms and legs, stepped in glass, severe cuts, torn ligaments and tendons, had open wounds cleansed with alcahol, experienced post operative pain from reconstructive knee surgery..... they hurt a lot.... but nothing, I mean nothing compares to the pain of these "cluster headaches".
I know pain, I can take large amounts of pain and I will not cry, I merely curse the inconvenience of the injury and the amount of time it will take to recover. But a "Cluster Headache" is the consumate torture. I have been known to cause myself pain in other ways because it is a distraction from the "Hell" of these rlentless night headaches. When they strike hard I become a weak, thrashing, crying baby screaming into my pillow. The pain wears down your strength in just minutes. The very word "headache" is so wrong for this pain. It should be called "cluster head-agony" because that's what it is. To get rid of this pain I would gladly do anything!! ANYTHING!!
I do not own a gun and will not sleep in a house where there is ready access to a gun, because I know I will use it on myself if that unrelenting, piercing pain behind my left eye becomes bad enough. If I tell someone who does not know how it feels to have that stabbing, expanding icepick feeling that wakes you up in the night, they will think me depressed and suggest counseling or they will suggest some silly little remedy that works for their headaches. They think you are crazy or some kind of hypochondriac. They don't understand.
I have had these "cluster head-agonies" for more than 12 years, some in early summer and always in the Fall for 1 to 3 months. I am a 37 year old male. I don't smoke, take pretty good care of myself, take vitamins.
Is there something I'm eating, or not eating, that's causing this pain? Is there some vitamin or homeopathic remedy that I haven't tried. I don't know.
But I am glad to find this wevsite. Maybe together we can find some help.
Stewart in Texas