Posted by Ted (205.188.197.38) on December 17, 2000 at 18:57:18:
and are having a hard time getting O2, tell them to read there own site at their "AHealthyMe" page(http://www.ahealthyme.com/article/primer/54365). Here's what Blue Cross and Blue Shield says about it (of course don't use this article if you're also trying to get Imitrex or any other abortive too):
Cluster headaches
Why you hurt
Cluster headaches are much less common than tension headaches or migraines. Like migraines, they are caused by swelling blood vessels in the head. Some researchers suspect that people get cluster headaches when they are not getting enough oxygen for some reason. Fluctuating neurotransmitter levels may play a role. Other suspected triggers include alcohol, cold or hot wind, high altitude, stress, and smoking. Cluster headaches occur most often in spring or fall. Most sufferers are male.
Symptoms
• knifelike pain limited to one side of the head, often in or around one eye, that usually lasts no more than an hour
• headaches in clusters, either several times in one day or for several days in a row, with recurrences at the same time of day, usually for six to eight weeks at a time
• nighttime onset, perhaps painful enough to wake you
• tearing in the eye on the affected side, or redness or swelling around the eye, or a droopy eyelid
• a stuffy or runny nose along with the headache
What to do
To prevent cluster headaches from occuring, doctors usually prescribe migraine medications. Once you have pain, inhaling oxygen is the only treatment known to bring relief. Herbal remedies also show promise. Feverfew may ease the pain of cluster headaches, but can have side effects like mouth ulcers.