Posted by RUBY (198.81.17.46) on May 26, 2001 at 03:29:23:
Hi, About eight years ago I had my first cluster. It started at 8:45 a.m. and lasted for about 45 minutes. I was in total shock after it happend so I went straight to my doctors office and told him what happend and asked what it was. He said he didn't know for sure but it sounded like a cluster which he has never treated. He said if it happend again to come back and he would do something. Next morning at the same time, it hit. My son took me to the E.R. By the time they got around to what it was, it was over. I left there and walked right into my doctors office and said I could not handle that again. He sent me to a specialist. The Specialist gave me Vicodin for the pain, Prednison, Ergostrat and another kind of pill. He said when I feel it coming on the next morning to start the pills. Next morning, same time, I felt it start. I was so scared I took two 800 mg of vicodin and than the combination of pills which I took for six weeks and then six weeks of coming off of them. The Cluster never came back. For the past two months I have had a headache. I kept thinking it was a sinus because a lot of my friends have been having sinus headaches, but one night it centered in the same spot where the last cluster was and even tho it was not as bad, it got pretty bad for about an hour. I took two Tylenol with codine and it eventually went away. Since then I have had a constant headache, I don't know if it is Sinus or if it is going to turn into a cluster so I went to the doctor today and he said he could not give me a preventive medication except for Vicodin and then Prednisone when the Cluster hits. I don't want to take the Prednisone if this is not goinng to turn into a cluster because when I was on Predisone the last time, it weirded me out. So when my headache gets worse, I take a Vicodin. I don't know what to do. I don't want to keep taking Vicodin because it is addictive and yet I don't want to take the Predisone if this is not going to turn into a Cluster. Any suggestions? Also, eight years ago the cluster came right after I got over a bad cold. I just got over a bad cold. I wonder if there is a connection there. Also, I read somewhere that Antidepression pills raises your seritonin levels and some think that seritonin is one of the causes of clusters, anyone know the answer to that? Thanks and God bless you all! Ruby