Posted by Pat Samaha (209.240.222.130) on August 08, 2001 at 15:47:18:
It always begins with dull pain behind my right eyeball.Within minutes my temple,inner ear,gums,jaw,eyeball,throat,all on right side,begin to hurt more than anything Ive ever felt.My right nostril becomes totally blocked(left nostril completely clear).I find myself pushing my eyeball into my skull with my palm a little releiving.Also I squint my eyes shut as tight as possible with a little releif.I clench my fists and move my legs like Im doing a dance in a laying position.Bright lights DO bother me as well as anybody near me trying to comfort me.Sometimes I will pace at all different speeds around my small house pushing my knuckles into my temple area(again little releif).Usually only get one headache a day but sometimes two.Never has one woke me up from sleep.I seemed to only get them after work when I would sit down and relax but lately been getting it in mid-morning.The h/a will disappear after about 30-45 minutes sooooo quickly that it amazes me.One minute I have killer pain and 60 seconds later ITS GONE!!completely gone!! Its been about 4 years on/off now since it began.It seems I can ward it off sometimes by taking Excedrin in advance of my usual time of headache.Although once it comes nothing will subside the pain except time spent suffering for less than 1 hour.I am a smoker and daily beer drinker.Beer used to trigger them but now they appear with no known triggers.I see a neurologist in 2 weeks hoping to get some prevenative meds and a formal diagnosis of cluster headache.What do you guys/gals think? sound like cluster?or migraine?I have no nausea,vomiting,long duration h/a(except for shadow/stalking very dull pain sometimes for couple hours).