Posted by Darren Clarke (194.196.100.51) on August 28, 2001 at 10:30:43:
I have lived with cluster headaches now for ... oh must be about 15 years. I was 14 when they started and am now 29.
I have tried numerous things currently I am taking cyproheptadine daily. I decided long ago they weren't going to rule my life, so I still almost daily spend an amount of time in pain between 10 and 60 minutes. I have had very little extended amounts of time over the years headache free. I find the cyproheptadine just takes the edge off.
Anyway I discovered long ago that a definate trigger is one or two alcoholic drinks but if that couple of drinks is followed by a few more and I wake the next morning with a slight hangover I am 100 percent sure not to get a cluster headache that day. (I understand this is a dangerous precendence to set and I have never drunk to prevent headaches and anyway Im more likely to trigger a headache after the first couple anyway)
I was really wondering if anyone else had this experience and/or an explanation?
I have just recently been on holiday to a much warmer climate and I made a concious descision to stop taking the cyprohetadine (I realise not the best medical descion but when you suffer with and without, Im sure I can handle any withdrawl)and try a new idea that I had read about which is these nose strips while you are in bed. If you have seen the american football players or Robbie Fowler (An english footballer) they wear these strips across their nose intended to help them breathe better. (Has been proved there is no athletic benefit)
A theory I read was that cluster headaches could be caused by sleep apnea, that is stopping breathing for short periods while asleep and wearing these strips stopped this.
The thing is while I was away I had one cluster headache in a 2 week period ... ONE. It was fantastic. I'm still not taking the cyproheptadine after a week back and using the nose strips nightly but I'm not sure what it was that lead to this restbite as I have never gone this length with so few
was it the climate , the nose strip, change of sleep pattern. I did drink a bit more than I do at home alcohol at night and water during the day.
Since I've been back I have had 2 this week but compare to before 5/6 a week its heaven.
Anybody with opinions I would be interested. In the mean time fingers crossed it continues.
Hope people don't mind me sharing my experiences.