Posted by Shane (216.87.154.100) on December 08, 2001 at 04:25:08:
Ok, most of you know me Im sure by now.
I'm new and was just diagnosed with CLusters (although I knew...but needed to get the diag from the neuro). I talked with my neurologist for a while and if you read my post below you will see the medications he started me out with.
Now for the smoking question. My doc knows I smoked and he said that with his experience that people with migraines and clusters that smoke med's have not worked very well. I guess he was trying to say that if you smoke don't expect results. He basically said I need to quit and asap. He said if it takes cutting my finger off then do it. Well lets just say that I want to quit...but at the same time I dont.
Let me break it down like this. Clusters make my life very stressfull and smokes are the only thing that seem to calm me. I'm sure alot of you guys can relate to me here on this. My life is basically like this. Its alot like someone living in a bad neighborhood watching there back thinking they could get shot at anytime. Well my clusters are like this. I am constantly fearing and watching my back wondering when I will get "hit" again. Well smoking helps me in a weird way to relieve this stress. Now I don't smoke when I get clusters...I have tried it and it just didn't do much for me....but I will tell you this. You know how people say that smokes are best after sex and a good meal? Well after a cluster headache a smoke is the first thing I do.
First of all has anyone in here heard of anyone that smoked, had clusters, quit and the headaches went away. Or smoked, had clusters took meds and it didn't work....then quit smoking and all of the sudden the meds worked?
Ok OK sorry for being such a 20 question type of guy...its just that you guys are the only ones I can talk to. I try talking to other people about my headaches and they say...oh yah I get headaches or yeah I get migraines...everyone in the fuxing world thinks they no pain...but you know what fux that...they don't know pain until they feel this shit. I for one can say that I have had painfull things done or happen to me (passed 2 kidney stones, have a 6guage ring in a certain area of my body ect) and this is baby stuff compared to my cluster headache. Sorry I had to rant...its just that I talked to someone earlier today about it and they said they get headaches sometimes and no how I feel....forget that they no nothing.