Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
Cluster Headaches?
- Thread starter Judo Tom
- Start date
Me.
I used to miss a third of the school year as a kid. Ended up at the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago.
How old are you?
What is your current med rundown?
What diet restrictions have you tried?
I have felt your pain, will help anyway I can.
Velvett is a good source on this, too.
.
I used to miss a third of the school year as a kid. Ended up at the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago.
How old are you?
What is your current med rundown?
What diet restrictions have you tried?
I have felt your pain, will help anyway I can.
Velvett is a good source on this, too.
.
GoldenDelicious
New member
if youve been diagnosed, just do what your doc/pharmacist tell you to. theyve seen it all over, and over, and over, and over again
wow Thanks i had no idea anyone here would know what im talking about.
How old are you? 26 attacks started at age 23
What is your current med rundown? nothing just diagnosed and awaiting to see what my insurance would cover. Seem slike imitrex is the best to abort an attack.. that and o2. I need more info about preventative meds.
What diet restrictions have you tried? none.. what should i try? looks like antioxidant therapy is being researched a lot. i never had an attack while using r-ala and alcar.. could just be a coincidence
is velvett a person on this board? if so i hope he/she posts in this thread
GD thanks.. is that statement made because it seems like people have tried some CRAZY things to stop these attacks?
what has worked best for you guys in aborting an attack?
How old are you? 26 attacks started at age 23
What is your current med rundown? nothing just diagnosed and awaiting to see what my insurance would cover. Seem slike imitrex is the best to abort an attack.. that and o2. I need more info about preventative meds.
What diet restrictions have you tried? none.. what should i try? looks like antioxidant therapy is being researched a lot. i never had an attack while using r-ala and alcar.. could just be a coincidence
is velvett a person on this board? if so i hope he/she posts in this thread
GD thanks.. is that statement made because it seems like people have tried some CRAZY things to stop these attacks?
what has worked best for you guys in aborting an attack?
my doc said that most likely i should just carry the shot with me. when i get a good attack it takes about 5-10mins for me to be on the floor in complete pain rolling around screaming hitting things squeezin my head all that fun stuff.. he also said a portable o2 machine is worth looking into as well
thanks.
thanks.
starfish said:Yes....I take Imitrex. 50 mg.
If they get bad...I go to the doctor or ER for a whopper Imitrex shot.
Imitrex works well for me. Thank goodness...
Sometimes, I want the dotcor to cut off my head though.
Judo Tom said:
I spent over 20 years with my constant friend that crept behind my eye and shut me the fuck down to the world. Said that before, but it's the closest i can get to the emotion of it.
I am not an expert and certainly not in a postion to suggest anything that moves you away from any current treament schedule you might be on/having success with... talk to your doctor about diet. Find out what is the current school of thought on this...
I have been through Caffergot, Midrin, Inderol, Inderide, Butabital, Imitrex, Codines, Sodiums, Topamax and the list goes on...
As far as diet: tannins are out.
No more Bordeaux
time to knock out aged cheeses
aged/dried sausages
any msg
pickles
CHOCOLATE is history
onions (for some)
glutens (for many)
Most nuts
It needs to be run in batches to determine the food group that flicks the switch for you....
GoldenDelicious
New member
the australian protocols use a bunch of preventative medications as well as a few 'rescuer' drugs. youre right in that certain foods will trigger them (alcohol?) but there are a few prophyllactic drugs that are considered effective...but your doctor and pharmacist should decide on the agent/doses etcChefWide said:
Judo Tom sorry to hear that you suffer from these, theyre not supposed to be too pleasant...as im sure you know. yours sound quite bad. yuk.
yeah they are tough to say the least. my attacks start with general pressure on my right eyeball and then builds very quickly to a constant burning type painthat floors me and literally makes me crazy at times...but again hopefully something will work to help abort the attack.. and again thanks for your support!
but at least now i know what they are.... this is the 5th doctor i went too and the first to diagnose me properly. first guy thought it was sinus another glacoma(sp), but at least now i know what i have and hopefully something will bringme some relief
so far the only trigger i think i might have is alcohol (but its not 100% by any means) i was told to start keeping a journal of the attacks and that it would help greatly. luckily keeping a diet log is easy enough for me so hopefully that will let me spot food triggers a bit better.
but at least now i know what they are.... this is the 5th doctor i went too and the first to diagnose me properly. first guy thought it was sinus another glacoma(sp), but at least now i know what i have and hopefully something will bringme some relief
so far the only trigger i think i might have is alcohol (but its not 100% by any means) i was told to start keeping a journal of the attacks and that it would help greatly. luckily keeping a diet log is easy enough for me so hopefully that will let me spot food triggers a bit better.
GoldenDelicious
New member
judo tom do you have any literature/self help cards/ brochures from your doctor/pharmacist? there should be some support group or something in your area, it can really help to speak to people and hear about their trigger factors
im disgustingly tired just now (its 4am or so) so i wont dig up any info just now, but if you remind me...
im disgustingly tired just now (its 4am or so) so i wont dig up any info just now, but if you remind me...
GoldenDelicious
New member
heya chef i missed your post, i must have been typing....you poor bugger youve been through most of the meds used, no wonder you came across in your earlier post sounding like you did....that must have been a painful process 
anyhow the meds do work well for many people, its worth a shot certainly
anyhow the meds do work well for many people, its worth a shot certainly
A few thoughts.
1 - You have to find out what abortive med (takes the pain away) works for you. What works for one person does always work for another.
2 - What are the causes and/or triggers of your migraine? (this is the hardest part)
3 - Find preventative measures that will lesson your episodes, whether it's in the form of meds, lifestyle, nutritional changes or all of the above. This is hard and time consuming as well.
4 - Don't hope for people to understand the pain you're going through and try not to let this bother you.
5- Cluster headaches and migraine are very similar in their symptoms, although men are more likely to get cluster headaches than woman and woman are more likely to get migraines than men.
6 - There are three types of cluster headaches:
Episodic (most people get these) they come in cycles with periods of remission.
Chronic (fewer people get these) they also come in cycles but they are very close together and there are very few periods of remission if any at all.
Atypical (I'm not really sure) - I don't know enough about these but they do hit women more than men and are more like migraines in character.
What are your symptoms like?
Are you able to feel one coming on or does it hit you like a ton of bricks?
What do you feel during the attack and where?
How long do they last and how frequent do you get them?
7 - Some causes of cluster headaches:
Vascular Irregularities (contraction/expansion of blood vessels in your brain) brought on by allergies, digestion problems and changes in emotion. (Crying even)
Hypothalamus Gland - (responsible for your appetite, sleep, body rhythms and serotonin secretion) when those rhythms are off the potential for an episode is much higher.
Hormonal Imbalance - yep men too. - during an episode your test levels have dropped. (there is very little published scientific data on this but they seem to be looking into it).
Digestive Disorders - peptic ulcer, constipation, overall toxicity, low blood sugar
Histamine - Got allergies? Your histamine levels are higher than normal and higher histamine levels are found during an episode.
Nerve problems behind your eyes - go to an eye doctor and have your eyes checked for inflammation/ swelling in the nerves behind your eyes.
8 - General factors that are important to look at - what am I eating? Am I sleeping enough (or too much)? Am I stressed, if so why and how can I over come this?
9 - Write down everything you eat and post it.
EVERYTHING - condiments as well.
10 - Try and make ever as routine as possible and try to keep you mood on a even keel.
11 - No drugs (OTC or illegal), no smoking, no alcohol for 4 months.
1 - You have to find out what abortive med (takes the pain away) works for you. What works for one person does always work for another.
2 - What are the causes and/or triggers of your migraine? (this is the hardest part)
3 - Find preventative measures that will lesson your episodes, whether it's in the form of meds, lifestyle, nutritional changes or all of the above. This is hard and time consuming as well.
4 - Don't hope for people to understand the pain you're going through and try not to let this bother you.
5- Cluster headaches and migraine are very similar in their symptoms, although men are more likely to get cluster headaches than woman and woman are more likely to get migraines than men.
6 - There are three types of cluster headaches:
Episodic (most people get these) they come in cycles with periods of remission.
Chronic (fewer people get these) they also come in cycles but they are very close together and there are very few periods of remission if any at all.
Atypical (I'm not really sure) - I don't know enough about these but they do hit women more than men and are more like migraines in character.
What are your symptoms like?
Are you able to feel one coming on or does it hit you like a ton of bricks?
What do you feel during the attack and where?
How long do they last and how frequent do you get them?
7 - Some causes of cluster headaches:
Vascular Irregularities (contraction/expansion of blood vessels in your brain) brought on by allergies, digestion problems and changes in emotion. (Crying even)
Hypothalamus Gland - (responsible for your appetite, sleep, body rhythms and serotonin secretion) when those rhythms are off the potential for an episode is much higher.
Hormonal Imbalance - yep men too. - during an episode your test levels have dropped. (there is very little published scientific data on this but they seem to be looking into it).
Digestive Disorders - peptic ulcer, constipation, overall toxicity, low blood sugar
Histamine - Got allergies? Your histamine levels are higher than normal and higher histamine levels are found during an episode.
Nerve problems behind your eyes - go to an eye doctor and have your eyes checked for inflammation/ swelling in the nerves behind your eyes.
8 - General factors that are important to look at - what am I eating? Am I sleeping enough (or too much)? Am I stressed, if so why and how can I over come this?
9 - Write down everything you eat and post it.
EVERYTHING - condiments as well.
10 - Try and make ever as routine as possible and try to keep you mood on a even keel.
11 - No drugs (OTC or illegal), no smoking, no alcohol for 4 months.
Last edited:
If your doctor is not pro-active to find help, you will have to do it yourself. Don't expect your doctor or pharmacist to know everything because a lot of them have not run across these cases or are not up to date on the current meds and preventative treatments.
How did your doctor diagnose you?
Did you have an episode at the time of diagnosis?
What meds did he/she give you?
How did your doctor diagnose you?
Did you have an episode at the time of diagnosis?
What meds did he/she give you?
Last edited:
Thanks Velvet.. ill try my best to respond as best i can.
1 - You have to find out what abortive med (takes the pain away) works for you. What works for one person does always work for another.
i have not been prescribed anything yet. my med insurance hasnt kicked in yet. i am going to see a neurologist and see what he suggests. the doc who i talked to said imitrex is the most prescribed abortive but that it has nasty side effects (heart problems)
2 - What are the causes and/or triggers of your migraine? (this is the hardest part)
not completely sure yet but i read alcohol can trigger them and this has definately happened a few times to me so i now think its worth not drinking if that can cause it at all
3 - Find preventative measures that will lesson your episodes, whether it's in the form of meds, lifestyle, nutritional changes or all of the above. This is hard and time consuming as well.
in some recent research it looks like antioxidants are used. i read a study about energy to the mitochondria and was thinking about starting up some r-ala and alcar but i know i need to do a ton of research in this area and that keeping a log/journal will help
4 - Don't hope for people to understand the pain you're going through and try not to let this bother you.
you mean like when someone asks me if i need an aspirin during an attack? im trying to not let it bother me but it is getting in to my daily life.. i constantly feel like im on the verge of a panic attack just from worrying about what is wrong with me
6 - There are three types of cluster headaches:
Episodic (most people get these) they come in cycles with periods of remission.
this is me but im not sure about my cycles like how long they generaly last and how long the remission is either.. i need to start a log
What are your symptoms like?
sever eye pain. tearing in eye. always my right eye. INTENSE PAIN super duper intense pain.
Are you able to feel one coming on or does it hit you like a ton of bricks?
i can feel the pressure in my eye building.. i would say generally i have about a 10 min warning or so
What do you feel during the attack and where?
i can hardly control myself during an attack. i kick scream yell claw my scalp push on my templei feel awful during the attack i cant do anything when its really at its peak. i cant describe the pain except to say its easily the worst/most pain ive ever felt..it always is centered around my right eye
How long do they last and how frequent do you get them
they last about 40-60mins and when i get them i get about 1-2 BAD ones a day with some minor ones here and there (bad being 8,9,10 on pain scale)
7 - Some causes of cluster headaches:
Vascular Irregularities (contraction/expansion of blood vessels in your brain) brought on by allergies, digestion problems and changes in emotion. (Crying even)
i do get them when my allergies act up
Hypothalamus Gland - (responsible for your appetite, sleep, body rhythms and serotonin secretion) when those rhythms are off the potential for an episode is much higher.
ive had some depression problems inthe past and was prescribed efexxor
ive also had about 4-6 concussions in my life
Hormonal Imbalance - yep men too. - during an episode your test levels have dropped. (there is very little published scientific data on this but they seem to be looking into it).
well ive cycled a bit here and there but can not correlate my attacks with the up and downs of my hormones..again i need a log
Digestive Disorders - peptic ulcer, constipation, overall toxicity, low blood sugar
Histamine - Got allergies? Your histamine levels are higher than normal and higher histamine levels are found during an episode.
Nerve problems behind your eyes - go to an eye doctor and have your eyes checked for inflammation/ swelling in the nerves behind your eyes.
i did this on accident because at first i thought this was a sinus problem.. everything checked out fine
8 - General factors that are important to look at - what am I eating? Am I sleeping enough (or too much)? Am I stressed, if so why and how can I over come this?
im wondering if stress or sleep has anything to do with it? who knows ill start that log and see if i can make a connection
9 - Write down everything you eat and post it.
EVERYTHING - condiments as well.
will do
10 - Try and make ever as routine as possible and try to keep you mood on a even keel.
im gonna try but right now its not soo easy
11 - No drugs (OTC or illegal), no smoking, no alcohol for 4 months
will do
thanks again sooooo much for the post velvett!!!!!
1 - You have to find out what abortive med (takes the pain away) works for you. What works for one person does always work for another.
i have not been prescribed anything yet. my med insurance hasnt kicked in yet. i am going to see a neurologist and see what he suggests. the doc who i talked to said imitrex is the most prescribed abortive but that it has nasty side effects (heart problems)
2 - What are the causes and/or triggers of your migraine? (this is the hardest part)
not completely sure yet but i read alcohol can trigger them and this has definately happened a few times to me so i now think its worth not drinking if that can cause it at all
3 - Find preventative measures that will lesson your episodes, whether it's in the form of meds, lifestyle, nutritional changes or all of the above. This is hard and time consuming as well.
in some recent research it looks like antioxidants are used. i read a study about energy to the mitochondria and was thinking about starting up some r-ala and alcar but i know i need to do a ton of research in this area and that keeping a log/journal will help
4 - Don't hope for people to understand the pain you're going through and try not to let this bother you.
you mean like when someone asks me if i need an aspirin during an attack? im trying to not let it bother me but it is getting in to my daily life.. i constantly feel like im on the verge of a panic attack just from worrying about what is wrong with me
6 - There are three types of cluster headaches:
Episodic (most people get these) they come in cycles with periods of remission.
this is me but im not sure about my cycles like how long they generaly last and how long the remission is either.. i need to start a log
What are your symptoms like?
sever eye pain. tearing in eye. always my right eye. INTENSE PAIN super duper intense pain.
Are you able to feel one coming on or does it hit you like a ton of bricks?
i can feel the pressure in my eye building.. i would say generally i have about a 10 min warning or so
What do you feel during the attack and where?
i can hardly control myself during an attack. i kick scream yell claw my scalp push on my templei feel awful during the attack i cant do anything when its really at its peak. i cant describe the pain except to say its easily the worst/most pain ive ever felt..it always is centered around my right eye
How long do they last and how frequent do you get them
they last about 40-60mins and when i get them i get about 1-2 BAD ones a day with some minor ones here and there (bad being 8,9,10 on pain scale)
7 - Some causes of cluster headaches:
Vascular Irregularities (contraction/expansion of blood vessels in your brain) brought on by allergies, digestion problems and changes in emotion. (Crying even)
i do get them when my allergies act up
Hypothalamus Gland - (responsible for your appetite, sleep, body rhythms and serotonin secretion) when those rhythms are off the potential for an episode is much higher.
ive had some depression problems inthe past and was prescribed efexxor
ive also had about 4-6 concussions in my life
Hormonal Imbalance - yep men too. - during an episode your test levels have dropped. (there is very little published scientific data on this but they seem to be looking into it).
well ive cycled a bit here and there but can not correlate my attacks with the up and downs of my hormones..again i need a log
Digestive Disorders - peptic ulcer, constipation, overall toxicity, low blood sugar
Histamine - Got allergies? Your histamine levels are higher than normal and higher histamine levels are found during an episode.
Nerve problems behind your eyes - go to an eye doctor and have your eyes checked for inflammation/ swelling in the nerves behind your eyes.
i did this on accident because at first i thought this was a sinus problem.. everything checked out fine
8 - General factors that are important to look at - what am I eating? Am I sleeping enough (or too much)? Am I stressed, if so why and how can I over come this?
im wondering if stress or sleep has anything to do with it? who knows ill start that log and see if i can make a connection
9 - Write down everything you eat and post it.
EVERYTHING - condiments as well.
will do
10 - Try and make ever as routine as possible and try to keep you mood on a even keel.
im gonna try but right now its not soo easy
11 - No drugs (OTC or illegal), no smoking, no alcohol for 4 months
will do
thanks again sooooo much for the post velvett!!!!!
