Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> has this happened to anyone else?
        
(Message started by: genss on Apr 15^th, 2004, 10:51am)

Title: has this happened to anyone else?
Post by genss on Apr 15^th, 2004, 10:51am

The week before my last episode,I kept waking up EXACTLY 1 hour earlier every morning. The first morning it was 6:40. Then next is was 5:40, all the way over to 2:40. After that I pretty much woke up at 2:40 every morning until my CH ended. Also I never could get back to sleep until almost daylight. The CH ended in March. Anyways it is happening again. This morning it was 3:41am and I didn't get back to sleep until 6ish. I am afraid that since this is what happened right before my last CH that they are coming back already! I never had two episodes back to back. Most of the time it is once a year and if it comes twice a year it is usually in spring and fall. Has anyone else experienced this weird sleep pattern (or no-sleep pattern)? If so do CH always follow? I need to be prepared if so and get to the neuro and get some meds.

Title: Re: has this happened to anyone else?
Post by HypnoticFreddy on Apr 15^th, 2004, 10:54am

Um....that sounds like, but may not be limited to clinical depression.

Early morning awakenings. Classic sign.

It sucks.

You awaken at 2-3:00 AM. Take Horse tranquilizers and still can't fall asleep. For me it was depression. You may want to get it checked out. Unless you are some kind of insomniac.

-Scott

Title: Re: has this happened to anyone else?
Post by floridian on Apr 15^th, 2004, 11:07am

Happens to me, but always in mid to late summer. Right before an episode, I find myself go to bed later and later, but keep waking up earlier - and feeling fully awake. I used to think it was great - more productivity. Now I recognize it as a prodromal symptom, and try to get my sleep back into a normal pattern using melatonin and 5-htp.

Title: Re: has this happened to anyone else?
Post by HypnoticFreddy on Apr 15^th, 2004, 11:51am

The best meds for sleep disorders, while they take a while to kick in are the SSRIs like Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac. These things got me sleeping normally again. At least, for me.

-Scott

Title: Re: has this happened to anyone else?
Post by Redd715 on Apr 15^th, 2004, 12:11pm

I spoke on this with my specialist yesterday as a matter of fact. For a few weeks before the beast actually hit I was waking up between 2-3 AM every morning. She said that is not uncommon. In fact she said that many of her patients that are episodic that get this know to start their prevent early.

Title: Re: has this happened to anyone else?
Post by forgetfulnot on Apr 15^th, 2004, 3:03pm

on 04/15/04 at 12:11:47, Redd715 wrote:

I get the same thing normally associated with an anxiety attack. Lucky for me I have Ambien and get back to sleep within 15-20 minuets. I believe my brain is waking me up to fight the beast even though he checked out about 3-4 weeks ago.

Lee

Title: Re: has this happened to anyone else?
Post by Tiannia on Apr 15^th, 2004, 3:57pm

Lee that would make sense as it would allow the body to become associated with waking up at a specific time. Kind of like a baby that was always active in the womb late at night, when they are born they will still be upside down with thier enteral clock.

Title: Re: has this happened to anyone else?
Post by Dover on Apr 15^th, 2004, 10:16pm

Just a big fat YES. The night time beast is on a schedule, (or rather was until I started taking Tamazapam nightly) twice a night about the times you point out. I figure it is in synch with the different sleep phases you go through at night.

I think CH are caused by an imbalance in the hormonal functions of the body and brain, and thus improper sleep gets involved by either causing it and agravating it.

I have almost always struggled with sleep. I have a tendency to wake up at 2 and 3 and go into work because there is nothing else to do. OR work really late, sometimes right through. I know now I damn well shouldn't have been doing that, but you know.

I can't really say whether the tamazapam helps with reducing the HAs because I am still on the prednisone. Start tappering tomorrow (after an early failed attempt). Tam is supposed to be really good at repairing sleep architecture, but I suspect that it will take awhile. In the mean time, I sleep pretty nicely and feel refreshed in the am. Haven't had that since I was a kid.