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Topic: Trauma / stress / depression and ch ? (Read 1344 times) |
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genss
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Re: Trauma / stress / depression and ch ?
« Reply #25 on: Mar 8th, 2004, 11:15am » |
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I am new to this board as well. When I was about 16 I went through a year long depression. ( My sisters and I were abused and neglected.) I was able to come out of it OK and I have never been depressed since. But my headaches came on a few years later. I would not be surprized if there were a connection. Reading this message board I see that there are a lot of possible connections.
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miapet
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what doesn't kill me makes me stronger
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Re: Trauma / stress / depression and ch ?
« Reply #26 on: Mar 19th, 2004, 10:34am » |
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yes to the stress connection . . . in any little sign of stress and WHAM . . .and if in cycle and anything happens DOUBLE WHAM .. .
i'm hard pressed on the depression. . . .does it bring ch on . .or does ch bring it on . . .i feel as if i'm asking the question . .which came first . . .the chicken or the egg?
anyway . . .*positive energy and light*
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Clusterbusters Rock
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HypnoticFreddy
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Re: Trauma / stress / depression and ch ?
« Reply #27 on: Mar 19th, 2004, 9:10pm » |
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As a funny on a serious issue. SSRIS like Paxil, Zoloft and Prozac....well.....give you.....unfortunate sexual side-effects (at least Zoloft did). My winkie constantly pointed down and did not have any desire to point up. I have had some serious totally non-related depressive episodes and I really am Bipolar II with anxiety. I have a excellent out-of-state pyschiatrist who has helped me immensly. We have phone sessions every few weeks. I take medication for "mood stabilization" These include Lamictal and Wellbutrin. Seroquel for sleep. In 2002, I was on Zoloft at the time, and I got hit for a 3-4 month cycle. I had been tking Verapamil ever since I was diagnosed in 1999. I guess the CHs just broke through. I am learning that people usually take it while in a cycle and stop when not in it. Perhaps, Getting back on Verapamil will help. By the way, my pyschiatrist swears by fish oil. Clinical studies have shown it is a good mood stabilizer. Plus it is good for cardiovascular health. So I take that too (some other vitamins as well).
I can't say SSRIs had anything to do with the cycle. I soon got off the SSRIs. Oxygen, Topamax and the eluding Sansert were prescribed. No relief in a preventative manner with any of the drugs. I really think I just had to wait it out. After 4 months the CHs abated and I did not have one until about a month ago. Interesting because it has only been 1.5 years since last cycle. I had a 3-week episode in 1997, that went undiagnosed. Usually it has been 2-3 years between episodes. I am scared that the remission time has shrunk.
Thank you people for reading and giving advice. I am relying so heavily on the experience of people who post here. Thank the Sun for this and the OUCH websites.
2 CHs per day at night is somewhat manageable, meaning it isn't interfering with work.
What a curse.
-Freddy
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Renee
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May we all find some pf time! Is it summer yet?
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Re: Trauma / stress / depression and ch ?
« Reply #28 on: Mar 19th, 2004, 10:15pm » |
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Quote:If someone was abused they would remember it. They may not talk about it or like to think about it but they remember it.
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Walk in the shoes of an abused survivor before telling us what we do or don't remember or want to talk about! You apparently have NO idea!
Lexapro is the new version, per se, of Celexa and is "supposedly" the cleanest SSRI on the market as far as side effects are concerned.
Which came first? My depression and CH came within just a couple of months of each other and that was 22 years ago. The CH came first but only episodic at that time and then disappeared for 12 years but when it decided to reappear it was chronic and I'm still battling, the CH that is. The depression lingers but is well treated with meds.
If only I could find the correct meds for chronic CH!
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23 years of battling the beast, 9 years chronic......uneducated docs/nurses make me irate.
The fungus among us is for real!
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UN_SOLVED
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I need a fully-automatic Imitrex injector !!
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Re: Trauma / stress / depression and ch ?
« Reply #29 on: Mar 19th, 2004, 11:38pm » |
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on Feb 12th, 2004, 6:09pm, Jayne wrote:My old doc who was a chronic CH, said that he thought most clusterheads had suffered some sort of abuse, some just don't remember it.
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That's the first time I've ever heard of that.
Sorry...I think that's a bunch of BS though. I had a great time growing up...til my 19th birthday and my first cluster attack ! Great parents and friends. Nobody picked on me (maybe cause I have 2 BIG brothers)... it was usually me picking on them ! lol
Sounds like that doc had his own issues ! (maybe I picked on him !)
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I'm STILL alive ?
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FZfan
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Re: Trauma / stress / depression and ch ?
« Reply #30 on: Mar 20th, 2004, 12:43am » |
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on Feb 27th, 2004, 6:02pm, denisebyrd wrote:| HI, My Doc just added Lexapro to my list of meds, an SSRI to treat anxiety/depression. I haven't really hear much about it and I was wondering if anyone else out there has tried it . Yeah iam depressed and anxious, whether from years of the f------ ha's or not who's to say! Just looking for some input Thanks Denise |
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Denise, my doc put me on Lexpro when I went to see him at the start of my current cycle four weeks ago. I told him I had pretty much decided to just fight off the beast with nothing but 02 this time around. We talked about that for awhile. He thought what I wanted to do made sense since my cycles usually only last about 4 weeks and most prevents I've tried haven't worked. He asked if I would consider trying Lexpro as a preventative. He said it was an anti-depressant, but he would like to see if it would work as a preventative for clusters. Similar to some prevents, Lexpro is supposed to make more seratonin available in the brain.
I don't mind experimenting. So I tried it. Took it faithfully for 3 and 1/2 weeks. As far as I can tell it might as well be a sugar pill. I felt nothing and it didn't do a damn thing for stopping the beast. Quit taking them.
I didn't notice any side effects, or anything at all for that matter. But then, that probably doesn't mean anything because it's an anti-depressant and I'm not depressed. Never have been.
Anyway, that's been my experience with Lexpro.
Oh, I'd like to add that, when I say no side effects, I am including the uh, ahem, amorous ones also. 
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There is no such thing as a dirty word. Nor is there a word so powerful, that it's going to send the listener to the lake of fire upon hearing it. - FZ
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sandie99
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Re: Trauma / stress / depression and ch ?
« Reply #31 on: Mar 22nd, 2004, 4:42am » |
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All I know is that stress increases the chances that I'll have a CH attack. So does crying... I'll always get a CH after I have had a proper cry.
PFdays,
sandie99
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CH happends, Live anyway! PF days to us all!
"Do what you can and let God take care of the rest. Leave your heart wide open and always wish for the best" (Sanna Hillu)
"No matter how far out your dreams are, it's possible" (Marketa Irglova)
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kindness2others
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Re: Trauma / stress / depression and ch ?
« Reply #32 on: Mar 27th, 2004, 3:49am » |
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Hi all,
I am intrigued that this was mentioned, because I believe there is a definite comorbidity with CH and many mood disorders. Everyone is different and everyone has had different experiences in life, so there are far too many possiblities to consider. I've considered quite a few and here's what I have learned.
What I do know, from research is that there are many people in the medical profession (doctors, psychiatrists, therapists etc..) that feel there is a strong link between CH's and mood disorders.
Many mood disorders take root in childhood, when the brain is still developing and routing neural pathways.
A lot of research suggests that the constant adrenaline surges a child experiences through physical or emotional abuse can contribute to negative physical manifestations, such as migraines or cluster headaches. (Kandel and Sudderth, Migraine:What Works, 2000)
The long term effects of any type of stress can produce different kinds of neurological change with different consequences. (Heit et al., Neurobiological effects of early trauma. [/i]The Harvard Mental Health Letter[i], 1999)This can cause the brain's wiring to become messed up during development and decrease or increase the number of synapses (these are the connections between nerve cells). In other words, mood disorders could be the result of this messed up wiring. Many physicians and psychiatrists are beginning to notice that this messed up wiring can also cause some nasty physical stuff, like CH's (check out the article on Medscape on Migraine, Cluster, and Mood Disorders). I am citing just a few studies and articles I have come across, but there are hundreds out there!
As for how this connects with my own personal experience is that after my last cluster cycle, I became determined to discover the root of the pain and at least reduce the severity of pain so that I would never again wish to die. I realized that I not only had to look at my physiology, but also my psychological experiences and my genetics. Genetics are definitely not in my favor in terms of mood disorders and clusterheadaches (CH on my Dad's side and major psychological problems on Mom's side) but I find hope in the articles that I've read about how amazing the human body is in healing itself.
The good thing is that neural pathways can be rerouted, mood disorders can be treated, and CH's can be treated too. I don't know if any of these will ever be cured, however, and I already know that finding the right treatment is a continual work in progress. The best thing we can do for ourselves is educate ourselves and learn about ourselves, both physically and mentally, and what treatments and therapies help us.
Some people feel meds are the only way to go. Others feel it's more of "a mind thing" (and if you've suffered from CH's, you KNOW that it doesn't seem that way!). Some people try yoga and love the mind and body connections that it encourages. Others prefer to stick to therapy. Many people feel that meds in combination with therapy and moderate exercise is best. I find all these beneficial, personally, but I can't tell you what's best for you. Only you can discover that!
I am grateful for all of you who have posted because you have all helped me on my difficult journey. It's good to know that there are other people out there that are willing to share information and support each other.
Take care,
Kindness2others
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