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New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Those surprise switch hits....
(Message started by: Lizzie2 on Dec 8th, 2004, 8:04pm)

Title: Those surprise switch hits....
Post by Lizzie2 on Dec 8th, 2004, 8:04pm
Ya know...yesterday morning (Tuesday) I was at my Pediatric Clinical at Dupont.  Our clinical instructor finished giving out the assignments by about 7:45am or so.  I had a patient who I had had before, and I've grown to love the kid despite the fact that he is a huge amount of care, cannot speak, and is crippled from cerebral palsy.  Once you get to "know" him...you really see what a great kid he is...and his mom has been more than helpful too.  Just really amazing when you see these parents staying 24/7 in the hospital with their kids.  For that, I thank my parents for the times they did that for me!

Anyways...I go into my patient's room, and fortunately both him and mom were asleep...then I get this slam on the left.  Both my chronic migraines and clusters are on the right side.  I went out of the room and a few of my friends asked what was wrong.  I went and sat in the lounge and popped a Relpax, which for me can take about a half hour to work.  My instructor sent me to a back conference room where nobody would be, and I shut the lights off and closed the door.  Before that, I had asked my friend Hollie to go grab my ice pack out of my bag and fill it up and bring it to me.

I'm more of a shaker and rocker than a banger and moaner/swearer etc (most of the time), and finally at about 8:10-8:20 or so it started to feel better.

So my question for you all is...for me it always hurts a LOT worse when it hits on the left side for me.  Does it get like that for y'all too?  The side that isn't usually hit can be a lot worse than the side usually hit?  I feel like it's virgin headache area getting attacked by the beast!!  LMAO  I mean...I do get my migraine throughout my entire head at times, but clusters...they are almost all on the right but sometimes they surprise me and totally kick my ass.  Killers every damn time! :(

So yeah...it sucked.  But at least it ended, and our instructor let us go early too.  :)

Lizzie2/Carrie :)

Title: Re: Those surprise switch hits....
Post by lilbitintn on Dec 8th, 2004, 8:24pm
I am so glad to find out that someone else has migraines and clusters....By reading alot of these posts it seems you either have one of the other ....Ive had what my dr calls migraine clusters for 6weeks now ...I thought he was a nut , until i read your post .....I have never experienced anything like this before....What meds do u take and what other relief do u get ...Any help would be appreciated ....

Title: Re: Those surprise switch hits....
Post by E-Double on Dec 8th, 2004, 8:33pm
so many hugs to you L2
It does suck!!!
I wish you the best as always and we certainly have some catching up to do!!!

love ya,

E.



Title: Re: Those surprise switch hits....
Post by cschick on Dec 8th, 2004, 8:37pm
I get both too.  It sucks in a major way but "luckily" I am episodic with what is usually a 6-8 week period but I over that time frame this year.  It sucks majorly.  If your dr is calling them migraine clusters you probably need to seek another dr.  I don't believe that the 2 can be compared.  I definately know the difference between migraines and clusters.  I am sure you do too.  I am on Verelan PM (200 mg) daily for preventative and O2 to abort.  The Verelan is actually used as a migraine preventative as well so I will be staying on that to see if it helps with the migraine frequency when this cycle is over.  The O2 unfortunately doesn't help with the migraines but I take Fiorecet for migraines and it dulls it to bearable in about 20 minutes.  Hell on the ol' kidneys though.  If you have questions PM me and I will answer as best as I can - been dealing with migraines for almost 10 years now and clusters for 7 years.  

Oh and welcome to the board.  sorry you are here!
Karen

Title: Re: Those surprise switch hits....
Post by Lizzie2 on Dec 9th, 2004, 8:58pm

on 12/08/04 at 20:24:30, lilbitintn wrote:
I am so glad to find out that someone else has migraines and clusters....By reading alot of these posts it seems you either have one of the other ....Ive had what my dr calls migraine clusters for 6weeks now ...I thought he was a nut , until i read your post .....I have never experienced anything like this before....What meds do u take and what other relief do u get ...Any help would be appreciated ....


Hmmm your doctor may have had some faulty wording!  Do you know if you had one headache type before the other?  It seems most often that if a person is going to have both types, they have the migraines first and then develop clusters a little later in life.  There really is no such thing as migraine clusters or cluster-migraines.  At least not in official headache wording and naming!  Sometimes people get migraines that come in "clusters", but it isn't the same thing as cluster headaches.  It would depend on your symptoms and if you feel you have two distinct headache types!

I have had migraines for as long as I can remember, although the first one I really remember was when I was 8 or so...preparing for first communion.  When I was 20, I got a headache that I still have.  Haven't had any pain free time in there, which is kinda a large pain in the ass head!  That is the one that has been responsible for the majority of my hospital stays.

In March of 2003, I had a figure skating accident where I fell smack on the back of my skull and wound up with a concussion and sprained neck.  After that, I started getting shorter lasting stabbing headaches that occurred for only about 2-20 minutes in length or so and could occur even up to 20 times a day.  At that time, it definately seemed more like Chronic Paroxysmal Hemicrania.  And when I first joined this site, although I had already had my first true cluster attack on November 20, 2003, I still wasn't sure if it was CH or CPH.

I haven't had a month without clusters since I started getting them, so this past November I officially became a chronic clusterhead along with a chronic daily migraine sufferer.  No biggie I figure because I draw and see the strength of chronic and also episodic sufferers and their supporters here every single day since I joined this place!!!!

So my migraines and clusters are definately two distinct types of headaches.  The clusters are much more intensely painful, but they do end.  The migraine is still a high level of pain (but not as intense as the cluster), but it never ends...which is why I'm being admitted to the hospital yet again on the 27th of this month.

I haven't found anything that works for me yet, although Oxygen is my best abortive for clusters.  Amerge and/or an Amerge/Ultracet combo can help with the chronic migraine and work to prevent future clusters in the same night.  I recently tried Relpax and that killed the cluster in 30-40 minutes or so.  Today my doctor gave me two samples of Zomig NS which I haven't tried yet.

I can no longer take any steroids due to developing a degenerative bone disease known as Avascular Necrosis triggered by steroid use.

Anyhow, must go study as I am a full time nursing student and also have a part time job every other weekend!!

Hugz,
Carrie :)

Title: Re: Those surprise switch hits....
Post by survivor13 on Dec 10th, 2004, 1:58pm
GETTING HIT ON THE OTHER SIDE, WOULD BE LIKE HAVING TO LEARN TO DEAL WITH IT ALL OVER AGAIN! CAN'T IMAGINE THAT! :o

Title: Re: Those surprise switch hits....
Post by Versilleus on Dec 18th, 2004, 8:35pm
Lizzie2,

The cluster/migraine combo is horrible. Don't worry you aren't the only one. When the cluster switches side it feels more painful than when the left side is normal attacked. I don't think the attack itself is worse but the body is not 'used to' dealing with the pain behind the right eye. My sensitivity to touch around the right occullar region also dramatically inceases.
I compare it to sewing, metaphorically only, when someone first starts the needle is felt poking into the finger. After awhile the finger becomes callussed and the sewer hardly notice s the poke.
The body is great at adjusting to pain. When the 'switch' happens personally I find it hard because I don't know what to expect. Where normally the pain is not so trying.

Paul

Title: Re: Those surprise switch hits....
Post by cmhybrid on Dec 20th, 2004, 8:31am
I get a hybrid variety: the pain of a cluster and the longevity of a migraine.  I can't believe that I don't pass out from the pain sometimes.  They can last up to 6 hours.

Title: Re: Those surprise switch hits....
Post by becky8 on Dec 20th, 2004, 2:20pm

on 12/10/04 at 13:58:16, survivor13 wrote:
GETTING HIT ON THE OTHER SIDE, WOULD BE LIKE HAVING TO LEARN TO DEAL WITH IT ALL OVER AGAIN! CAN'T IMAGINE THAT! :o

Thats excatly what its like!!!

Title: Re: Those surprise switch hits....
Post by thebbz on Dec 20th, 2004, 11:58pm
Gettin it on the other side  :'( That has to suck major . I hate it for ya. I would think that would be like fresh meat to the demon. So now I wonder if the holes in the walls are on the other side of the room? LOL [smiley=laugh.gif] Hang in there. Vibes...
BB

Title: Re: Those surprise switch hits....
Post by CC2004 on Dec 22nd, 2004, 2:23pm
hi there - how awful to have such severe hits on the opposite side.  Does anyone out there know what these opposite side attacks are all about?  We dont all get them...

Im getting hit on the opposite side all the time, especially since Ive had some attack free days on normal side.  But they're not nearly as bad for me kip4-6, and my attitude is "hey you bastard you're not going to get me down >:("  Most of them go quite quickly but some last longer, and frankly for me I am just relieved they are not normal hits.  I never realised until recently that these are connected until a couple reached higher levels and there was no mistaking the type of pain, but dont know what connection is.  Ive been on water water water & mag and had 4 attack free days, but not PF because I was getting hit on the left all the time.
Does anyone know if there is any pattern or whatever with opposite side hits and what they mean?

stay strong Lizzie
wishing us all PFDANs
CC



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