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Topic: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters? (Read 1163 times) |
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gigg
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New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« on: Dec 21st, 2005, 12:31pm » |
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WOW great site and board.
Does anyone have mild cluster headaches or does that mean it is not a true cluster type headache. After reading through some of the info, I will be praying for some of you.
I have had migraines that are related to female hormones in the past and that are under control with the use of magnesium, Vitamin B-6 and a few others. I have recently started to have stabbing head pains on the right side of my head off and on. It has been years since I have expereinced these type of headaches. Thought they might have been stress related and since I am full time at home now, had not had them for years.
Severe sharp pain that takes my breath away and feels like it stops my heart for a few seconds. I often can not see for those few seconds or just shut my eyes I guess. I consciously choose to do relaxation breathing and the pain usually goes away as quick as it came. Most commonly it is only on the right side of my head just above and in front of my right ear. This pain will reoccur several times in a few minutes or off and on for a few hours. This does not seem to be as severe as what I have begun to read about cluster headaches, but maybe this is a mild case or the way it begins for some???
I also have wondered if it is a blood vessel that swells from time to time, causing pressure pain that could cause a stroke sometime. It seems so severe but lasts only a few seconds at a time and then may happen several times in a day and then happen again for another few times for a few days and then it won't happen for months.
I do reach for water any time I get a headache and try to keep well hydrated in general. I think this helps.
Any helpful info from your experiences will be appreciated.
gigg
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Jasmyn
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #1 on: Dec 21st, 2005, 12:51pm » |
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Gigg, I cannot comment if it is CH or not as I'm not a medical professional.
I hope for you that it is not the beginning of CH, for me it just went straight from no headaches in my life to suddenly these excruciating, mind blowing pain on the one side that lasted much more than a few minutes.
Hope you get relieve from your migraines and that it never develops into something more. Please go and see a Neuro if your headaches change. It is important to get professional help/advise when migraines/headaches change character.
Jas
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pubgirl
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #2 on: Dec 21st, 2005, 1:03pm » |
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Gigg
I would suggest as Jasmyn says that you see a neuro as there are several headache types which manifest as a shorter lived stabbing pain and it will probably take an expert to differentiate.
You might also want to read up a bit about them in the OUCH library (link left to OUCH website) or someone here may give you some good links as I can't find mine! Sorry!.
The main ones are PH/CPH (paroxysmal hemicrania- much more common in women than men) SUNCT syndrome, idiopathic stabbing headache or ice-pick headache, or if these attacks are triggered by cold or touch, a possibility of Trigeminal Neuralgia.
Also, if it helps, all bar one of the shorter lived headaches are responsive to a drug called Indomethacin to the point where most good neuros do what is called the "Indotest" as a diagnostic tool.
Hope this helps
Wendy
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Karla
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #3 on: Dec 21st, 2005, 1:31pm » |
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Ditto what Wendy said.
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Karla
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Charlie
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #4 on: Dec 21st, 2005, 2:29pm » |
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Sounds nasty and I sure hope these aren't clusters. Seeing a sawbones is a good idea.
The thing with my ch was...and I guess everyone is that no way do you sit down during these things and they usually hang on for a long time. Mine, about 20 minutes usually and aside from beating up furniture, I was even less fun to be around.
The blood vessel thing is part of this though. I used this technique:
Dr. Wright’s Circulatory Technique:
I am not sure what mechanism is triggered by this but whatever it is, at least indirectly helps kill the pain. I do know that this technique has nothing to do with meditation, relaxation, or psychic ability. It is entirely physical and takes some work. It involves concentrating on trying to redirect a little circulation to the arms, hands, or legs. It can described as a conscious circulatory flexing. Increased circulation will result in a reddening and warming of the hands. Try to think of it as filling your hands with redirected blood. The important and difficult part is that it has to be done without interruption through the pain. Do not give up in frustration. It may not work on the first try. Every now and then it will work almost immediately. I lived for those moments. Try experimenting between attacks. You will find that it gets easier with practice.
I was given less than five minutes instruction in the use of method. The doctor, while placing his arm on his desk, showed me that he could slightly increase his arm and hand circulation. After several attempts, I was able to repeat this procedure and use it successfully. I have had about a 75% success rate shortening these attacks. My 20 minute attacks were often reduced to 10 minutes or less. Once proven that I had a chance to effectively deal with this horror, I always gave it a try as I had nothing to lose but pain.
Perhaps it will help if you think of it as trying to fill the arm as if it is were an empty vessel. I used to try to imagine I was pushing blood away from my head into my arm. Use your imagination. There is one man who wrote that his standing barefoot on a concrete floor shortened his attacks. This may be similar as it draws some circulation away from the head. Cold water, exercise, or anything affecting circulation, seems to be worth a try. My suggestion is to not let up immediately when the pain goes. Waiting a minute is probably a good idea. So long as you do not slack off, this has a chance of working.
This technique is very useful while waiting for medication to take effect or when none is available. It costs nothing, is non-invasive, and can be used just about anywhere. It is not a miracle but it helped me deal with this horror. It can be a bit exhausting but the success rate was good enough for me and a cluster headache sufferer will do just about anything to end the pain. It gives us a fighting chance.
Charlie
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BlueMeanie
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #5 on: Dec 21st, 2005, 7:35pm » |
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No such thing as mild Clusters. Check on the icepick theory. Sounds alot like what you're describing.
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pubgirl
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #6 on: Dec 21st, 2005, 8:11pm » |
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on Dec 21st, 2005, 7:35pm, BlueMeanie wrote:| No such thing as mild Clusters. Check on the icepick theory. Sounds alot like what you're describing. |
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With respect bluemeanie, she shouldn't just check ice-pick, she should check them all. Ice-pick is comparatively rare in comparison with PH/CPH and the symptoms are very, very similar.
Wendy
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Jonny
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #7 on: Dec 21st, 2005, 8:29pm » |
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on Dec 21st, 2005, 8:11pm, pubgirl wrote: Ice-pick is comparatively rare in comparison with PH/CPH and the symptoms are very, very similar.
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Are you saying something new, Wendy?
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It is up to YOU to educate yourself and then help your doctor plan your treatment. If you just sit down in front of your doctor and say "make me better" you are setting yourself up for a great deal of pain.
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pubgirl
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #8 on: Dec 21st, 2005, 8:32pm » |
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No Jonny, just trying to help. Ice pick sounds the most likely by the name but didn't want gigg to just focus on that as it is quite rare.
I'll just say nothing in future
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yikes-another-one
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #9 on: Dec 24th, 2005, 4:15pm » |
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the doctor might try her on Indo...just to see if there is any effectfor the pain....who was it that tried that stuff???
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Azrael
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #10 on: Dec 25th, 2005, 11:25am » |
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I would definitely agree that you should see a neurologist. Check out the list of recommended doctors from the O.U.C.H. site at http://www.ouch-us.org/chgeneral/doctors.htm These are docs recommended by CH'ers so they'd prolly be a little more knowledgeable about headaches than others. Lots of docs in CA and quite a few from the Oakland/San Francisco area. Good luck!
PFDAN.................................. Drk^Angel
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Jonny
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #11 on: Dec 25th, 2005, 11:41am » |
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on Dec 21st, 2005, 8:32pm, pubgirl wrote:| I'll just say nothing in future |
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Fat chance of that....LOL 
Happy Christmas, Wendy
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It is up to YOU to educate yourself and then help your doctor plan your treatment. If you just sit down in front of your doctor and say "make me better" you are setting yourself up for a great deal of pain.
- Guiseppi
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Cerberus
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #12 on: Dec 27th, 2005, 12:16am » |
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mild clusters....hrmmmmmm, nope can't say I have. 
'Bus
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Carl_D
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Re: New here - Does anyone have mild clusters?
« Reply #13 on: Dec 28th, 2005, 1:48am » |
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What you are describing sounds more like CPH, but you definitely need to see a Neuro for proper diagnosis.
When my CH first started in '87 they were 'mild'. The pain was not super intense, and it didn't radiate throughout the right side of my head. It just felt like a piece of ice had frozen my eyeball and although it hurt like a mofo, it was nothing compared to what would eventually come. With each new cycle the pain got increasingly worse until finally I was convinced I had an anyeurism until an MRI came back clear. I had the worst cycle ever in '93 and thought "It can't get any worse than this." Boy was I ever wrong.
Peace,
Carl
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