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Topic: Smokers? (Read 1793 times) |
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UpTheDownwardSpiral
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Re: Smokers?
« Reply #25 on: Oct 12th, 2007, 3:08am » |
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I've been a smoker for about 6 years now. I've quit a few times, twice for two months. I'm not sure exactly when my worst headaches started, probably about 99 or 2000, before I ever started. I've lived with smokers all my life though. I've been trying to keep my smoking to less than a pack a day and spacing cigarettes by at least an hour and have been mostly successful for the past few months. Cigarettes don't usually trigger them for me unless I smoke too much, usually if I go over a pack in a day. I am also a caffeine addict. I used to drink at least a couple energy drinks a day, but I usually have one only about every 3 or 4 days, but I drink about 3 Mt. Dews or Vaults on average a day. SouthBronxSupreme, I know what you mean about mary jane. It does help.
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sandie99
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Re: Smokers?
« Reply #26 on: Oct 13th, 2007, 12:27pm » |
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Nope. Never smoked and never will.
Sanna
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VinceFromOhio
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Re: :DRe: Smokers?
« Reply #27 on: Oct 19th, 2007, 2:54am » |
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on Sep 18th, 2007, 1:38pm, seasonalboomer wrote:
Hey Goud, do you suffer from Cluster Headaches? You're the first person I have ever seen report that quitting smoking created an immediate cessation of clusterheadache. Good for you for quitting though.
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Actually, I've witnessed several similar stories on this board as well as the old one over the years. I'm listed as a "Newbie" here because this is a new screen name/account. However, I've been reading this message board from the very beginning. I've noticed that since so many of us smoke, this issue doesn't come up too much. Many of us simply take for granted that smoking...or quitting...won't make much of a difference.
In my own personal experience, I quit smoking for 3 years back in 1992. I quit in the middle of a cycle. I noticed that every time I lit a cigarette I started getting hit. So I actually quit cold turkey. The cycle ended prematurely....inside of 3 weeks. When it was time to return (I'm usually 3 months with headaches - 18 months in remission) it never arrived. During my non-smoking phase I did have one TERRIBLE Kip10 out of nowhere which lasted a couple days and was apparently triggered by a bad sinus infection. Although there was no actual "cluster" of headaches that particular time, it was still the old familiar beast - who decided to stop by for a two-day visit. After that - nothing.....no shadows, no headaches.
Due to some very stressful personal situations and pure stupidity/ignorance, I started smoking again toward the end of 1995. Within a year the beast returned and my regular cycle returned. I recently filled a prescription for Chantix and I'm ready to try again. I'll post the results to this board if I can manage to quit again.
I have my own theory as to why I experienced a change in my headache pattern when I quit smoking. First of all, I don't think smoking "causes" the headaches - it's obviously been well documented that we have some sort of brain abnormality - too much gray matter or something. What I think makes quitting smoking an abortive tool for us is that it changes our metabolism. Like psychadelics, it tricks the clock that seems to control our cycles. Similarly, the meds that seem to work for people...and the O2 that helps abort attacks...are all things that seem to change the body chemistry - however temporary the changes are. Quitting smoking represents a far more drastic change in body chemistry, particularly if you've been smoking for many years.
Lastly, my Mom was a diagnosed CH sufferer for many years as well as heavy smoker. When she quit smoking, her headaches never returned. It should be noted that she had reached the age where they have been known to go away...she was in her 50's at the time. But there's still no denying that the disappearance of her cluster condition was directly related to her quitting smoking. Unlike me, she never returned to cigarettes, nor did her headaches ever return.
From what I've experienced myself as well as things I've read on this board, I'm fairly convinced quitting smoking can AT LEAST shorten your cycles and lengthen your remissions. I'm hanging a few select hopes on that as I attempt to quit once again.
Good luck!
Best Always, Vince
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lexi919
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Re: Smokers?
« Reply #28 on: Oct 20th, 2007, 12:08am » |
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i usually wake up in the middle of the night with my head on fire and my first reaction is to smush my head back into the pillow. but then i finally stop the fight and go get my free icepack the t-shirt go to the garage and bash it on the ground giggle a little and fire up a cig. when i first got these i did not smoke my nero told me that it triggers them and that it can make them worse but i did not see a difference so i smoke.
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VinceFromOhio
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Re: Smokers?
« Reply #29 on: Oct 20th, 2007, 8:57am » |
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I would love to do a volunteer "Smoke Out", where 10 or so of us Clusterheads agreed to quit smoking for at least one week just to find out if our CH's are affected in any way. The participants, of course, would have to be actively experiencing headaches - not in remission. We would also need to make note of our regular meds, as well as any alternative treatments we were using in addition to giving up cigarettes - including Chantix, which could very well affect CH's because it's a medication that sends signals directly to areas of the brain. I'd be VERY curious to find out the results of this. It would take some very dedicated quitters who could get through a week without cheating!
Anyone wanna?
Vince
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TomM
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Re: Smokers?
« Reply #30 on: Oct 22nd, 2007, 3:38pm » |
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I am not a heavy smoker since a pack will last 4 - 5 days but I still can not quit. I look forward to, and crave, that cigarette when I get home from work.
I give up a lot of things when I am in cycle: booze, cigs, processed meat, cheese, and spices to name a few.
I have noticed that many of us CHers are smokers but many are not. Contradictory, eh?
I would love to quit, and have for several months at a time over the years, but can not hold out permanenttly.
EDIT: I also give up Caffeine.
TomM
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| « Last Edit: Oct 22nd, 2007, 5:19pm by TomM » |
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MvT
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Re: Smokers?
« Reply #31 on: Oct 22nd, 2007, 10:25pm » |
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hundreds of people smoke and do not have ch I don't think that smoking has anything to do with ch
but if caffein withdrawl can cause painfull "normal" headaches in some I'm sure people who stop may experience something similar
nothing we can't handle  but why add to your pain.....
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voc417
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Re: Smokers?
« Reply #32 on: Nov 4th, 2007, 12:39am » |
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I've smoked for 20 years and have had ch for 17 years. I did quit smoking about 7 years ago for 3 years and it didn't make a darn bit of difference.
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