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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> CH and Heredity?
        
(Message started by: MR_JESTER on Mar 21st, 2008, 9:13am)
Title: CH and Heredity?
Post by MR_JESTER on Mar 21st, 2008, 9:13am
Good Morning,  I have a question that someone may have done research on.

My mother and father were divorced when I was very young.  But I do remember that I was told by an Aunt that my bio-father was suddenly getting "severe intense excruciating headaches behind his right eye."
Thinking back, all of his symptoms were classic CH. He was a heavy smoker and long term ETOH dependence.
His M.D. dignosed him with GLAUCOMA and perscribed some sort of eye drops which of course does nothing.

Has anyone ever heard of the validity of CH being a hereditory trait?  I have a 17yr old son, and the thought of him developing CH scares the hell out of me!
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by Guiseppi on Mar 21st, 2008, 10:03am
There were some stats posted last year on the topic, if it runs in your family you have a slightly higher risk. But it's still a pretty small percentage. There are several on the board with children who have CH. I have 2 adult daughters, 24 and 22, no sign of CH. (But then, as we all know, girl s don't get ch! ;))

On the other hand, if he should be unlucky enough to catch the black marble, how awesome to have a dad who has already paved the road for him!

Guiseppi
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by coach_bill on Mar 21st, 2008, 10:14am
my mother had really bad migrains, so when i 1st started these in my early 20s i think she thought they were the same as hers, but i have found no one in any of my family who has CH. coach bill.
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by debOUCH on Mar 21st, 2008, 11:55am
my dad started getting when he was about my age, going on 24 yrs, and he gets 1x per year for 30 days......however when he gets, he is able to lie down, and it goes away....always happens in mid afternoon.....and is able to drive with them...says he has never done the pacing thing, and has never taken any meds...............and of course he is comparing his to mine, however, mine are much much higher on the Kip scale than his......................and he tells me HIS TOLERANCE FOR PAIN IS BETTER THAN MINE!!! WATEVA!!!!
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by Sandy_C on Mar 21st, 2008, 11:59am
When I was very young, I remember my Grandmother's (on both sides), having headaches and going to their rooms to lie down.  Both were calling them their "sick headaches".  This was in the late 40's to early 50's.

Grandma on my father's side had given birth to five living children, the oldest of which was her only daughter, and once that daughter (my aunt) was old enough, Grandma took to her bed with "sick headaches" and left the raising of her four brothers to my aunt.  This Grandma fled to the bedroom every time there was any work to be done, and stayed there, silently for hours, or until whatever job was completed.  Did she have CH, most definitely not.  Did she have migraines???  My aunt, my father and my three uncles never had a headache in their lives.  To my knowledge, none of their children or grandchildren have problems either.

My other Grandmother, on my mother's side, really did have headaches, and, she, too, went to her bedroom.  But, I remember being able to hear her pacing the floors, and occasionally hearing a yell.  She was never up there for hours on end, but would come back down maybe in an hour or two.  Did she have migraines or CH?????  This Grandma had four daughters, none of whom had either migraines or CH (lots of strokes though).  Then here comes me?  None of my cousins have this problem, just me.

I have two daughters, and so far, they are both headache free, thank God.  I have one brand new granddaughter, and my second grandchild (another girl), is due in July.  

Since the headaches on my mother's side of the family went from Grandma to me, skipping a generation, I'm praying that I'm the end of the line and that neither my daughters nor my grandchildren, or their grandchildren ever get this hellish affliction.

Is it hereditary?  I have no idea.

Sandy
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by Charlotte on Mar 21st, 2008, 12:30pm
I think it is hereditary, but random.

Charlotte
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by Kirk on Mar 21st, 2008, 6:27pm
   No one on either side of my family has ever had CH. Nor does my son or grandchildren. Although my daughter -in -law gives me headaches now and then.

[smiley=smokin.gif]
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by DennisM1045 on Mar 22nd, 2008, 12:23pm
Here is the abstract of about the best article I've seen on the topic.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/hf6cgrmcw561hdnd/


Quote:
A study of Italian families with cluster headache
Journal: The Journal of Headache and Pain
Publisher: Springer Milan
ISSN: 1129-2369 (Print) 1129-2377 (Online)
Issue: Volume 1, Supplement 2 / December, 2000
DOI 10.1007/s101940070012
Pages S165-S167

Authors
Massimo Leone1, Michael Bjørn Russell2, Andrea Rigamonti1, Angelo Attanasio1, Licia Grazzi1, Domenico D'Amico1, Susanna Usai1, Gennaro Bussone1
1Carlo Besta National Neurological Institute, Via Celoria 11, I-20133 Milan, Italy, e-mail: leone@istituto-besta.it, Tel.: +39-02-2394264, Fax: +39-02-70638067
2Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark


Abstract

A Danish genetic study showed increased risk of cluster headache (CH) among relatives of CH patients. We studied the families of 191 CH patients (118 males, 73 females; mean age 45.9 years) attending the Milan Headache Center. Information on 3589 relatives was collected by direct interview of the probands (n = 118) or by mailed questionnaire (n = 73). The diagnostic criteria of the IHS were used. A positive family history was found in 19% (37 of 191) of the families. A total of 32 first-degree (32 of 1036, 3.1%) and 15 second-degree (15 of 2553, 0.6%) relatives were affected. The relative risk of CH was 26.89 (95% CI, 17.57–36.21) in the first-degree relatives and 4.35 (95% CI, 2.13–5.21) in second-degree relatives. This study shows increased familial risk of cluster headache in an Italian population and confirms that cluster headache is, in some families, and inherited disorder.

Keywords
Key words Cluster headache · Familial occurrence · Genetics


My Dad had clusters.  I have 10 children and hope to God that none of them get it.  My heart stops every time I hear one of them say they have a headache.

-Dennis-
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by coach_bill on Mar 22nd, 2008, 4:33pm
so is this a bad link in our DNA or what? so maybe my great, great, great, grandaddy who ran a corn farm in west virgina back in 1826 is the culprit? id like to go back in time, thank him properly for this by kickin his corn farmin ass. thanks alot gramps.. coach bill
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by Charlotte on Mar 22nd, 2008, 5:31pm
a number of us have a child w/ch ie Helen, Potter, Fredmyster, and some of us have a parent w/ch ie Dape & Dennis.  A lot of us have relatives that may have had ch, like my Grandma Galli and her sister, some of Redd's relatives, etc.  Those undiagnosed relatives probably had a lot of problems of their own.  

Many more of us have no family members w/ch or suspected ch.

I wouldn't go back in time & kick anyone's posterior.  I don't want my great great grandkids coming through time to kick mine.

Charlotte
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by E-Double on Mar 22nd, 2008, 6:00pm
My mother gets "migraines" though I know she gets them in the fall and does her midnight dance.
She taught me how to use a bandana wrenched around my skull and the use of ice and steam....

when I found this place I had her take the cluster quiz....sure enough "IT" says likely clusters.

To her it doesn't make a difference as she will not do anything other than her bag of tricks.

That is one tough cookie.
If she goes into "cycle" again  I will be sure to bully my mommy into taking and using one of my oxygen tanks
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by LeLimey on Mar 22nd, 2008, 6:55pm
As the others have told you, I have a son with CH.

The thing is, hereditary means through your genes and from my very basic understanding of that subject I know this.

Within Cystic Fibrosis which is the most hereditary disease if I carry the gene but my partner doesn't there is a 1 in 16 chance my child will have CF. If my partner has the gene too there is a 1 in 4 chance they will have CF.

Actually they could be the figures for the child to be a carrier and not have the condition but you see what I mean.

My new partner has CH as well as me. If it was the right time in our lives and if I didn't have the other health problems I now do I wouldn't hesitate to have another child with him.

At the end of the day, I have CH, I am chronic. The longest PF time I have had is 17 days.

I have a fantastic life, its happy and full of love and laughter. Most of the ch'ers you see here are the same.

We live life to the full.

The child of a ch'er has a head start if they develop CH. They have a parent who will fight tooth and nail for them, a parent who understands and a parent who will kick their butts to make them live every minute of every day. If a child HAS to have CH - it's better that it's one of ours than someone who has no understanding or no empathy.

I wouldn't wish CH on anyone but my one comfort in knowing Jasper has CH is that he also has me.

I hope that helps

Helen

Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by lionsound on Mar 22nd, 2008, 8:43pm
My paternal grandmother had some kind of "migraine" that showed up like clockwork so much that she could tell the doctor what time to show up to witness one. She took sansert for them and my aunt also describes her behavior as agitated /not being still and that they were very painful. (my aunt gets migraines and she doubts they were migraines)
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by Bob_Johnson on Mar 23rd, 2008, 10:16am
Lancet Neurol. 2004 May;3(5):279-83.  


Epidemiology and genetics of cluster headache.

Russell MB.

Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. m.b.russell@klinmed.uio.no

Cluster headache, the most severe primary headache, is characterised by unilateral pain, ipsilateral autonomic features, and, in many cases, restlessness. Recent epidemiological studies indicate that the prevalence of cluster headache is about one person per 500. Genetic epidemiological surveys indicate that first-degree relatives are five to 18 times-and second-degree relatives, one to three times-more likely to have cluster headache than the general population. Inheritance is likely to be autosomal dominant with low penetrance in some families, although there may also be autosomal recessive or multifactorial inheritance in others. To date, no molecular genetic clues have been identified for cluster headache. Identification of genes for cluster headache is likely to be difficult because most families reported have few affected members and genetic heterogeneity is likely. Future focus should be on ion channel genes and clock genes. This review summarises the epidemiology and genetics of cluster headache.

Publication Types:
Review

PMID: 15099542 [PubMed]
=============================

I do hope that your last sentence is only a common expression rather than an actual report of your state of mind.
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by sandie99 on Mar 23rd, 2008, 12:16pm
I have ch, but my parents barely ever got a headache. My mom did suffer what she calls "migraines" when she was younger, but they stopped once she got glasses.

Besides that, my great aunt had "dreadful" headaches, which the family referred as migraines. She's no longer with us, so I cannot ask her what her headaches were like specificly.

Sanna
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by cynjeep89 on Mar 24th, 2008, 7:51pm
There are no relatives in my family with CHs, thank goodness.
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by starlight on Mar 25th, 2008, 3:08pm
HUGE extended family--no CH anywhere, no migraines!!!  So I am one lucky camper!
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by Karla on Mar 26th, 2008, 1:37pm
I have chronic ch and my 23 year old son has eposodic ch.  Two of my three sons have migraines as well as I do also.  Looking at my family I would say that migraines are heriditary but the ch is coincidence.  His identical twin doesnt have ch.  Interesting.
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by purpleydog on Mar 26th, 2008, 5:04pm
I have CH. My dad's mother has it, she's in her 80's. Her mother had what sounds like it. She and I had talked about her headaches she used to get (this was when she was in HER 80's), where her eye would water, nose would run, horrible pain behind her eye. She would tell me she about trying to take care of her daughters, there was no one else (to my great grandfather, that was womens work). They'd come on suddenly, and stop suddenly. And at the same times of year.

I didn't realize that she was probably getting CH until I started getting them.

My mother and her side got migraines, on her mother's side. I got that too.

It's interesting to see, but at least you will know what they are, if your son does get them, and you can help him. That is a lot more than most people get.
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by Ungweliante on Mar 30th, 2008, 4:54am
The neuro thinks that I have CH. The symptoms fit, the MRI was clean, but no official diagnosis yet. He was sure that it's not migraines.

My paternal grandmother, father and sister from father's earlier marriage all seem to have this same problem. All of them, at least to my knowledge, get the droopy eyelid, discharge from the eye, unilateral pain, really bad attacks, mostly occur during the early morning and night. There is also the need to be absolutely still and alone. At least father gets nausea too. They have been treating them with long-term ergotamines with some success.
Title: Re: CH and Heredity?
Post by LivingBarometer on Mar 30th, 2008, 10:49am
As I was talking about this with my grandmother she told me that my grand-grand father has had similar pains as I had.
She was telling me that sometimes the pain got so bad he was putting his head in the snow.
Maybe he had CH as well???


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