I need to get to know yall again cause ITS BACK
I had what I thought could be one about three weeks ago but didnt have another for a week. last week I had three that woke me up
Night befor last 2:30 am last night and this morning 5:00 am and I have five more since that one. They have been short but bang the wall bad and very close togather.
cant ever remember having six in one day. I'm 46 year old male
home builder from Clarksville TN Had CH since 1996 this is 4th cycle
Glad yall are still here for us. >:(

Hello Tim. Welcome home. Sorry that the beast has you scrambling for help once again. It's time to get a prescription for 100% medical grade oxygen at 15 liters per minute with a good non-rebreather mask, if you don't already have one.

You didn't mention in your post whether or not you have a good neurologist and what types of medications you've used to combat the beast.

Some of the nice regulars should be along shortly to answer any of your questions and welcome you back into the fold.

with warm regards,
Tony

sorry he found ya dude, got your O2?   works wonders for most of us here.  good luck!!!   Tuck

Where you been?

We could of used a little help around here with people returning in pain!  >:(

is their a way to get o2 without it going on my medical record
My med rec. curently doesnt show where I saw the neuroligst in 96
and I havent brought it up with my curent family doctor for fear my insurance would cancil or my already rediculacly high premimum would sky rocket. :-/

Tim S wrote on Jul 8^th, 2008 at 7:31pm:

is their a way to get o2 without it going on my medical record My med rec. curently doesnt show where I saw the neuroligst in 96 and I havent brought it up with my curent family doctor for fear my insurance would cancil or my already rediculacly high premimum would sky rocket. :-/

Can't think how you could get oxygen prescribed without it "going on your medical record", but the insurance company doesn't know what's on there unless HIPAA is a complete joke.  Prescribed oxygen is pretty cheap--if you pay for it out of pocket, the insurance company won't know about it, because they aren't paying for it.

Alternatively, you can get welding oxygen and all the parts you need on your own.  Welding oxygen is the same stuff as medical oxygen.  It comes out of the same tanks.

Folks with more knowledge about the details will be along to help you get set up.

Best,

George

Tim,

Sorry to have to see ya back, but you did come home to the right place.

So anyway, first things first, and forgive me for stating the obvious...

"That is what insurance is for."  You are fortunate enough to have insurance, as many sufferers don't.  

O2 is one of the safest and most effective abortives if used correctly.  Over 70% effective and thats a damn site better than other meds.

Check out all your options, but remember the beast is a tricky bastage.  Just when you think you got him figured out,  he morphs on you.

Keep us posted on your plan..we'll try to help in what ways we can.

Sorry that you are getting hit again.  Take a look at the med forum, there is lots of good info there about other treatments that are not thru the doc.  It all depends on what works for you.  I have not been hit regularly for about 6 months now, so I have my preventative that I take daily, and my abortives for when the daemon decides to throw a party in my head and rip out everything in his way.

There are lots of people here who can help point you in the right direction for O2.  

My suggestion is talk to your doc about it.  There is no reason why he cant at least get you started on some sort of preventative.  I cant see how sending you to a neuro would cause your premiums to go up. If you where without the HA for 2 years, then there is not a pre-existing condition issue.  Also like George said, HIPPA should work in your favor at this point.

Blessed Be and May your days and nights be pain free.
Tia

I will talk to my doc. about the o2
I've never had so many in one day, their 15-45 min apart and I'm about to go crazy. My left, upper and lower molars feel like their going to burst out of my gums when one comes on and in past cycles I've never had tooth pain. Too much for one day and damnit it's my gorgous wifes 51st birthday. She sure doesnt look 51. She had to leave the room one time today. Sometimes I think it hurts her as bad as it does me to watch.
Thanks for the help folks.

Rats Tim...helluva thing but welcome home. It's been a long time so maybe you don't remember this technique that worked for me. Give it a shot.

                                         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. Think of feeling your pulse in your hand. Increased circulation will result in a reddening and warming of the hands. 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. Try experimenting between attacks. You will find that it gets easier with practice. Every now and then it will work almost immediately. I lived for those moments.

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.

I used to try to imagine I was pushing blood away from my neck 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