I've been generally pain-free for a few months (taking Verapamil: see my side-effects post).

A lot of posters here recommend Red Bull at the first sign of a cluster headache and I have to admit that I was sceptical.

However, recently I let my Verapamil stock run out and got myself some headaches. Not bad ones, but enough to remind me that I've got CH.

When I slammed down a Red Bull I was okay again in a few minutes. In fact it wasn't a Red Bull but a cheap supermarket own-brand alternative.

It worked.

My fridge is stocked up with the things and everyone in the house is on warning not to drink em on me.

These were not mega clusters but they were still headaches that would have had me kneeling at the side of the bed, rocking backward and forward for at least half an hour.

I don't know what would happen with a big time headache but I'm beginning to see why so many CH.com regulars recommend energy drinks as a first line of defence.

PF days and nights to all,

Ian

They didn't work for me but many many people swear by them! Linda keeps an open one in her fridge so it stays flat and it's easier to chug down. It' a good feeling to have more then one weapon against the beast aint it? ;)
uiseppi

Ian,

I'm glad that energy drinks helped you. :) I recall very well how I felt about them before giving them a try - and I'm glad that I did, because they work wonders with my hits as well.

And I've made the same discovery than what you did: the energy drink doesn't need to be Red Bull to work, I just check that it contains enough caffeine and taurine. So far, all the energy drinks with the same amount of caffeine and taurine than RB have worked nicely. So feel free to stock up with your favourite one! :)

PF days,
Sanna

They sell Rockstar, all flavors, in our cafateria at work. They have the original flavor in the vending machines so I can still get it if the cafateria's closed. It's saved me a few times.

This whole caffeine and energy drink is new to me, however since I have read posts on there I have drunk my regular share of coffee in the morning and no CH.  I have yet to do the energy drink and i always have Amp in the fridge and will try during on onset.  I was misinformed or misread something years ago about caffeine.  Wish me luck!  My CH's have gotten less intense on the tailend of this bout.
Hopefully remission is near.  

Chad wrote on Aug 7^th, 2008 at 11:16am:

This whole caffeine and energy drink is new to me, however since I have read posts on there I have drunk my regular share of coffee in the morning and no CH.  I have yet to do the energy drink and i always have Amp in the fridge and will try during on onset.  I was misinformed or misread something years ago about caffeine.  Wish me luck!  My CH's have gotten less intense on the tailend of this bout. Hopefully remission is near.

Amp doesn't have near enough taurine in it - about 40mg per serving. You need something with closer to 1000mg per serving.

I have not found Red Bull to be effective when I have a bad hit. In a really mild hit it does seem to do something, but definately what I have read here for me personally. The small cans don't do anything and the big cans are only marginally better.

However, I do take it at the same time as my Imitrex and it does seem to speed up the trex's delivery. If the trex knocks it down, the red bull does help a little, but there are times when the trex doesn't work at all either.  >:(

wrote on Aug 7^th, 2008 at 11:28am:

Chad wrote on Aug 7th, 2008 at 11:16am: This whole caffeine and energy drink is new to me, however since I have read posts on there I have drunk my regular share of coffee in the morning and no CH.  I have yet to do the energy drink and i always have Amp in the fridge and will try during on onset.  I was misinformed or misread something years ago about caffeine.  Wish me luck!  My CH's have gotten less intense on the tailend of this bout. Hopefully remission is near.   Amp doesn't have near enough taurine in it - about 40mg per serving. You need something with closer to 1000mg per serving.

Thanks my friend.  I'll look into something else.  Amp seems to have the best taste for me, but i'd drink dog piss to kill a CH ;D

Any suggestions of what to use in place?

Chad wrote on Aug 8^th, 2008 at 2:44pm:

wrote on Aug 7th, 2008 at 11:28am: Chad wrote on Aug 7th, 2008 at 11:16am: This whole caffeine and energy drink is new to me, however since I have read posts on there I have drunk my regular share of coffee in the morning and no CH.  I have yet to do the energy drink and i always have Amp in the fridge and will try during on onset.  I was misinformed or misread something years ago about caffeine.  Wish me luck!  My CH's have gotten less intense on the tailend of this bout. Hopefully remission is near.   Amp doesn't have near enough taurine in it - about 40mg per serving. You need something with closer to 1000mg per serving. Thanks my friend.  I'll look into something else.  Amp seems to have the best taste for me, but i'd drink dog piss to kill a CH ;D Any suggestions of what to use in place?

Yep. NOS (distributed by Coca Cola). Comes in three flavors: Original (passionfruit), Grape, and Fruit Punch. Comes in plastic bottles that look like nitrous oxide tanks (hence the name NOS), both 11 and 22 oz., and 16 oz. cans. It tastes a little bit better out of the bottles. Has plenty of all the good stuff you need to abort. Guzzle 'em down at the first sign of a hit.

wrote on Aug 8^th, 2008 at 3:00pm:

Chad wrote on Aug 8th, 2008 at 2:44pm: wrote on Aug 7th, 2008 at 11:28am: Chad wrote on Aug 7th, 2008 at 11:16am: This whole caffeine and energy drink is new to me, however since I have read posts on there I have drunk my regular share of coffee in the morning and no CH.  I have yet to do the energy drink and i always have Amp in the fridge and will try during on onset.  I was misinformed or misread something years ago about caffeine.  Wish me luck!  My CH's have gotten less intense on the tailend of this bout. Hopefully remission is near.   Amp doesn't have near enough taurine in it - about 40mg per serving. You need something with closer to 1000mg per serving. Thanks my friend.  I'll look into something else.  Amp seems to have the best taste for me, but i'd drink dog piss to kill a CH ;D Any suggestions of what to use in place? Yep. NOS (distributed by Coca Cola). Comes in three flavors: Original (passionfruit), Grape, and Fruit Punch. Comes in plastic bottles that look like nitrous oxide tanks (hence the name NOS), both 11 and 22 oz., and 16 oz. cans. It tastes a little bit better out of the bottles. Has plenty of all the good stuff you need to abort. Guzzle 'em down at the first sign of a hit.

Thanks again!  :)

Monster Assault also has 1000mg of taurine, and it has a really good taste. It is the same thing as LOST Energy. They are cherry flavored and a 4 pack of the 16 ounce cans goes for $5.99, compared to $9.99 for the 4 pack of 12 oz Red Bull.

I guess the bottom line on this thread is that high-energy drinks can help.

Probably not for everyone but so many CH-ers recommend them at the first sign of a hit that there has to be something there.

I have definitely found them helpful in low-level hits. And who knows - if I hadn't taken them early on who's to say those low-levels might not have become high-level clusters.

I cannot say. But it's definitely worth having a few on standby just in case.

I've even become accustomed to a taste I one considered vile.

Anything that helps even a little is worth adding to the anti-CH arsenal.

Ian

Energy drinks should be considered as another treatment; it doesn't work for everyone.

There's another good thread on this way up the list (as I write).

And there's a scary one about the possible downside of RB.

All I know is that, as I said in my other post, when I'm stumbling towards the fridge at 3am in the morning with a worsening CH I'd happily drink rat's p*ss, yak's blood or liquefied Sumo wrestler belly-button fluff.