Alot of people talk about stress as a trigger, at least outside this forum, and I haven't seen to much of this as a topic of conversation in regard to CH. Feedback?

Stress can work both ways.  For some it is a trigger.  For others it keeps the beast away.  They only get hit once they relax.  

Exercise is much the same.

Weird but that's the way it is. We're all different.

-Dennis-

I'm with Dennis: there is nothing in the literature which has hit my screen to make a case for stress as a trigger/cause of CH.

Believe it's more a quality of life issue of no little importance--a force which can compromise our sense of well being, a force which has no end of sources, i.e., arising from any aspect of our lives which overburdens our coping capacities.

This concept is one of the reasons I wrote this little essay: START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

for me, i can not say that stress is a trigger................but, of course that could change! got my first cylce while vacationing in the Keys in jan !!! right about now i have a great deal of stress in my life, with the major part being a new boss who is doing all he can to force me out of my position, as well as an impending divorce! is it the elavil that is keeping the beast @ bay? who knows , all is know is that i am living my life to it's fullest every day, while keeping a positive attitude!

From people who are close to me they say there is definite  increase in my attacks during more stressfull times, as they are now. During vacations I have very little problems unless I try to drink and that's another story entirely.

Hey Howard,

I'm not sure if stress causes CH or not, but when i've been through stressful times, I never had a cluster so it works differently with each individual I guess.  

I love my microbrews, scotch, and occassional cigar, but during cycles whether on vacation or not, I cut all of that out.  I use to smoke cigarettes over 3 years ago and since I have quit, not only has the number of hits gone down to 3 or less a day, but the cycles have reduced by 4 weeks.  Smoking for me was the worse trigger and if the pain is severe enough you'll quit whatever it is to help it encluding alcohol or beer.

Have a great weekend Howard.  Don't think about the beast!
Deal with him if he comes, but enjoy your PF time in between hits.

Wishing you the best  :)

Quote:

I'm with Dennis: there is nothing in the literature which has hit my screen to make a case for stress as a trigger/cause of CH.

I have found that literature on CH is ambiguous, incomplete, and certainly open to interpretation and speculation.

My experience is, stress is a trigger. For me. My opinion is stress has nothing to do with causation ,only aggravation.

I like this link and happen to agree with it.
START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

I don't feel that stress triggers my clusters while I am in cycle.  It is true about alcohol.  I cut it out when in cycle.  It was friday the 15th, I had a ch at 10 am.  Made it through the weekend, into the next week and no ch.  I went to a birthday party on tuesday eve and was handed a Mojito to drink, I looked at my husband and smiled "maybe I am in the clear".  I am normally a drinker and I find it difficult to explain why I am not.  It usually leads into a conversation, "oh thats terrible, I had one of those once, my wife gets migranes"...etc.  I just sipped it for the duration of the party, my husband helped.  Sure enough, I woke with a good shadow in the middle of the night, but fell asleep.  And then at 9am on wednesday had a strong ch.  I took an imitrex shot.  I've been good since.  I take Verapamil as a prevenitive.

angela

Stress does not cause cluster attacks. It's the relaxing after the stress that brings them on. I can't ever remember being stressed during the REM sleep mode.

Hi.. I'm a noob to the board as well.  Great question. For me, after 20+ years saying stress had nothing to do with starting a cycle I have finally convinced myself I was WRONG! The last two cycles (now and last winter) I stressed about taking a new job. Both times the night before I was to make a decision the cycle started. So I'm now finally convinced stress is what triggered my cycle. However, I don't believe this was the case in earlier years because the cycle would generally  start the same months every year.

Doug