Hey. I'm Brie. 21 y/o guy from Singapore.

I've been suffering from CH for 5 years. I usually have the attack on the same month of the year, that usually lasts for 1-2 months. I usually experience the attack when I just woke up from my sleep. I've been to several doctors and all they could do is to give me pain killers.
And, its CH period for me now. My attack just ended 3 hours ago.

 
Cluster headache.
From: START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE (Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases)
[Easy to read; one of the best overview articles I've seen. Suggest printing the full length article if you are serious about keeping a
good medical library on the subject.]

Leroux E, Ducros A.

ABSTRACT: Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache disease characterized by recurrent short-lasting attacks (15 to 180 minutes) of excruciating unilateral periorbital pain accompanied by ipsilateral autonomic signs (lacrimation, nasal congestion, ptosis, miosis, lid edema, redness of the eye). It affects young adults, predominantly males. Prevalence is estimated at 0.5-1.0/1,000. CH has a circannual and circadian periodicity, attacks being clustered (hence the name) in bouts that can occur during specific months of the year. ALCOHOL IS THE ONLY DIETARY TRIGGER OF CH, STRONG ODORS (MAINLY SOLVENTS AND CIGARETTE SMOKE) AND NAPPING MAY ALSO TRIGGER CH ATTACKS. During bouts, attacks may happen at precise hours, especially during the night. During the attacks, patients tend to be restless. CH may be episodic or chronic, depending on the presence of remission periods. CH IS ASSOCIATED WITH TRIGEMINOVASCULAR ACTIVATION AND NEUROENDOCRINE AND VEGETATIVE DISTURBANCES, HOWEVER, THE PRECISE CAUSATIVE MECHANISMS REMAIN UNKNOWN. Involvement of the hypothalamus (a structure regulating endocrine function and sleep-wake rhythms) has been confirmed, explaining, at least in part, the cyclic aspects of CH. The disease is familial in about 10% of cases. Genetic factors play a role in CH susceptibility, and a causative role has been suggested for the hypocretin receptor gene. Diagnosis is clinical. Differential diagnoses include other primary headache diseases such as migraine, paroxysmal hemicrania and SUNCT syndrome. At present, there is no curative treatment. There are efficient treatments to shorten the painful attacks (acute treatments) and to reduce the number of daily attacks (prophylactic treatments). Acute treatment is based on subcutaneous administration of sumatriptan and high-flow oxygen. Verapamil, lithium, methysergide, prednisone, greater occipital nerve blocks and topiramate may be used for prophylaxis. In refractory cases, deep-brain stimulation of the hypothalamus and greater occipital nerve stimulators have been tried in experimental settings.THE DISEASE COURSE OVER A LIFETIME IS UNPREDICTABLE. Some patients have only one period of attacks, while in others the disease evolves from episodic to chronic form.

PMID: 18651939 [PubMed]

welcome:

please read all you can on this site, it helps.

best advice i have for you is get away from the pain killers. they don't really help  .  the dependancy and rebound attacks are not worth it.

But I understand that Ch sufferers usually experience attack in the night while asleep wherelse my attack comes when I just woke up from my deep sleep at any time.

Anyone in the same situation as I'm in now?

They're not consistant for me from cycle to cycle.
The last couple of cycles, i've had night hits, but up till I was 30, they  were always daytime hits.  I've had them right as I was waking up a couple cycles ago.  My cycles have even changed as I get older.  The only good thing I have had is that my cycles have been shortened from 6-8 weeks to 2-3 weeks and I think quitting smoking has a lot to do with it since the time I quit.

Does sleeping patterns play a part too?

It's school holidays for me now and I usually sleep at 2-3am and wake up at around 3-4pm.

As I am a Muslim, I have to fast this month as it's the fasting month.
I noticed that my CH cycles are always on the fasting month and end a week after the fasting month. I wonder if the lack of water or food affects it too.

G'day, Ramps, and welcome to the nut-hut.  

The only thing that's the same for all us CHeads is that no two of us are the same. Many are woken with a whopper barely an hour after going to sleep, others get hit only during the day and then there's  for whom there's no real routine.

The moment you think you've got it worked out, old beastie-boy changes his plan of attack and it's back to square one.

Fight on, for it's a good fight, and we'll win!!!

rampalicious wrote on Sep 8^th, 2008 at 11:02am:

Does sleeping patterns play a part too? It's school holidays for me now and I usually sleep at 2-3am and wake up at around 3-4pm. As I am a Muslim, I have to fast this month as it's the fasting month. I noticed that my CH cycles are always on the fasting month and end a week after the fasting month. I wonder if the lack of water or food affects it too.

I'm not sure about fasting, but I do know when i'm not eating enough through a cycle, I definitely get more CH, however you must watch what you eat since some ingrediants are triggers especially nitrates (which does me in).

Thanks Chad. I'll take note of that.

HI Ramp,

As most have put everyone suffers similar symptoms but no 2 people are the same.

Missing meals causes an attack for me as do other factors like heat.
I used to wake with a head but of late i am woken with a  head shortly after falling asleep.
As AussieBrian correctly pointed out the minute you think uve got it sussed it knocks you back another way!!

Good Luck finding ur Silver bullet for me its Oxygen!!!

PFD to all :)

Thanks darknight.

For me, I have not found any remedy.

Hi Ramp-

Welcome and glad you are here. :)   For many of us, chugging a Red Bull at the first twinge of a HA will knock down the shadow and stop the HA from creeping up.  Also-  I have chugged two big cups of black coffee many a time and that has saved my a$$.  Has stopped some serious HA from getting worse.  

Until you get the proper treatment like oxygen or other things a neurologist would prescribe, those things listed are things that others have used with some success.  

Also- like others have posted, even when not in cycle,  not eating causes me to have headaches  and then while in cycle  even more so.  

But what's a trigger for one may not be a trigger for someone else.  Do you fast in fall and in spring?   Many find that they get cycles during those times -  Mine come in the spring , prior to daylight savings time.   ( at least it always has in the past)  Of course that could change too-   :-/

I am not too familiar with Fasting and the protocols for that?  Would fasting also include coffee or caffeine products?


Hoping you get some pain free time-

Kelly

Hi Kelly.

Singapore does not have any seasons. It's either it shines or rains. Weather and climate here are unpredictable due to global warming.

As for fasting, I have to fast starts from around 5:30am to 7pm for a month with no food AND water intake till 7pm. It's weird cause my cycle is always during my fasting month. It has been 3 years in a row that it happened in the fasting month.

Hi people.

I just had one of the worst attacks just now.

It was hurting me like crazy. I vomited twice. After the cycle, my body felt very very weak.

Is this common among other clusterheads?

rampalicious wrote on Sep 11^th, 2008 at 9:24am:

Weather and climate here are unpredictable due to global warming.

And if you buy that, I've got a bridge to sell you.

Hi Ramp!  We are new to the site as well.  Sonny wakes every am with ch level about 4.  We just got the o2 and seems to be helping.  If your fasting allows you to drink water, then drink it.  I am very sorry for your pain and like everyone else says, get yourself some 02.  I don't know if there is anything you can do for the fasting situation but seems to me, could very well be playing a part in your cycle.

Good luck and hope you have no more pain today!

Hi Sonny and Sheryl.

I've never tried O2.

I'm now trying out energy drinks and coffee. See if it helps. I'll update the results in a week's time.

:'(