Maybe I am not used to this.  I hadn't had a cluster headache since I was 17 years old.  I am now almost 26 years old, and currently suffering from the 12th one I have had in 5 days.  The doctor prescribed me Cephadyn (basically I went to an "urgent care" type place because my family doctor couldn't see me and I needed something immediately).  This medicine does NOTHING for me, and my work is suffering.  My headaches start at 7:45 every morning, just as I am on my way to work.  Like clockwork.   And then I have another one at 10:00 at night, and usually it only lasts about an hour.  So I am lucky enough to have only been woken up once with one, and that was Saturday morning...the 7:45 headache didn't care that it was the weekend...

My fiance doesn't understand how to deal with it, and I understand that it is a hard thing to try to learn about in such a short amount of time.  I had never really mentioned anything about it to him because it was so long ago and I really thought that I had left those behind when I was a teenager.  To be honest, I had forgotten how bad it was and when I did think about it (which after a while wasn't very often) I just took the whole "it wasn't as bad as it seemed" type of attitude towards it.  But I remember now that it is much bigger and more powerful than me, and I can't just lay my head down on my desk and wait for it to pass.  It's so hard to function.  I am lucky enough to work in an environment to where I can close my office door and beat my head on the floor and no one really notices (or if they do, they leave me alone about it).  I hate taking medicine, just because I try so hard to keep myself healthy and eat right and stay away from things that could do harm to my body.  ( I know I am weird, but my mother passed away at 42 years old due to some complications from medicines prescribed to her that weren't supposed to have negative effects...basically not enough research was done and I lost her because of it.)  I know that I can't handle these on my own, and I know I need medicine, but I know that this medicine that the Doc gave me is terrible and doesn't help me at all.  

Thanks for listening.  :)

Get some O2!!!! Read the O2 infor on the left. It's helped about 70% of us.

RED Bull at the first sign of a headache - the caffeine and taurine will sometimes abort a headache in it's tracks. Along with the O2 (at least 15 liters per minute (25 liters is better) with a non-rebreater mask).

Melatonin at night (OTC) will help stop the night hits (gets you thru the REM sleep where the headaches hit).

Meds are not for everyone and I can understand your fear of them.

Read read read here. A lot of CHers go the non-med route and it works for them.

Good luck.

Hugs BD

Good advice Barb!

And Brook, have your fiance come to this site and do some reading. I'm sure it will help in the "understanding it" aspect of this malady.

Jimmers

Get thee to a good neuro!  Read all the info on this site.   If your girlfriend doesn't want to post, have her pm me 9via your account).

carolyn

Quote:

If your girlfriend

Boyfriend

Brooklyn- check out this page and click on the links to educate yourself more.  I have found it very beneficial: START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

:)mel

Jimi wrote on Oct 15^th, 2008 at 10:08am:

Quote: If your girlfriend Boyfriend

Oops, my bad.  Synapses not firing correctly.

8-)

wow, it is so nice to have so many people to talk to about this.  thank you all so much for your support...it's really hard to deal with when no one understands.  thank you thank you thank you!

by the way, the one i am having now has peaked and i think it is on its way out...it's been 2.5 hours and it usually only lasts about 3 hours...so hopefully in the next little bit i can start my day:)

i have read so much on this site...I LOVE IT.  I am so glad I found you guys!

Welcome to the madhouse Brooklyn but I'm sorry it has to be because of this horror.

Some good advice here and the next time you need to describe what these feel like; tell him that when he has an ice cream headache to picture it unrelenting for about an hour.

Charlie

Brooklyn wrote on Oct 15^th, 2008 at 8:40am:

My fiance doesn't understand how to deal with it, and I understand that it is a hard thing to try to learn about in such a short amount of time.

No, it wont take short time to learn, but if your man does not come here to read it will take forever.

If he wont read here (which I cant believe he wont if he loves you) you tell him to email me, and I will tell him how I am still alive after 31 years chronic!

Welcome aboard, Brook (sorry, thats the name I have to go on)

Welcome to the family.  Try to see a headache specialist as soon as possible.  For a list of sufferer recommended doctors, please go to the following link:

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

The OUCH website is also packed with useful information and please consider a membership!

With best wishes,

Ray