someone on OUCH UK mentioned this procedure, has anyone over here heard of it, or have any experience of it for CH or Fibromyalgia???


cheers

Sandra xx

Dear Sandra:

The spheno palatine ganglion is a bundle of nerves where the back of the nose meets the soft palate above the back of the throat.  I've had local anesthetics like lidocaine dripped there, or placed there by cotton swabs.  I am not too sure of what "procedure" you're referring to.

Wishing you well,

Ray

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Well, I did a search and this was all I could find on those words... Maybe it's a type of nerve block for that nerve?

Oh, wait, found something else.

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yeah, sorry meant to say it is a block, so i suppose it would work along the same principles as an occipital nerve block!!! except obviously in a different area!

i have googled it and seen the procedure on You Tube where a woman is "miraculously" cured of her fibromyalgia, didn't mention how long it would last though!!!

also in the search on google, CH is mentioned, as in it could help!!

my question is though if it is that good, why isn't there anyone shouting from the rooftops about it!!!!

most of the sites that i looked at in google are USA based, hence my reason for throwing it open to this forum, just in case someone here had tried it!!!

thanks for the replies, will keep an open mind just now and get hubby to discuss with his pain dr!!!!

Sandra xx

Dear Sandra:

I did get some relief from putting the local anesthetics there, but it only worked to abort 1/3 of the attacks.  As I had to lay still, flat on my back, with my neck tipped back 45 degrees and rotated 45 degrees, the "cure" was worse than the disease.

Best of luck to you...

Ray

thanks for the replies

Ray, that doesn't sound very comfortable or at all pleasant!!!!

we are still undecided about whether or not it will work for either CH or fibro, so the jury is still out on this one!!!

Sandra xx

Sandra ask Pee Wee - he will know AND it will keep him busy and out of my way!!! LOL

lol will do Helen!!!!!

as i've said, don't know if andy's going to do anything about it yet, just trying to weigh up the pros and cons!!!!

cheers

lil sis xx

wrote on Nov 24^th, 2008 at 6:51pm:

Sandra ask Pee Wee - he will know AND it will keep him busy and out of my way!!! LOL

Done and dusted you ole necromancer - you landed yet?

-Pee-Wee-Lee :D

LeeS wrote on Nov 26^th, 2008 at 2:48pm:

wrote on Nov 24th, 2008 at 6:51pm: Sandra ask Pee Wee - he will know AND it will keep him busy and out of my way!!! LOL Done and dusted you ole necromancer - you landed yet? -Pee-Wee-Lee :D

lol ok have to admit wasn't sure who " pee wee" was  [smiley=blush.gif] [smiley=blush.gif] [smiley=duh.gif]but should have known really!!!!

lil sis xxxx

Sandra,

Ray's description of dripping a topical anesthetic like lidocaine on the sphenopalatine ganglion is spot on with respect to method of application and efficacy in aborting cluster headaches.  My doctors at NIH agreed to let me try this method of treatment as an abortive for my cluster headache attacks and gave me a 4% solution of lidocaine.

The sphenopalatine ganglion (also called pterygopalatine, nasal, or Meckel’s ganglion), is that thing in the back of your nasal passage that stings just before you sneeze.  It's also connected to the center (maxillary) branch of the trigeminal nerve ganglion as shown in the following photo from the University of Pittsburgh web site.

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The theory behind the sphenopalatine ganglion block as a cluster headache abortive is not too well understood, but appears to be based on its direct link to the trigeminal nerve and that it plays a role as a relay center of the autonomic nervous system.  Some think there's a cascade effect in anesthetizing the sphenopalatine ganglion that spreads to the trigeminal nerve bundle and that this brings a measure of relief from the pain of a cluster headache attack and other chronic pain disorders of the head, neck, and upper back.

The following link provides a much more detailed explanation:  START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

I've found that using my NRB mask configured with a mouthpiece and free-cycling oxygen at 15 to 24 liters/minute in my mouth and out my nose creates enough evaporative cooling in the area around the sphenopalatine ganglion to shorten my abort times.

If you try this, you'll notice your mouth will cool and dry as the oxygen evaporates moisture in your mouth.  I try to let this happen as the next sensation is a cooling effect in the back of the nasal passage as the oxygen evaporates moisture in the area of the sphenopalatine ganglion on the hit side.  I also press on the side of my nose opposite the hit side to direct most of the flow out the hit side of my nose.

I've found that free-cycling oxygen like this is much easier to do than dripping lidocaine in my nose while nearly inverted.  It's also more effective for me with a noticeable reduction of pain in less than a minute or two.  Hope this helps.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

thanks for that Batch, good explanation and well appreciated!!

i will let hubby have a good read at it (he's the suffererer not me!!!!)

Interesting about the use of O2 as well, am sure he will find it useful

thanks again

Sandra xxx

Batch,

Great diagram! I did some searching on the UP website, but couldn't find anything. I am very curious if they have one of the back of the head as well? The KIP 10's always seem to have deep back of the head and large vein involvement when I'm in cycle. I'd like to see what the nerve branches look like back there. I've searched the web extensively before and never found a diagram as good as what you've shown here.

Thanks, Rich

I spent considerable time during cluster cycles 25 years ago at the University of Western Ontario/ Old Vistoria Hospital in London Ontario on my back hanging off the side of a bed while a teaching neuro showed  neuro students how to apply zylocaine to the back of my nose to freeze away my clusters....tried over and over numerous times ....never worked... just froze everything down the back of my throat....i did hear of some success with a couple of other subjects in the clinical trials though.