Hello everyone. My name is David. I'm 35 years old. I have been dealing with CH's for about 3 months now.

I've been diagnosed with migraine headaches in my early 20's, and about 3 months ago they changed. My migraines completely emcompassed my entire head, light sensitive, nausea, etc. until 3 months ago my headaches became solely on the right side of my head. My pain was centered behind my right eye. The pain is excruciating. I cry. My right eyelid droops. It feels like there is something trying to push my right eye out of it's socket. My vision in my right eye gets blurry. I have a very temper tantrum like fight with my bed (which I sprint to as soon as the cursed thing starts) screaming and writhing in pain. I have not had a "typical" migraine since the CH's started.

I usually have 1 CH a day for 5-7 days straight. They usually start in the evening. They have lasted as short as 10 minutes and as long as 2 hours. The shorter episodes are usually aborted via Imitrex. (My insurance sucks and only pays for 4 tabs and 4 injections). I have tramadol as a pain killer for a back injury. I have used it for these headaches with success only in relieving the pain. The pressure type feeling behind my eye remains until I either A.) fall asleep or B.) take an Imitrex.

When the headaches changed, I marched into my PMD's office and explained what was going on. She looked perplexed. I told her that Imitrex was still working, so we're sticking with it. I am a Paramedic, and my PMD takes my medical opinion of my symptoms quite seriously. I told her this was scaring the shit out of me, and I wanted a scan. I had an MRI/MRA without contrast which was read as negative by the radiologist. YAY NO TUMOR! BOO EFF'ING HEADACHES STILL COMING!

I HATE IMITREX! I hate the way it makes me feel. It makes my hair feel like it's on fire, my throat feels tight, dysphagia, my left arm gets heavy and weak, and in general, it makes me feel like I got run over by a septic tanker truck that was kind enough to dump it's load on me as it ran me over. But I'll jump in front of that truck everyday to get rid of the headache. The headache that nothing seems to fix...

I remember the first time I got this feeling. I was crying, screaming. My wife was panicked. I kept punching the wall near our bed yelling for her to put a bullet through my head it hurt so bad. My CH laughed at the attempt to calm it with Excedrin. My CH kicked Motrin right in the ding ding, pointed and laughed, and then proceded to give my tylenol a noogie...I really wanted to die that night. I finally fell asleep after a dose of Imitrex. My wife did some research and told me about "CLUSTER HEADACHES."

My wife is tough. She's my rock when these come on. Somehow she manages to keep me all together despite her own medical issues. So far, because of these damn headaches...I've missed a Jimmy Buffett concert; a visit from a dear friend, twice; missed the Renaissance Fair, twice (left early once); countless dinners and movies; and almost missed an Eagles concert.

After reading some of these stories, I feel like I don't have a right to complain a single bit in comparison. I get them once a day for 5-7 days. Some of you guys are having multiple attacks a day. My prayers are truly with you guys.

That being said, thank you for this site. And thank you for having me.

I'm with you all the way babylove!  ::hugs::  You take care of me and I take care of you. I love you with all my heart.  :) :D :P :-*

Thanks pretty face.

Welcome to the site. Sorry you have reason to find us.

As you've indicated that you have been reading I'd point you at least one direction right now - especially since you are an EMT and may have pretty good access to this to try.

O2.

You don't mention trying O2. Here's some info, but you'll see it in a LOT of postings:

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

O2 kills or knocks back 70-80% of my hits. This means I only have to go to the Imitrex inject 1 of 5 hits. While I don't have the same side effects as you feel with Imitrex, I do like to conserve and refrain.

Not everyone gets the same results with O2 but if you can run it at 15lpm with NON-REBREATHER mask with a tight fit it gives it it's best chance to help.

Nyteguardyan wrote on Dec 14^th, 2008 at 2:19am:

I HATE IMITREX! I hate the way it makes me feel. It makes my hair feel like it's on fire, my throat feels tight, dysphagia, my left arm gets heavy and weak, and in general, it makes me feel like I got run over by a septic tanker truck that was kind enough to dump it's load on me as it ran me over. But I'll jump in front of that truck everyday to get rid of the headache. The headache that nothing seems to fix...

Hi, David!  Welcome aboard!

And Hi to your lovely supporter and wife, too!

First of all, as you have already been told, please try oxygen, as an abortive.  It is effective, cheap, and has virtually no side effects to deal with.  Most of us are able to abort most or all of our hits using just oxygen.

If you HAVE to use Imitrex to abort (when the oxygen fails) try the tip listed under the tab, at the left side of your screen, labled imitrex tip.  That tip does a couple things:  First, it saves you money in that you can get up to three hits aborted, with one vial.  Second, it cuts WAY down on the side effects of the 'trex, because you are not using anywhere as much.

But try the oxygen route first, but make sure you are doing it correctly.  Use a non-rebreather mask, and at a flow rate of at least 15 LPM (25 LPM is even quicker).

Good luck, and let us know if we can help you any more!

Chuck

Yeah - what Chuckles said (he's always saying things before my fingers get out of their arthritic state so I can type!!)...

You've got access to the O2 - USE IT! But do it RIGHT!

And cut the Imitrex shots down. For some reason CH doesn't take the bigger dose that migraines do. (Go figure that one?).

Sorry you're getting hit, but looks like you have a great supporter. That's half the battle right there.

Keep us up to date on things...

Hugs BD

seasonalboomer wrote on Dec 14^th, 2008 at 6:21am:

You don't mention trying O2. Here's some info, but you'll see it in a LOT of postings: START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

I didn't mention trying o2 because I hadn't tried it yet. To be honest, it never crossed my mind. I hope it works for me. Thanks for all the invaluable information I've found on this site.

Hi David, nice to meet you and your wife. It sure is nice to see you have such a great supporter, makes all the difference in the world.

Please give the o2 a try, it is the only thing I use to abort, and it has never failed me yet! I take 480mg Verapamil daily as my preventive. This is "my cocktail" [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

100% o2 with at least a 15 LPM regulator and a non-rebreather mask or some form of a Clustermask works better. Most important is to get on it at the very first sign of an on-coming hit. I can stop these bad boys within a few minutes using this method.

Please read all there is to your left and once again, welcome to your new family.

 Barry :)

I'm sorry you are here, but welcome!  these guys are like my new family(and they are better supporters than my REAL family!!)   :D

You've joined an exclusive club, my friend.  And while these folks aren't doctors, they have amassed far more research than most neuros have on this subject, and as a medical man yourself I'm sure you can appreciate that!!  I'm newly diagnosed from migraines, too, and my advice is this- go through all the posts and start collecting all the info you can on what everyone has tried, because this lovely disease reacts differently for everyone....and keep a headache journal!!  it took me a while to figure out what was going on because I was getting CH and migraines together; and when you are trying out meds, it really helps to have a chart of pain/symptoms/meds you've taken to start working out the best course of action- memory is notoriously poor in these situations.  Good luck- to both of you!

Hello David and wife.  We're happy to have you here (despite the reason).

I'm a supporter too, for 17+ years now.  MY DH was chronic for 2 eighteen month periods and is episodic the rest of the time.  Right now he is out of cycle and we're thrilled!

We still hang here (my DH lurks) to help the new folks that come along.  This place has become a second family to me, and trust me when I tell you that if you ever get a chance to meet other clusterheads, don't pass it up.

There's a meet and greet scheduled in January in St. Louis if you're nearby - check out the Meetings and Gatherings board.  It's always great to add new folks and reconnect with old friends at gatherings.  And once you've met a clusterhead, they become old friends immediately.

PM me if you need any help in the supporter area.  I'm always here . . .

Ok...time to get a bit mushy...

I tear up a bit as I read posts here. There's just so much relief in knowing that I'm not alone. I hate to wish pain on anyone, but I'm glad to know that there are people that know and understand my pain.

I really can't express how I feel.

Thank you.

Nyteguardyan wrote on Dec 14^th, 2008 at 6:54pm:

I tear up a bit as I read posts here. There's just so much relief in knowing that I'm not alone.

That's not the first time we've ever heard those words and it won't be the last.  We're glad to be a community of caring folks who know pain on a way-too-intimate-level - and we're glad to add you to our numbers.

The first time I met other clusterheads (remember, I'm a supporter) was at the Milwaukee Convention in July of 2006.  Up until that day, the pain and dance of the cluster headache was "just normal."  This was what my hubby suffered with and we had strategies and coping mechanisms and it was just a part of our life.

When I got to the convention (at the nagging of my hubby), I saw all sorts of folks getting hit, giving support, getting Oxygen, aborting the hits, laughing, partying, and just generally carrying on.   It was what we had been living with on a GRAND SCALE.  Being a supporter, I wanted to help everyone in sight, but that went away when I saw everyone being taken care of properly by their own supporters and friends.

You'd think a convention like that would be pretty somber.  I can tell you my guts hurt for a week from laughing so much.  I met friends that became instant family and have remained so today.

Nothing like a little shared pain to bring people together!

Welcome Home!