Hi my name is Trish, and I am unfortunately new to the ch site. OK here goes my story. I have been waking up every morning with a headache. Some times I can not even peal my head off my pillow. This started on Feb 24th. I remember I had a nice glass of wine with dinner the night prior. Well it is now March 21st and I still wake up with headaches sometimes they last all day like today. Well last week I had a whopper of a headache, but here's the thing I did not want to bang my head against a wall. I was paralyzed in pain. I could not even speak my entire head throbbed with pain. The lights killed my eyes. I know this sounds like a migraine right? OK I ended up in the hospital I was seriously going to ask them to put me in an induced coma. Instead they gave me oxygen and after 45min I was a new person I could open my eyes and take my hands off my head. I still had a headache but nothing at all like it was prior to the 02. OK now all of my am headaches prior to the whopper were on one side my right and a burning sensation across my forehead. I also get shooting pains in my temple area and behind my right eye. They never change same time of the day same type of pain of course some days I can functions with them and others I can not. Now ever since the oxygen I no longer wake up with the headaches, but get them during the day. Until today 6 days after the oxygen. I have had a constant headache since  I woke up. It is not the same as my others it is a lot of pressure. I left work a noon cause it felt like a whopper was coming. I toke an imitrex and in 3 hours could somewhat function. But my pain all day has been all around throbbing. I would call it a terrible sinus infection if i did not already have them checked. OK I know I am rambling on and on. But I need some advice. My doctor laughed in my face when I asked for oxygen. Instead he said take 2 propranolol (blood pressure drug) instead of one. I have been on that since September due to migraines. He also gave me an inhaler. OK so that does it any suggestion.  Thank you all for reading this I promise it will be my last long post.. ..I hope

Trish-

Have you tried taking the cluster quiz on the left of your screen?  That may help to tease your symptoms out further.

I don't usually have a headache all day while in cycle.  My ha's in cycle last anywhere between 45- an hour if I don't take any abortives etc.  I will however, 'shadow' during the day - which feels like a headache is trying to break through- still painful but not as painful as the CH.   It is what a non cluster person would call a very bad headache.  

While mine occur during the same time everyday, I am not able to rest - If I can lay down at all, and since my hit during the time I am already asleep I am usually laying down,   I am rocking, moaning, crying  and pushing the pillow or my hand on my temples or neck very hard.  

While it sounds like you have some characteristics for sure, its hard to tell.  Only a doctor can really tell you what is going on.    What did the ER doc say?   Did he put you on any medications besides Imitrex?   Are you seeing anyone as a follow up to your er visit?  


Hope this helps in some way.  Good luck to you.  Others will be along to help .

Kelly

Have you had a CAT scan and MRI?  It is important to have those done to rule out any other nastiness that could be causing this pain.

Your symptoms are atypical for clusters.  I am not saying you do or don't have clusters.  None of us can say that, even the few that are actual MD's here on the site can't tell you that, for sure.  You may have a combination of headache types, at the same time.

Good luck in finding the root problem!

Chuck

Hi my name is Trish, and I am unfortunately new to the ch site. OK here goes my story. I have been waking up every morning with a headache. Some times I can not even peal my head off my pillow. This started on Feb 24th. I remember I had a nice glass of wine with dinner the night prior. Well it is now March 21st and I still wake up with headaches sometimes they last all day like today. Well last week I had a whopper of a headache, but here's the thing I did not want to bang my head against a wall. I was paralyzed in pain. I could not even speak my entire head throbbed with pain. The lights killed my eyes. I know this sounds like a migraine right? OK I ended up in the hospital I was seriously going to ask them to put me in an induced coma. Instead they gave me oxygen and after 45min I was a new person I could open my eyes and take my hands off my head. I still had a headache but nothing at all like it was prior to the 02. OK now all of my am headaches prior to the whopper were on one side my right and a burning sensation across my forehead. I also get shooting pains in my temple area and behind my right eye. They never change same time of the day same type of pain of course some days I can functions with them and others I can not. Now ever since the oxygen I no longer wake up with the headaches, but get them during the day. Until today 6 days after the oxygen. I have had a constant headache since  I woke up. It is not the same as my others it is a lot of pressure. I left work a noon cause it felt like a whopper was coming. I toke an imitrex and in 3 hours could somewhat function. But my pain all day has been all around throbbing. I would call it a terrible sinus infection if i did not already have them checked. OK I know I am rambling on and on. But I need some advice. My doctor laughed in my face when I asked for oxygen. Instead he said take 2 propranolol (blood pressure drug) instead of one. I have been on that since September due to migraines. He also gave me an inhaler. OK so that does it any suggestion.  Thank you all for reading this I promise it will be my last long post.. ..I hope

Don't apologize for your long post...you got some serious pain issues going on. I'm no doctor but you may have a combo of ch and migrain...several people on the board have the misfortune of suffering from both. It doesn't sound like your current doc is taking you seriously. You need to get to a headache specialist who can weed through your symptoms and figure out if you are a combo CH and migrain, a complicated migrainer...or ?????? A doc that laughs at your suggestions is not a doc who I would stick with.

Good luck, the early part of the journey is the worst...hoping you can find a decent headache specialist.

Joe

Hi, Trish, and welcome.

Some of the things you've described don't sound typical of CH--but I'm no doctor.  I agree with Joe.  Your next best move is to request an appointment with a neurologist specializing in headache.

Pain is pain, no matter what name they put to it.  The goal is to find effective treatment.

It's no laughing matter.

Please keep us updated--we'll be happy to help out in any way we can.

Best wishes,

George

The last 3 Posts were moved here from Getting to Know Ya by Mrs Deej.

Hi,
Thank you for all the replies. Yes, I did have a cat scan and an MRI, and thankfully nothing showed up. So I guess in a way I am lucky.
I have another appointment with my Neurologist on the 15th, but to be honest he seems clueless. I got more information from this sight than I did from him. Oh well thanks again to all.

Sadly that's a common experience.......we suffer from a rare malady. And on top of that, the head is one complicated piece of machinery! If you're not already keeping a headache diary, start one. What time they start, how fast they build, how high they build, how long they stay at peak pain, how fast they go away. (The KIP scale on the left is as good a pain measure as any I've seen). Identify any apparent triggers, any side effects during an attack, auras preceding the attack, nausea before during or after, changes in eyes, discharge from eyes or nose, every detail you can think of.

This information is critical to an early and accurate diagnosis. As I mentioned earlier, this is the toughest time, trying to get the correct diagnosis. Hang in there.

Joe

There are some who have migraines that will respond to oxygen, unfortunatley, I'm not one of them.