Hey ya'll.  Yeah,  I'm from Alabama and that's just how we talk. This is only my second cycle and I am rather new to this CH beast.  Thank you for the good information I have received from reading on this board.  This cycle seems to be a lot more severe than the first which I had from September to November last fall.  This cycle started January 29th and just in the past week I have developed this clinching type feeling behind my left ear.  It feels like a huge eagle claw sticking under the base of my skull with the other claws stuck in my scalp up toward the top of my ear.  I had one really bad hit on Monday morning at 2:30 and i remember on Sunday afternoon that I had this same feeling.  It starts everyday about 1:00 in the afternoon and seems to grow worse with the day.  It is kinda like a volcano building pressure befroe eruption.  During the hit there is no pain there whatsoever.  It is with my eye about to blow along with the watering and stuffiness in my left nostril.  Has anyone ever experienced this?

I left this out so I will add it here.  The pain during a hit is temporal along with the erupting eye, watery eye and stuffed nostril.  Sorry!!  I need you experieced folks to give me your insight.  It's really painful during the day.  Thanks

Could be a shadow as we call it. Does this happen after you've had a bad attack? After I've had a bad hit (k-9 or 10), I get what we call the afterburn and this can be very painful, (k-7-9).

Don

Although I don't have the pain that you describe, it is not unusual to have warning signs, leading up to the actual hit.  Mine, of late, is pain in the lower jaw, of the side about to be hit (I get them on both sides).

Have you been turned on to oxygen yet?  If you hit the oxygen, as soon as you feel that "eagle talon" maybe it will stop it right there, and never go into a full hit.  It is worth trying.  You should find most of the information that you need, about oxygen, one the left side of your screen, behind the oxygen info tab.

Good luck!  And keep us informed to how you are doing.

Chuck

yes, i have had some really rough hits in the past week and this claw thing has just started.  maybe it is from the big hits.  i have read about shadows but i don't full understand what they are.  maybe someone can give me a very simple explanation.  most days there is some kind of tingly, crawly feeling in my scalp along with something that feels like a mild hit.  thank you for your insight.  i've been having a really rough time sleeping because all my hits come at night.  they seem to have spread their timeframe somewhat.  it seems the earlier i go to bed the sooner the hit comes and the more hits i have per night.

What you described is what most of us call shadows. The CH tingly feeling, the claws starting to dig into your brain........but the CH never really hits.

Joe

i've read about you guys talking about shadows so now i suppose i know what they are.  the digging into your brain feeling is a pain.  it's 4:23 right now and it started again today aboyt 12:30 so i guess i better prepare for tonight.  i am gonna see about the oxygen because i read it seems to really work.  i tried it once and it did nothing for me but i don't think i had the right setup.  i suppose endurance to the end with a good attitude is a great place to start too.  day after day fighting this thing gets old but ya'll give me reassurance it will go away one day.  i should have about 3 1/2 more weeks if it trends the way it did the first cycle.  thanks for you input.  i really appreciate it.

The oxygen has been a miraculous abort for me...6-8 minutes and beasty is gone. Do read the link on the left........the key is getting 100% oxygen to your lungs.......NO outside air, No exhaled air, just 02. Best accomplished using a non re breather mask and a high flow regulator. Nasal canulas and re breather masks are useless! Wishing you luck, you've got a good attitude, you'll be just fine! ;)

Joe

This claw that is digging in behind my ear has changed the time of day it begins now.  It did start around midday but now it is starting around 7:30 in the morning and gets more severe as the day progresses.  It seems to tighten its grip as the day goes by.  It is about to become unbearable.   It is practically a 24 hour companion now and I have been having at least one hit every night and sometimes two or three.  I've tried lots of caffeine during the day to get rid of "The Claw"  but nothing seems to help.  Does anyone have any ideas on how to make this sucker go away during the day?  I haven't tried O2 on it yet.

I definitely would try O2 on it if you can. If it works, great! If not, do you see a neuro momentarily? Maybe he (or she) has an idea.

Anyway, I hope you feel better real soon!

Lottie

O2 O2 O2 --

Get some Melatonin for night.... Take 12-18mg before bedtime (keep taking it for a while even if it doesn't work the FIRST time you try it) - it tends to stop the night hits that hit during the REM sleep - about 90 minutes after you fall asleep.

Try a can of RED BULL (or another energy drink that has lots of caffeine and at least 1000mg of Taurine in it) for the shadows. It will sometimes abort those shadows.

You didn't say if you're taking a preventative. Are you?

The talon is not that unusal. I get a "cramp" in my ear. When that happens I usually hit the Red Bull or O2 (depending on where I am and what's handy).

Hope you're PF soon...

Hugs BD :-*

thank you for the replies.  i ahve realized that there a lot of us out there and we need each other for support so thank you again.  this thing has just about whipped my a$$ during the day with the pain behind my ear.  yes, i am taking 75mg of topamax and i was taking 75mg of indocin until a couple of weeks ago.  i am only taking 6mg of melatonin at bedtime and i can't tell it has helped me very much.  maybe a red bull will do the trick.  thanks a lot for your info.

Ok, now we're cooking with grease (yeah, I'm from the "south" too ;) ).

Topamax has been my "miracle" prevent. Been taking it since 99. Keeps me sane. (shut up Chuck!). I take it at night before bedtime and don't get any side effects along with at least 15mg of melatonin. I've about "almost" eliminated night hits, so I do get the rest I need.

If these things keep hitting you bad you might talk to your doc about increasing the dose of topamax. My maintainance dose is 100mg, but I've been up a lot higher during a high cycle. But I ALWAYS take the whole dose at night. The people who've had the side effects here have taken it in the day time.

Wishing you some PF time

Hugs BD :-*

ok barbD, i'm glad to hear you're a southerner too.  With one more cannon factory we might have won the war!  my doc told me i could take 100mg of topamax  but i have only been doing the 75mg.  give me some advice.  should i take the 100 mg of topamax and increase the melatonin from 6mg to 12 mg or so and see what happens?  i'm up for trying anything.  thanks for everyone's insight and caring attitude.  it is greatly appreciated.