Hello, My name is Roz I am 25 and lived in Blackpool, England. I have been struggling with strange headaches that last weeks since my late teens. After several trips to the doctors, trying every migraine treatment there is, I saw a specialist who put it down to 'daily stress headaches' and told me to take asprin as paracetamol can make headaches worst. The asprin seemed to work well when I got a headache it would clear it and it wouldnt come back.
My headaches are always the right side of my head, behind my eye and sometimes down into my neck. They start like a nagging pain and get worst this will last about an hour and then I will have 10 mins of really bad pain where I dont want turn my head or speak or anything! within this ten minutes my eye also feels watery but no tears form. I can almost feel my eye changing shape and it feels like it could pop out. I would then get 2 or 3 very sharp and painful stab like pains and the headache goes. This can happen evey other hour all day but I can sleep at night but do wake up in the morning with a headache.
The reason I have been searching for answers is I am currently on week 3 of my headaches and I cant take asprin anymore as I am on blood thinning tablets due to a clot I got through the birth of my first child in feburary, so I'm stuck on paracetamol which dont really touch it. I had an attack that bad yesterday morning I nearly had to stop my car dead for fear of losing control. I have a very high pain threshold so can do most things during an attack but just in slow motion. I went on a websitet and saw cluster headaches, it said its most common in middle aged men? Its great to be able to finally put a name to this problem and find other people who know what it is like to go to sleep and wake up with the same bad head for weeks. I sure some people dont believe me when I say I have had a headache none stop for 3 weeks !! Anyway what do you guys think? I am so chuffed I have found you lot !!!!  :D

A lot of the characteristics you describe do sound like it may be CH. That being said, we're real careful about trying online diagnosis! There is no arguing the benefit of keeping a careful diary of your symptoms, and doing a lot of the foot work yourself. But a neuro, specifically one who specializes in headaches, is critical to an accurate diagnosis. That being said....

On the left are a bunch of tabs. Take the cluser quiz and record your results. That'll give you a better idea. Until you can get to a neuro, trying powering down an energy drink when you feel an attack coming on, Monster, Rock Star, any containing the combination of Caffeine and Taurine. Many can abort or at least substantially reduce an attack by chugging one of these at the onset.

If it does turn out to be CH, read the oxygen tab on the left. I can abort an attack in 6-8 minutes using pure oxygen. It must be used correctly to be of any benefit so do check out the tab, Chuck even included color photos so you can see what you need.

Good luck, the diagnosis can be the toughest part as there are hundreds of headache types. Meds that are helpful for one type can be harmful for another. Hoping you get some relief soon, head ache pain...of any type...sucks! ;)

Joe

Were you left with an open self referral so you can go back to the neuro with this?

If not go kick the GP to send you back.

Your GP can prescribe O2 at home on the NHS- see OUCH UKs website articles on HOOF/HOTS but may only do so if he/she thinks this is CH.

It would also be a good idea to contact OUCH UK; you can use the helpline without being a member and they can give you UK specific advice to access services and support in the UK.

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

Print whole article (line 2 link) and you will get a good picture of CH and treatments. Make extra copies to share with any doctor you see. Far too many of them have no useful experience with complex headache disorders and we often need to teach them!
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Cluster headache.
From: START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE (Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases)
[Easy to read; one of the better overview articles I've seen. Suggest printing the full length article if you are serious about keeping a good medical library on the subject.]

Leroux E, Ducros A.

ABSTRACT: Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache disease characterized by recurrent short-lasting attacks (15 to 180 minutes) of excruciating unilateral periorbital pain accompanied by ipsilateral autonomic signs (lacrimation, nasal congestion, ptosis, miosis, lid edema, redness of the eye). It affects young adults, predominantly males. Prevalence is estimated at 0.5-1.0/1,000. CH has a circannual and circadian periodicity, attacks being clustered (hence the name) in bouts that can occur during specific months of the year. ALCOHOL IS THE ONLY DIETARY TRIGGER OF CH, STRONG ODORS (MAINLY SOLVENTS AND CIGARETTE SMOKE) AND NAPPING MAY ALSO TRIGGER CH ATTACKS. During bouts, attacks may happen at precise hours, especially during the night. During the attacks, patients tend to be restless. CH may be episodic or chronic, depending on the presence of remission periods. CH IS ASSOCIATED WITH TRIGEMINOVASCULAR ACTIVATION AND NEUROENDOCRINE AND VEGETATIVE DISTURBANCES, HOWEVER, THE PRECISE CAUSATIVE MECHANISMS REMAIN UNKNOWN. Involvement of the hypothalamus (a structure regulating endocrine function and sleep-wake rhythms) has been confirmed, explaining, at least in part, the cyclic aspects of CH. The disease is familial in about 10% of cases. Genetic factors play a role in CH susceptibility, and a causative role has been suggested for the hypocretin receptor gene. Diagnosis is clinical. Differential diagnoses include other primary headache diseases such as migraine, paroxysmal hemicrania and SUNCT syndrome. At present, there is no curative treatment. There are efficient treatments to shorten the painful attacks (acute treatments) and to reduce the number of daily attacks (prophylactic treatments). Acute treatment is based on subcutaneous administration of sumatriptan and high-flow oxygen. Verapamil, lithium, methysergide, prednisone, greater occipital nerve blocks and topiramate may be used for prophylaxis. In refractory cases, deep-brain stimulation of the hypothalamus and greater occipital nerve stimulators have been tried in experimental settings.THE DISEASE COURSE OVER A LIFETIME IS UNPREDICTABLE. Some patients have only one period of attacks, while in others the disease evolves from episodic to chronic form.

PMID: 18651939 [PubMed]
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First vital step is getting a good diagnosis. Without that you will only flounder. The folks at OUCHUK can help with this step.