What is the boards take on caffeine? I have read conflicting data on the use of caffeine for CH’s. I’m a big coffee junky and don’t know if I’m helping or hurting my condition. Any advice?

J

When my cycle begins, caffeine is a must for me. Out of cycle, I very rarely use it. Results vary for each of us, but I have found it to be a helpful tool.

For me the stronger the coffee the better. A lot of us think caffeine is helpful most of the time. I don't think there is any evidence that it's a trigger.

Charlie

Caffeine is a vaso-constrictor which is what we need when we're getting hit.   It is in Caffergot.  Most of the meds we take like Imitrex have vaso-contrictor properties to them.  


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I live on the stuff!  You don't want to be around me if I don't have it! :D  I am NOT addicted!  I just NEED it! ;D

Caffeine by and of itself won't kill an attack, but I find it will take the edge off a hit if I can get enough of it quickly enough.  It is also good for shadows.  When you add Taurene to the mix, as in energy drinks it seems to turbo charge the caffeine.  I'm not real sure how it does it, but often if I will slam an energy drink at the first sign of an attack I can break it, or at least knock it way down.  It is not effective though if you just drink it.  At least for me I have to chug it as fast as I can get it down.  Usually with out taking a breath.

Jerry

Maybe I'm the "one-off" person here....but coffee seems to be a TRIGGER for me..I have noticed that when I'm in a cycle, I can shorten it from the usual 6 months to maybe 1 or 2, if I lay off the coffee at the beginning of a new cycle.
I quit for about 2 weeks, and the cycle seems to go away altogehter. I have also noticed, by eliminating coffee, I can start other things that usually trigger a CH, like drinking a beer....
When I add coffee to my diet, it seems that around 3 months after I started drinking again, the cycle returns with a vengence....
I have started drinking coffee (love it) again around February 2009, and just last week, a new cycle has started. I actually took off work today because I had one the longest attacks ever. 9 HOURS!!!! starting a 10pm last nite when I went to bed. Around 10:15pm I was in the bathroom getting tissue to start the dance. The pain was intense for the 1st two hours, then dulled, but NEVER went away. Got about 25 mins of sleep all night. Still feel a dull, lingering pain all day today. Was able to manage about 2 hours of sleep today. Hoping tonight will be better.
But it seems like coffee is a trigger for me....

Suffer4Nothing
Are you sure that the cyle is not ending a new one beginning?  From what I understand of triggers (not a ch'er, but I do have migraines and I do have triggers that I avoid), the response is fairly immediate, as in within a day if not less.  If you started drinking coffee in Feb. and your headache cycle is starting now, that's a  3 mth or longer lapse there that you weren't having headaches and drinking coffee.

Even though they are not good for you I drink a lot of red bull for the caffeine along with goody's, motrin,excedrin,etc.  It wont make the headache go away but takes the edge off the pain.

I dont' normally drink coffee, or rather itty bitty doses (heart palpitation issues) but I am finding, as this cycle is tapering off, that if I have a strong cup (maybe only half) it takes the pain away at the end of an attack. That lingering pressure, after the O2 has aborted the pain, that says the Beast is still there just waiting to raise his head again. I drink only maybe half a cup (it is strong though) and for the past few nights it has kept my CH's at bay except the 1:00 am one, that bugger still persists. Last night it used a "Thunderstorm" to raise its head.. I find it very ironic to be swallowing a sleep pill with a cup of coffee. But hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do to fight the Beast. This is the first time that I have used coffee in this manner, kind of as a abortive/prophylactic..

I was advised to quit caffiene altogether buy doc and it really helped me, although only with smaller normal migraine attacks.
I find it ineresting to know that it is good for CH as I love a good can of coke or a coffe but whenever i go back to it i find the migraines i get between Hits are more frequent and can bring on a full CH attack after just 1/2 day. So i tend to only drink caffiene when im in cycle cos i figure i gotta have some enjoyment or i'll go crazy and im gonna have the pain whatever.

OllyJay

hmm....could be....
I have not had a CH in a little over a year. Until 3 weeks ago, which around 3 months after I started the coffee again. It's the only thing that has really changed. Other than that, I dont know what could be triggering the new cycle.
The pattern I noticed is when I quit the coffee, around a month or two (caffiene withdrawl?) after, the cycle breaks. If I continue with the coffee, the cycle could go on for an entire year.
I am now going into the 4th week of not drinking any, and the CHs have gotten worse (which I expected). They used to last about 45 mins. But last week, they were coming nightly, exactly 2 hrs after I fell asleep, then I wake, and they go away within 10 mins. Fall back asleep and 2hrs later, the CH is waking me up again. This goes on about 4 times a night. There has been a 9hour attack, and last night I had a 6hr attack, but when I did get to sleep, I didnt wake at all.
I have no health insurance and Im really at wits end with this...
Dont know what else to do. Any suggestion on aborting CHs for those that cannot afford meds or oxygen? :'(