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Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Teaching your doc how to suck eggs
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Message started by Joeytastic on Jul 30th, 2009 at 3:45pm

Title: Teaching your doc how to suck eggs
Post by Joeytastic on Jul 30th, 2009 at 3:45pm
On Monday I have an appointment with a shiney new GP... and I have to give her this letter which means she has to refer me to a local Neuro. Great!

What I know, though, is this will be the start of the great education process. That she will look at me like I'm an idiot when I talk about Oxygen Therapy and due to the fact that I am a girl, she'll think it's migraines and not CH....

So I know I should be hitting google so I can take her medical white papers so I can start to teach her about CH...

Only trouble is the Topiramate is making me feel like I have an IQ of -9 at the moment lmao!

You have to giggle :D

J X

Title: Re: Teaching your doc how to suck eggs
Post by Bob_Johnson on Jul 30th, 2009 at 3:49pm
Many neuros don't have much training in headache so if this new one isn't talkinig about these meds be watchful.

HERE ARE TWO MAJOR DOCUMENTS WITH RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS FOR CLUSTER HEADACHE, ONE FROM A U.S. PHYSICIAN, THE SECOND FROM EUROPE.
_________________________________________
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Here is a link to read and print and take to your doctor.  It describes preventive, transitional, abortive and surgical treatments for CH. Written by one of the better headache docs in the U.S.  (2002. Rozen)
================
Treatment guidelines from Europe

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A. May, M. Leone, J. Áfra, M. Linde, P. S. Sándor, S. Evers, P. J. Goadsby:
EFNS guidelines on the treatment of cluster headache and other
trigeminalautonomic cephalalgias.
European Journal of Neurology. 2006; 13: 1066–1077.

Download free full text:
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(Thanks to "cluster" for link.)
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This is for your learning; print the whole thing....

 
Cluster headache.
From: START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to Login or RegisterEND PRINTPAGE (Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases)
[Easy to read; one of the better overview articles I've seen. Suggest printing the full length article--link, line above--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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Might want to explore this good site:

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Title: Re: Teaching your doc how to suck eggs
Post by Joeytastic on Jul 30th, 2009 at 4:33pm
Cheers love. It doesn't mean much to my drugged old brain but I'll take it along to the docs x

Title: Re: Teaching your doc how to suck eggs
Post by Guiseppi on Jul 31st, 2009 at 2:11pm
Bob's resources are golden because they have the documentation docs should recognize to give them credibility. Good luck with the educational process, it's a lot of work but worth the payoff!

Joe

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