My 2 biggest triggers. I can go without the Alcohol, don't get me wrong I love beer, but when I am in a cycle I won't even think twice. My circle of friends and boyfriend drink around me all the time. I just deal with it. I love to mountain bike, snowboard, and in the summer I work as a raft guide. I can't keep still, I have to stay active! CH's are killing me. I hate being that person. I can't push myself. Yesterday I finished the last 2 miles of a 6 mile walk at a kip 8. I told myself it's just walking. Obviously I can't even do that. I want my life back. Thanks for listening!! It feels good to vent.

Vent all you want Maggie.  Thast is why we're here.  Yes, alcohol is an almost universal trigger when in cycle, however more people than not will tell you that it is when you stop being active or excersizing...that they get hit. 


Quote:

I hate being that person

While I think I know what you meant...do NOT ever define yourself by this condition.  How long do your cycles last?  When you are in cycle you adjust yourself to them and when they are over you continue your life as if you never had CH in the first place.

   Welcome to the nut house Maggie.  If you read for any length of time around here you will find a great deal of humor about this condition.  We need that.   ;D

Linda

Hi Maggie,

Welcome.  Linda is right.  You just have to adjust.  I have the same problem with alcohol but with exercise it's a little different.  I can exercise fine.  I just can't stop.  I'll get hit with in ten minutes of completing my work out..... usually in the shower. 

Maybe you could try Yoga instead of  a cardio work out, just untill your cycle lets up.   

Tomorrow will be a whole week since my last hit!  I may try to exercise tonight.  I hope you too get some relief soon and are back to working up a sweat!  Until then, we're here...vent away!

Jeannie

I hate being that person that's like hey guys wait up!... I have to give myself a shot on the side of the trail or on the side of the river. My triathlon training class is where my clusters started, I'll never forget it. My cycles last 2-3 months. So exercise does not cause most peoples CH?

While I'm on my rant...how do I tell the lady in the cubicle across from me I can't stand the smell of her perfume, it makes my eyeball want to explode.

Exercise IS a trigger for me but, as I said, I just get hit AFTER my workout.   You sound like you get hit during.   

As for the lady with the perfume.... Do you know her well?  Could you just explain to her your situation? 

Be careful with Imitrex...... It causes rebound headaches.  The more Trex I use, the more often and severely I get hit.  Many here use oxygen to abort a hit.  I have had very good luck with energy drinks such as Red Bull.  If I drink it as fast as I can at the first sign of a hit, I find that the duration of the hit is shortened dramatically! Of course I keep Imitrex on hand ....just in case.

Jeannie

When i stopped using imitrex, and drinking allot of water and using o2. I noticed my cycle staring to taper off. Currently I am getting k2 and k3. They do last much longer but only get 4 or five day. Very manageable with o2, and strong coffee.  I wish you all the best. My last job had a policy against strong smelling perfumes and colonge.  Possible a last resort but. Check with you Hr rep. Thats only if your coworker puts up a stink. Getting high Kip scale attacks at work is misserable. I've been their. Take care

Jason Cox

MaggieMae wrote on Nov 18^th, 2009 at 12:58pm:

So exercise does not cause most peoples CH?

There is no "most" in CH.  However I'm in Jeannie's camp.  I get hit after I stop exercising.  Usually when I'm in the car on the way home.  I pull over and reach for the O2.

-Dennis-

edited because I can't spell.

I know where you are coming from with the perfume issue!
I'd bring it up with her and if nothing changes bring it up on her ;D ;D

Hi Maggie. Welcome to your new home. I am a very active person, mountain biking included, but have only been hit once while riding. My CH's usually hit anytime after I wind down, evenings and after falling asleep.
If I am not taking Verapamil at full dose (mine is 480mg daily) I pack a Red Bull energy drink, as I have aborted a few hits with this at work and other places where I can't take my o2 set-up.

Read all the info to your left and get to know some of your options. In 3 years I have learned so much about taming the beast, and have my life back! That is the best feeling their is.

  PF wishes, Barry :)

Alcohol is the same for me. It's a strong trigger when I am "eligible", and I do recognize the disgust with being forced to adapt to the condition. I tend to be headstrong and go my own way. It took a long time before I actually realised I can't just "work through" it.
On the other hand it has turned out rather well. These days I almost never drink anything, and I don´t miss it especially much. Rather I´ve managed to convince myself it's part of a health scheme. :-)

Excersice however is not a trigger for me. In fact if the hits are small (usually in the start of a cycle for me) I can actually stop them with excersice.

On the other hand I am not protected from hits by excersicing. I was 1h from home when I got the hit. Realised I need to plan the excersicing so that it doesn't conflict with the attack schedule.  This is hard when it isn't stable, but if you have stable pattern it works well for me. (but as I said - excersice or downwinding after isn't a trigger for me)

I actually heard that exercise helps abort some headaches. (especially jogging or squats...anything where you're using your legs) It helps getting some of the blood flow into your legs so it doesn't cause pressure in your head. It had worked for me on several occasions, but then on others I felt like I couldn't stop or I'd be in trouble. It would help control some of the pain, but there were times I became extremely tired from neurotically exercising to chase away the beast. I'd avoid exercises that my bring the blood up towards your head or neck more (like using your arms a lot) I suppose that could cause a headache. And remember proper breathing...deep breathes. Keep the flow of oxygen up!

I actually heard that exercise helps abort some headaches. (especially jogging or squats...anything where you're using your legs) It helps getting some of the blood flow into your legs so it doesn't cause pressure in your head. It had worked for me on several occasions, but then on others I felt like I couldn't stop or I'd be in trouble. It would help control some of the pain, but there were times I became extremely tired from neurotically exercising to chase away the beast. I'd avoid exercises that might bring the blood up towards your head or neck more (like using your arms a lot) I suppose that could cause a headache. And remember proper breathing...deep breathes. Keep the flow of oxygen up!

Check out the side board menu as was said, and seek a smaller o2 bottle you can pack, might be one idea...

If you don't have any o2, get it.... I don't care how you get it, just get it. Mine is a welding tank I weld with.

If you get a 'M' size tank there are ways to fill smaller bottles yourself.