I've had clusters now for about 11 years (episodic) but recently they've changed some.  The last few times I got hit, I felt stabbing pains on the same side (I'm a lefty) for a few days prior to The Big One.  They just come and go erratically; short duration (just a second or two) and feel like little spikes going into my head.  After I battle the Beast...they disappear until a few days prior to the next one.  Have any of you experienced anything similar? 

Hi Asa,
Yes I have had this. Irregularly like you do too. I spoke to my neuro about it and he say's its "icepicks" or idiopathic stabbing headache" literally a couple of seconds duration each time but enough to stop you in your tracks.

There is a med that will help with it, Indometacin but it kind of sounds that you're like me and don't really get them "enough" to be worth trying to treat them.
Indo is a preventative for them, not an abortive though so you may want to consider it. Let us know how you get on (Obviously that was NOT an attempt at diagnosis, merely something to discuss with your doctor!!)

Ice picks, huh?  That pretty much describes them.  At least I know some of you have them, too.  Thanks.

I still have a bottle of indomethacin from 2 years ago.  My doctor prescribed them before he really got into Cluster Headaches (unfortunately because of me, but still...bless his heart).  Like you said LeLimey, no good for us episodic sufferers.  You're supposed to take them one a day during your cycle.  Well, duh; I don't have cycles per se.  One or two, gone for a few months, one or two, gone for 6 months, lather, rinse, repeat. 

Again though, thanks for answering and letting me know you have these things, too.  They just alarmed me a bit because of never having them before.  I'll let you know if my doctor has anything to say about them.

I have these on rare occasions.. No real pattern I could detail though. Just a hard hit, making me stop and do "WTF" was that? And it's gone..

Some people get icepicks continuously as in daily for several weeks or months at a time. If you had them for more than a week at a time I would say it's worth trying to medicate but if not, it's not really worth it. They could stop a bull in it's tracks but only for a second or so!

Indo is a really good med for two other conditions in the same group as CH. (TAC's or Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias) Paroxysmal Hemicrania and Sunct. All three headaches have the same pain and autonomic symptoms but are distinguished mainly by the duration of attacks and frequency. For people having many attacks a day I think trialling Indometacin is always worth a go. It's an nsaid so a cheap med (although prescription only) - and it's very fast acting. If it isn't working within two weeks, it won't.

CH is known for how it morphs and what works for us one cycle not working the next. That's why I would always recommend retrying stuff occasionally and also trying things like this where you have everything to gain.

I'm glad it made you feel a bit better about them.

Helen

wrote on Dec 9^th, 2009 at 4:10pm:

CH is known for how it morphs and what works for us one cycle not working the next. That's why I would always recommend retrying stuff occasionally and also trying things like this where you have everything to gain.

Yup...I recall one cycle when epidodic that initially scared me like nothing since the first few years of undiagnosed ch. The "hits" (I called "spikes") went from 0-10-0 all in the space of 5 minutes.

When I figured out it wasn't stroke or something else deadly I actually almost preferred this "type". Screamingly bad pain, but only for 2 minutes...after years of 1 1/2 hr hits...this I could live with.

Only one cycle like that...has never happened again...

Best,

Jon

Yes, I get them too.

Normally, I'll get one or several during the late stages of an attack.  Whammo, then gone.

I also get them during a cycle, individually and on their own.

I don't mind them, particularly, during a hit.  They usually indicate that the attack is about over.

YMMV.

Best,

George

George wrote on Dec 9^th, 2009 at 7:53pm:

Normally, I'll get one or several during the late stages of an attack.  Whammo, then gone. I also get them during a cycle, individually and on their own. I don't mind them, particularly, during a hit.  They usually indicate that the attack is about over. George

Yup!...forgot about that...when episodic that was exactly my experience. I used to pray for the KILLER spikes... cuz when the pain went from steady and boring into the brain, to an even more intense throb...I knew the hit was almost over.

George, your descriptions of your experience with ch are always eerily similar to mine...I'm thinking same strain of ch..."brothers from another Mother"...best part?...that makes El my niece! :D 8-)

PS...great lookin pooch...hope he doesn't grow too much into those paws!

Best,

Jon

yup been getting those since March. Stops me in my tracks. feels like someone put an electro shocker on the side of my head. If i had a penny for every time i said WTF was that id be a multi millionaire. Used to scare the hell out of me now i just laugh after as its so stupid

Mark (not right in the head)

It happens to me as I am coming off of a hit.  It will happen for hours after a really bad one and for weeks, sporadically after a cycle ends.

Jeannie

I've been getting a ton of these lately. The descriptions above are quite similar to my experience - brutally fast, icepick-like hit, stops me cold. The short duration makes them easy to manage once you realize that they're not killing you (the pain is wicked).

I don't mind them too much when they're on their own, but the past month especially I've been getting smoked both by CHs and these icepick hits - quite the combination. Been quite a month, for sure.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these hits - when these were added to my CH I got concerned. CH is undoubtedly a tricky beast.

Have a great week, all. Cheers

I've gotten these sometimes too.  But then I get sound effects and feeling like a bubble moving to the surface in jelly or the end of a balloon releasing the last tid bit of air with the stabbing ice pick pain.  Kind of like a creaky door.  It is located in the sinus/eye area.  And it lasts just a short moment, and then it is gone.  And yeah!, it stops me in my tracks too.  It usually happens at the end of my cycle (ish).

Maybe it's the sound of the beast making his exit...?

Angela