Hi, Ive been a sufferer of CH for about 4 years now.  I typically suffer from two episodic attacks each year, January and July.  Both episodes last about 1 month.  The pain is so horrific i usually end up rocking back and forth like a chimp in a 3rd world zoo! It starts behind my right eyeball and slowly spreads to encompass most of the right side of my skull including my jaw. I have also found that if i disrupt my sleep by a great deal e.g my usual pattern is asleep at 11pm up at 7am, if i stay up til 3am I almost always set a CH attack off.  It sort of put an end to my clubbing days! lol.  I also get 'shadows', these feel like a prequel to a cluster headache, pain in the same area that starts but doesnt grow into a full blown cluster headache. They often inform me that they are coming back however I sometimes get a small run of shadows without getting an attack.  When i suffer my cluster headaches it feels like my life is slowly falling apart, the fatigue and fear just mount up.  What makes it worse is the complete lack of understanding the vast majority of people have about Cluster Headaches, my work colleagues and bosses especially.  I almost wish i could make them suffer them, just once, to show them how awful they are.

Anyway, enough feeling sorry for myself  ;) I am ok most of the time and I have found injectable sumatriptan works pretty well (as long as i manage to catch a CH at onset) and my girlfriend is amazingly supportive.

A big thanks to the creators of this website and to all of you who have publihed advice and your own stories, I feel like Im not so alone in my suffering now.

Take it easy folks, Matt

Hey Matt,

Welcome to this horrific club.  :D

Have you seen the imitex tip START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE that details how to conserve your supply and probably experience less side effects/rebounding while you're at it? That one has been a life saver for me and many others.

hi bejeeber, no i ahvent read that link, but i shall do now.  Luckily I have the usually useless NHS (im in england) so i don't have to worry too much about stretching out my supply of sumatriptan. 

anyhoo, im gonna read that link then go and try to sleep, hopefully without the beast waking me up at 4am  :)

Welcome Matt and sorry you have to feel this pain.

If you're ever interested in using alternative methods   or clusterbusting as we call it, check out START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

It's too much to explain in one post.  Just read everything on that site and this site.  Join OUCH in the UK as well.

Cheers,
Chad

Welcome Matt,

You seem to be managing quite well which, is always very nice to hear. Have you looked at using 02 as an abortive. It's not as hard on the body as injectable sumatriptan and a lot less expensive.


Lefty