Question for all you pro's out there...kinda new to the site. I have had clusters for over 25 years now but they come only every 4 years for about a month.  (I know, not so bad compared to some and probably the reason for how long it took to diagnose, 20 years).    Until 4 years ago, I thought, and my doctor's thought, these were bad sinuses.  So until this cycle started again about a month ago I never tracked the clusters.

So my question is this...my last headache more than a Kip2 was on Wed this past week.  (4 days ago).  Since then I have only been feeling shadows and an occassional 1 for no more than 30 minutes at a time maybe 2-3 times a day.  It does not really effect my concentration, thinking, etc, I just know it's there.  Since I have not gotten any strong headaches, I am thinking the cycle is winding down, but not sure how long I expect them to go away entirely.  Have any episodic's had/have a history of lingering shadows and 1's.  Again, this could be exactly the same as the last 5 episodes, but I never tracked them.  Because of the diagnosis and this site, I am not as much in the dark, but I am really hoping the "beast" is moving on. 

Any insight would be helpful. 

Well, my personal cycle experiences are that they are fairly short in terms of CH attacks, meaning I'm lucky because that's just the way it is for me or the meds are pretty effective on me... for now.

However, gradually, things have gotten worse.
After the last attack in the cycle, things are far from okey. It has been progressing in a bad manner worse and worse after every cycle so far.

I don't know whether it's shadows I feel or not but it takes a long time for me (1-2 weeks) to fully regain my concentration and awareness after my last CH. After that, my head tingles almost daily. I'm 3,5 weeks after my last cycle and I still have daily tingles in my head. Some days I feel great, others I'm extremely exhausted.

So has the cycle ended? I honestly cannot tell...
For all I know another CH can kick in any second. Or maybe these tingles will stop any second now...? Who can tell.
I try not to think about it too much but somewhere deep down I'm a little bit affraid that at any time, a CH will come up again. That thought is petrifying so I try to block it out as much as I can.

Still, I try and want to believe my cycle has finished.
The attacks and pain are gone. Whatever it is I feel now, I don't know but I'm doing what I can to counter it.

Cheers

I think it's hard to tell. Joe has had unusually long cycles the last 2 go rounds. The current one started Christmas (well a pre-cycle CH on Thanksgiving, then none again til Christmas).

He had gone about 3 weeks without getting hit so he starting tapering off his lithium week before last and then got hit a couple times last week.

We used to have a rule in our house that we never talked about extra money on hand in the house or cars lest something would break. Am starting to think we need to stop "thinking" that CH cycle is ended, cause it tends to rear up the ugly head again.

Just by way of encouragement, I'll say that what you describe is exactly the way my cycles invariably end--they fade away.  The attacks get farther and farther apart, and the intensity decreases until I no longer get them.  After a week of no hits or shadows, I'm usually correct in declaring the cycle ended.

Your mileage may vary, of course.

Best wishes,

George

Could be...... ;)

Thanks all for the feedback, it's much apreciated.   I am so glad there are so many people to turn to that understand.

Regards to all and to a pain free night.

Brett C.

My cycles have usually ended with a week or so of occasional whimpers.  It is tough to tell when it is over.  If There is nothing for a week, Iĺl try the beer test.  If that passes, then Iĺl try the Chinese food test.  I hope those work well for you really soon.