hi my name is Paul i am 43 and have just spent the weekend in hospital where I have been told that I suffer from cluster headaches ,these headaches are nothing new for me but the term cluster headache is .I have suffered for over 20 years with these types of headaches but only now after 6 months of constantly banging my head against a brick wall has someone finally told me what has been wrong . What happens now i dont know but it cant be any worse than what has been happening,now that I have found somewhere I can read what other people are going through maybe I wont feel that I am the only person that this is happening to . Thanks for being here

Now you start reading like a maniac and we help you to get your life back. You learn about preventative meds like Verapamil, Lithium and Topomax which can substantially reduce how many hits you get and how severe the hits are.

Learn about how oxygen can abort an attack in under 10 minutes, how easy it is to get an oxygen set up for home and one for the car. Learn about imitrex and energy drinks.

Explore this site    clusterbusters.com          for some alternative treatments enjoying tremendous success!

Welcome to the site, let's help you get control of the beast!

Joe

I hate that you have CH but you have definitely come to the right place.  Read all you can about this beast, ESPECIALLY the oxygen links on the left.  Get over to the Cluster headache Specific Board and ask any and all questions you have.  The sufferers here are generous with their support and knowledge.

If you have a supporter (spouse, companion, friend, or partner) who has gone through these with you, please send them here, too.  We support both sufferers and supporters and are always glad to add one more to our ranks of well-educated-compassionate-caring-lovable-family.

Welcome home - you'll never be alone again.

Welcome to the nuthouse.  Wish to heck you weren't here!!!

As was said, go to the CH specific page and ask all you want.  There is no stupid question if it is an honest question.  I can't be held responsible for the stupid answers, so ignore them, but get all the information you can to take to your Dr with you.  If you wait for the doc to make you well you will wait an awfully long time and be in a tremendous amount of pain while waiting.  If at all possible find a GOOD headache specialist who is familiar with CH, not someone who has read about them at one time or another, but has actually treated it, and work WITH him to treat this thing.  Read the "oxygen info" page to the left, print out pertinant matters and take them along.  Don't leave his office without a script for O2, the higher flow rate the better.  If you don't need a high flow rate fine, but if you do you don't have to fight with him to get it changed.  If you get a doc who won't prescribe O2 get a new Dr right away.

I'll leave you to your reading, but be sure we will be here for any questions you have.  You have joined the family, and you are one of us now, like us or not! :D

Jerry

It's amazing to finally get a name for what has been affecting you. And with this is the start of you being able to take a degree of control back from it.

And finding other people that understand what you're going through is priceless.

As people have said, get reading, ask questions and see where this takes you.

Finding out that you're not ALONE any more is a biggy. I can remember the relief I felt when I knew there were others out there that actually UNDERSTOOD what it was like to have a CH.

Welcome to Clusterville and our little family. Someone is up 24/7 so feel free to ask questions and we're here for whatever you need...

Read read read... ask questions, vent - whatever.. and remember - we do UNDERSTAND - we're all right where you are..

Hugs BD :-*