First thank you to this website b/c this is where I learned about benadryl.
I started taking benadryl 75 mg (3 benadryl per night) after the first night when I was hit by three brutal headaches at 1, 3, 4:45 am.  It is a week later.  I can write my headache diary on here if anyone is interested.  But to summarize:  Nightly headache activity tapered off dramatically each night starting the first night I took it.  The last 2 nights I have NO HEADACHE activity.  There is a chance it has ended my cycle.  My cycles last 90-100 days and at peak I get 6-8 headaches between midnight and 9 am.
I have been episodic for 20 years.  I am not trying to say this would work for everyone.  But I am so surprised at the results, and I hope they last, but I am optimistic, and I am so thankful to this website which is where I learned about benadryl and I don't know why it is working but it is.  When I took it last time I started taking it at peak of cycle--it helped but it did not have this kind of effect.  Maybe taking it at the start of cycle is important.  If that can help anyone I would be honored.  Will keep posted.

That is awsome news. I had the same results this last cycle with Melatonin.

That's great news, hope the success continues. Keep in mind the beast is known to morph, so certainly keep your guard up! ;)

Joe

Very nice!  These are the posts I love to read :)

-Dennis-

I spoke to soon--went from perfect to 4 headaches.  DAMN.  At least I had a few days of relief.

A few days is a good thing. Keep up the fight and you will kick the beast's butt..

mikstudie,

Thank you for the encouragement--it helps a lot :)

;)  I was having a endoscopy the other day and was given benadryl IV to put me in sleepy mode during the procedure.  Within 5min my cluster was gone and it was at K5 before.  So from K5 to K0 benadryl alone.  I just bought some benadryl today and I'm going to try and get rid of this ugly K7.  So far today the only thing that cured it almost completely was a large order of buffalo tenders and blue cheese with a coke.  The worked for a couple hours. 

Starlight, Michael,

You might want to give the anti-inflammatory regimen a try...  You can find it at the following link titled "123 Days PF And I Think I know Why" , on New CH.com Forum. To view it, click the link below:

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

So far from the CH'ers who have tried this regimen of Omega 3 Fish Oil, vitamin D3, and calcium citrate tablets formulated with vitamin D3, magnesium and zinc, 80% are reporting a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of their CH or they've gone into a PF remission.

I've been on this regimen since last October and have been PF since the second day...  not bad after 6 years of CCH averaging 4 hits every 24 hrs.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

:'( Went to sleep right away after taking the benadryl last night work up this morning at 9:15am with a cluster that is a 9 or a 10 on the pain scale, I am never taking benadryl again.  I think it made it worse when it wore off.  They must a different type of benadryl at the hospital or something.  I have this hung over feeling too from the benadryl.  This amount of pain is so bad I'm going to have to go to the ER, it feels like I got a power saw cutting into my eyeball and into the back of my skull!!!!  I am shaking badly I can barely type with this.  Stay away from benadryl.

Diphenhydramine is diphenhydramine. Same stuff in Benadryl, generic, and IV in the hospital.

Sorry it's not working for you, but be careful about making blanket recommendations like "stay away from benadryl." It does wonders for some people.

A better way to state it would be, "I'm staying away from benadryl."

You remind me so much of me, Starlight!  How many times I've declared I was in remission because I had 2/3 nights without a hit.  Oh, the HOPE and JOY I felt ... and the despair and depression when BOOM he hit me back. 

I'm so sorry you found that benadryl let you down.  I know some ppl call CH a histamine headache ... so it would make sense that an antihistamine might help to abort it or prevent it?  Evidently not though. 

But, we really can't give up.  If remission should happen again for me... I'll probably forget I ever had the repeated pounding most every day and night of the past 9 months.  Good thing we can forget pain huh?  We just have to keep trying until we hit on the right solution for us.

Thanks for posting...

Linda
aka Granny Arizona