I've suffered from the headaches for a few years, usually 3-5 day cycles every 6 months.  6 months ago they starting coming with more frequency and intensity.  A friend at work told me to look into CH in July, and I've done lots of reading on the subject since then.  I don't have health insurance, so I never went to a doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

On Christmas Eve I was up all night with pain, and it's been constant since.  On Tuesday I was in such a bad state that my mother insisted she take me to the ER and payed the bill as well.  The doctor said I likely suffer from CH (based on my description of my suffering...no tests were run) and need to get to a neuro ASAP.  They shot me full of good drugs that knocked me out for a few hours.

I was prescribed Hydrocodone 5mg, which can help a little with small discomfort but are absolutely useless against huge attacks.  I was unable to get an appointment with a neuro as many were closed this past week.  From Wed-Sat I slept approximately 4 hours in a 96 hour time span, absolutely wrecking my life and causing me to miss an entire week of work (I'm not paid if I'm not there).  I've been in a shambles all week.

Drinking ice cold water and keeping it in the right side of my mouth, the same side of my head where the pain is located, helps for about a minute, then I have to rinse and repeat.  But last night I was finally able to get some relief.  I placed a bag of frozen peas on the right side of my head for 3 10-minute intervals.  At the end of the first I felt a calmness, like I was relaxed and not so jumpy.  At the end of the second session the pain was gone.  Did the third for good measure.  And I was able to go right to sleep, and slept for about 8 hours without waking up.

I'm looking into getting insurance this week and checking out options that may cover a pre-existing condition.  Luckily my parents and grandparents are in a position to financially assist me with my medical needs.  I will be seeing a neurologist ASAP to begin aggressively treating this affliction. 

I'm very thankful that I found this site.  It's encouraging to hear the stories of others who have learned to deal with the beast.  I'm sorry anyone has to suffer from this, but it's good to not feel so alone in it.  Those around me see the pain I'm in, and it's very upsetting to my fiancee, but they can't possibly understand how bad it truly is.

I'm optimistic that I will be able to fight CH and not allow them to control my life.  Thanks to everybody on this site and all the support they provide.

You should have no trouble finding a headache specialist in Atlanta. Much preferred over a general neurologist for many of them lack eucation/experience dealing with Cluster/headaches, in general.
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LOCATING HEADACHE SPECIALIST

1. Search the OUCH site (button on left) for a list of recommended M.D.s.

2. Yellow Pages phone book: look for "Headache Clinics" in the M.D. section and look under "neurologist" where some docs will list speciality areas of practice.

3.  Call your hospital/medical center. They often have an office to assist in finding a physician. You may have to ask for the social worker/patient advocate.

4. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE; On-line screen to find a physician.

5. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE Look for "Physician Finder" search box. They will send a list of M.D.s for your state.I suggest using this source for several reasons: first, we have read several messages from people who, even seeing neurologists, are unhappy with the quality of care and ATTITUDES they have encountered; second, the clinical director of the Jefferson (Philadelphia) Headache Clinic said, in late 1999, that upwards of 40%+ of U.S. doctors have poor training in treating headache and/or hold attitudes about headache ("hysterical female disorder") which block them from sympathetic and effective work with the patient; third, it's necessary to find a doctor who has experience, skill, and a set of attitudes which give hope of success. This is the best method I know of to find such a physician.

6. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE NEW certification program for "Headache Medicine" by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, an independent, non-profit, professional medical organization.
        Since this is a new program, the initial listing is limited and so it should be checked each time you have an interest in locating a headache doctor.

Thanks for that info, Bob.  I will be on the phone tomorrow to set up an appointment in my area.  I will also be purchasing health insurance.  I'm hoping that even if I can't get a plan to deal with treatment for pre-existing conditions, hopefully I can receive assistance with tests and scans and the like. 

I'm lucky to live in an area with a wealth of health care options.  Atlanta is a great place to be as there are many great specialists in almost every field located here.

I expect that finding an insurance company which will cover preexisting conditions is near zip. But you could spend weeks or months scanning individual companies attempting to get a response from each one. In the meantime, your headaches go undiagnosed and treated.

Suggest you talk to an insurance broker--someone who deals with multiple companies--and can get/give you answers faster than you can get by dealing with companies, one by one.

Even if you have to see a doc minus insurance, the upfront costs are short term--around getting the diagnosis. Once that is established, longer term costs should drop (vs. a chronic disorder which requires constant attention, i.e., continuing, high costs).

Check with our local medical centers for lower/no cost clinics.

Snarf wrote on Jan 2^nd, 2011 at 11:33am:

I'm optimistic that I will be able to fight CH and not allow them to control my life.

I'm optimistic you will too.  :)

Besides all the very helpful info here about effective ways to relieve CH such as O2 (which you can get without a prescription at a welding supply place), melatonin for night attacks, etc., here's one starter tip - since you respond some to "cold" therapy - that aborts CH attacks for some of us some of the time:

Try deep breathing freezing air at the onset of an attack for a good 10 min or so (along with the ice cold water in mouth or ice cubes that you're already doing). If the air outside isn't below freezing, sitting in the car with your nose at the blasting A/C vent can work.

Thanks for the cold tips, bejeeber.  I have noticed that cold seems to have a positive effect on my CH.  I've read more about O2 as an abortive than anything else, so I will definitely discuss that with the doctor this week.  I just want some relief, and to be able to go back to work, and for my fiancee to not have to deal with me being in pain all the time. 

Some of us find relief by slamming an energy drink at the first sign of an attack.  I prefer 5hr Energy because it is small and I can get it down quickly.  It also doesn't tend to upset my stomach as badly as some, but Red Bull, Monster, RipIt, etc work well also.  I am a bit hesitant to suggest this as you don't have a definitive diagnosis as of yet, so use your own judgement.  My concern is that there are CH like headaches that can indicate something much more serious and i would not want to exacerbate one of them if that is what you actually have.

Please take the cluster quiz on the left of your screen.  Understand though that it is NOT a diagnostic tool, but rather an indicator to point in the direction you need to have it checked.

Jerry

And be careful of those doctors - it is unfortunately unlikely you'll find one with knowledge of O2 for CH any newer than what they were teaching 40 years ago and apparently still do - which was rebreather O2 at pathetically low flow rates like 7 to 10 LPM.

That's the only type of O2 prescription I've been able to get, but I just take it, get the O2, then administer it in a way that actually works for CH.

One of the things you can probably trust a headache specialist for is an accurate diagnosis though.