First of all greetings and thank you to everyone who has posted anything here.

I'm from Israel, Tel-Aviv.
27 male.
Boeing\Airbus mechanic.
Live with my girlfriend, dog and cat.

I started experiencing this indescribable pain on the left side of my face behind my my eye and all around it all the way down my neck to my shoulder for 10 days. My doctor hospitalized me last week. I was diagnosed with CH at the hospital by the head Neurologist of the hospital. I have another appointment with him in three days. After getting home from the hospital all i wanted to do is sleep (room mate with a really bad snoring problem at the hospital). The same night that I got home I was woken up by the devil (no less) torturing me for 6 hours. The next day I it slowed down a lot, but still a small annoying pain behind my eye reminding me that he's coming back. I checked the net to see exactly what a "cluster headache" is. I first went to wikipedia and was shocked at how much i related to what was described there and even more after finding this site. I was even more amazed at how many people join this site every day (+-3). I'M NOT ALONE! I've been suffering without any meds (only seeing the doctor in two days) for over 17 days with a constant headache and full on attacks every +-10 hours (each attack between 1\2 - 6 hours). Today I tried the energy drink with some success. While I type this message I sit wide awake terrified of closing my eyes to sleep with an average of 3 hours sleep a night for the past 2 weeks looking for something to help me fall asleep without fear of being woken again.

I'm very inexperienced in dealing with this yet I can relate to almost every story that I've read so far on this site and on the Internet for that matter.

All I want to do is sleep. :'( :'( :'(
Please if anyone has any way that can help me fall asleep without being woken by the devil let me know.

I hope that everyone has a good night and don't let the CH monster bite!

Welcome. Sorry you had to find us, but glad you did.Constant pain for 10 days is not characteristic of CH. Attacks usually last from 15 minutes to 3 hours and can happen up to 10 times a day. But not constant.

What I meant by constant headaches is more like a mini low pain attack but constantly  behind my left eye. every couple of hours the pain increases to a full scale attack with all the simptoms described in every site that I've searched (tearing eye, runny nose). I say full scale because I've never felt such pain before in my life.

Okay. That sounds more like CH.

Have you tried melatonin about 30 min. before going to bed? I'd start with 9mg for a few days. Then adjust up or down from there. It gets rid of the nighttime hits for many of us, myself included.

The time now in Israel is 0300 am.
Unfortunately right now it will be impossible to find, but when I see the doctor on Tuesday I will ask him about it.
Do you have any other suggestions for me that I should ask him about?

As far as traditional medicine, you could talk to him about a good preventative: verapamil or lithium. Also a good abortive: oxygen. Maybe some sumatriptan injectables.

If you want to avoid the whole traditional medicine thing, go to clusterbusters.com. It works for 75-80% of those that follow the regimen. Gets you to a point where you take a dose every six months or so. But your doc won't approve.

What Brew said.  :)

And if I may elaborate a little via some links, here's some critical oxygen info (this idetails the effective way to administer it that unfortunately doctors haven't caught onto yet): START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

And here's a Newsweek (American mainsteam news magazine) article that provides a good introduction to the type of preventative therapy focused on over at clusterbusters.com;
START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

Your doctor probably won't know about melatonin either.  :( When it comes to the newer effective treatments that aren't pharmaceuticals they generally don't know jack. Heck a lot of times they don't even know jack about the pharmaceuticals! Brace yourself in case your doc tries to prescribe the all too common pill, instead of injectible, form of imitrex (doesn't work well for aborting CH).

I will second, third and forth the oxygen suggestion!!! I'm a 33 year veteran of CH, I went from 90-120 minute attacks, to 6-8 minute aborts by huffing pure oxygen. The keys:

Pure oxygen, through a high flow regulator, at LEAST 15 LPM, preferably 25 or higher, using a non re breather mask, get on it at the first sign of an attack. Read the whole limk Jeeber gave you, print out the info and take it to your doc. It's cheap, fast and danged effective.

Sorry you had to find us, I hope we can help you. CH can really suck. :'(

Joe

O2 seems like the answer for me. Even though I am willing to try illegal substances to get through this, in Israel its impossible to find "magic mushrooms" and I'd personally prefer not to go anywhere close to LSD. Also in my line of work taking illegal drugs is not only gonna get me fired and arrested, but also accused with much worse charges than drug abuse.Hopefully I will respond well to the O2.
Best of luck to everyone and thanks for all the info!