I'm worn out.  My nose and throat are raw and dry and I'm tired from not sleeping and I'm just TIRED and my head feels like it's going to explode!

Our weather which was suppose to be a mild winter we are getting storms at least once a week and the pressure is getting to me. 

I not only have hits but secondary h/a's and I'm ready to sit down and cry.  Yes I've heard it all before.  It's headaches.....Please God let me just give them one.  Not a Kip 10 but maybe a 6 or 7 just so they understand that advil will not begin to touch this. 

I'm tired of being told to relax....Yea you relax...No I can't just go lay down because every freaking time I take a nap I will get hit.......Yesterday we went out for the day.  Hubby and I were going stir crazy so his parents picked us up and we went out for the day and dinner and we had a great time.  I only got one hit and because the O2 was not working right I took a nasal and I was OK the day went on but I paid dearly last night with 4 hits right through the Imitrex.  I would no sooner fall asleep after a hit I would get another.  This went on all night.  I was on O2 4 times once I had to do it for 15 min off for 10 then back on for 10 before it would ease up.

OK I'm stepping down off my box and I'm going to try to get myself together......Thanks for listen and letting me vent.


Sami

Sami,

I'm sorry you are having a rough time.  Have you tried Melatonin for night time hits?  Benadryl helps some of us here as well.... I can get a few hours of sleep using it.

Hang in there,

Jeannie

Vent away Sami.  That's what this place is for.

As for others not understanding, it helped me to stop expecting them to understand.  How can they.

Keep fighting hun.  You'll find the answers...

-Dennis-

That sucks. :'( I'm fortunate in that weather changes do not affect me, although that's sadly a common trigger for many. Hang in there and vent away, as Dennis said, we get it.

Joe

I've noticed that in the last few days the number of people posting on the "getting to know you" forum for the first time has jumped. It's very obvious that the number of new posters there ebbs and flows showing a potential link to something external be it the weather, season or something else.

Sami, do vent. In doing so it makes you feel better plus people might have answers, suggestions, etc that will help.

Uhm, this might be so obvious it isn't worth saying, but that's never stopped me before. So I'll throw it in. Have you tried an antihistamine? In the beginning, and sometimes just because sinus pressure can be a trigger all by itself, antinhistamines like sudafed can actually help ameliorate the attack. I was having such a bad time with my sinuses last year I got a Rx for a steroid based nasal spray. Even 4 Way Nasal Spray can help. Just a thought. Blessings. lance

Lance not stupid at all.  I call CVS since they were an all night Pharmacy when this started and asked could I take sudifed with imitrex and they told me no because there is an increase chance of heart attack.

Yes my sinus pressure is unbelievable never have a problem other then in cycle or using the nasal imitrex.  I'm going to call my Pharmacy tomorrow.  Once CVS told me no to using it I discounted the thought and never asked my guys, but now you jogged my memory and I believe years ago they put me on Benadril or something like that.  My nose is just so dry and I'm using a nasal spray to keep it moist I didn't know if it would dry me out even more.

Blessings,
Sami

Try sleeping in a recliner.  I found a few years ago that I could sometimes get by with a nap if I took it in a nearly sitting position.  Don't lay it back to far or you might as well lie down. 

Rather than a nasal spray for the dryness try turning your shower on full hot and keep your head inside the enclosure but out of the water and breathe the moist air for a few minutes.  A humidifier in the house will help with that too.  It helped me.  Nasal sprays tend to help for a little bit, but I found I got dependent on them and they would actually compound the problem over a period of time.

Jerry

When people tell me to relax or just take 3 alieve and lie down .....I tell them to Wikipedia cluster headache.......and then they sort of get it .....LOL

Today I did OK.  I had to go get my hair done so I loaded up the E tank in the truck and off I went.  I have not used any Imitrex today (so far) which is a first since 1/7.  I do have a pressure H/A that I took a fioricet but it's not much help.  I think it has to do with the storm we are expecting tomorrow and I have had it all day.  Sinus are clear just feel like someone hit me on top of my head. 

Sami

Here's hoping that tomorrow's a little more okay and each day after that brings improvement as well.   Hang in there, Sami.

Jeannie

vent away Lord knows i have several times here. someone posted that it helps if we dont expect other to understand and thats what i have done , my new bride i allowed to watch some 8,9, and 10's and has educated herself alot, she is the one i dont hide from anymore. it wasn't always that way.
day to day weather dont effect me much but spring and fall Lord have mercy  :D

Hi Everyone,

Been in and out of this site for many years but now the clusters are back again after a 3 year remission; I found this post extremely interesting as the weather has a huge effect on my clusters, specifically the drop in barometer -- it can set me off with really bad headaches (sometimes migraines) during the day but at night - 3-4 clusters a night.  Same kind of sequence you described -- last night - hit at 12 with a 10 lasting 25 minutes with o2 back to bed up again at 1 with a 10 on o2 for 20 back to bed again and then up at 2 and then 3 then off to work at 7:00 with major shadows, tired, depressed and worried for the next one ... holy crap do you think that this season or this season's flu shot has been a trigger for anyone??  I got the flu shot around 11/5 - first cluster for this episode hit on 11/11...

I am so tired of this -- I need a break - can't take imitrex or any of that stuff as suffered a heart attack back 20 years ago (I believe from all the drugs they had me on)...

I take Methergine as a substitue for the old Sansert and it sucks!  Next Neuro appt on 3/3 but what the hell tried everything and not sure at my age I want to try "busting" -- scares me alot...........

I get the flu shot every year and it's never seemed to have an effect on my cycles. As I mentioned earlier, weather has never seemed to trigger cycles or attacks for me. Sadly, it seems to be a very common problem for many on the board.

Have you ever tried lithium as a prevent? I've been using it for many years for my cycles, at 1200 mg a day you can't tell I'm on it, will block 60-70% of my attacks, not much in the way of side effects for me. Hang in there, high cycles suck. :'(

Joe

Thanks Joe for your reply; I tried it all -- lithiuum verapamil topamax sansert prednisone taper to name but a few; cold water; ice; caffiene pills and drinks; biofeedback; sleep deprivation therapy; recliner sleeping; occipatal nerve block and I am sure a ton of other things I can't recall right now -- my drugs of choice were sansert and 02 --

Took sansert off the market - bought in Canada the last few times but now Canada doesn't make it -- Neuro says "methergine is a good substitue" I don't know how as sansert was 2mg - methergine is .2 -- I have already doubled the dose she gave me and still no relief at all --

don't know why they came back - don't know why they stay - can only hope they go away again --

funny how we grasp at straws to try to explain the "triggers" patterns and ultimately our cures...

30 years of this friggin crap and I am tired of it; the constant nasal drip from the 02, not being able to sleep right; not being able to disrupt any pattern for fear of it hitting, not being able to drink socially -- sucks my fellow clusterheads just plain sucks!

This method isn't up my alley as we have no experience with it...but appears to have been a lifesaver for many who "have tried absolutely everything else".  clusterbusters...maybe others with experience can chime in?

I don't get flu shots and I don't have a clue as to why I got them this time.  I was in remission since Feb 07.  I was running 5 miles a day.  I was not drinking my a1c was great and my thyroid levels were great. 

I did start back with a Chiropractor and I had gotten sick about 2 weeks prior.  In 07 I had gotten Lyme and Mono and within a month my clusters had started.  I think for me it can be like the perfect storm.  Certain things line up the right way and wham!  the cluster are triggered.  Also I'm in Philadelphia and we have had 7 storms in 7 weeks so the weather is triggering migraines on top of the cluster for me.  When I'm not in cycle I really never get migraines.   I'm tired and worn out.  I think we get like this when we get hit.  It takes time to find a routine on how to handle them.  I also get depressed, tired, weak, and stir crazy since I tend to not go out for fear of getting hit.  The people on this site have been my life line.  They are the ones that guide you as to what you need to do and with their advice I got the E tanks and now I'm out.  Still tired and not sleeping great but at least I'm among the living again.

I also took Sansert but it really did a number on my mind and depression.  Thank God I only had to take it for 2 months.  My liver enzymes also rose so I had to stop.

For me there is no preventive.  I use Imitrex and O2.  I'm sure if they knew that in 05 a Cadio said I had a Heart Attack (which later turned out no heart damage) they wouldn't be so fast to give it to me but I try to limit the use.  I had a Nuclear stress test and I was fine so I'm betting it had more to do with my thyroid meds then a real Heart Attack.

I know just how you feel.  Just know that you'll get through it and we are all in the same boat.  We will all hold each others hand to get through it.  I don't know what I would do without this site.

Blessing,
Sami