I'm a lefty.

Anyone here ever heard of the term "cauliflower effect" ( meaning the whole left side of your head will feel like stabbings during a hit) supposedly the nerves on the side of your hit flare up.
Just wondering if anyone has experienced this, sine I almost always hear about it being mainly the eye which is where mine starts then seems to spread.
-Kimmie

Kimmie,

No, I've never heard of that effect.  When I get hit it is always the same.  Boring, white-hot pain behind my eye on the right side travelling down the right side of my nose and a excruciating aching pain in every single tooth on the right side feeling like someone is hammering a nail into every tooth. 

I've never felt what you are describing. 
Quote:

whole left side of your head will feel like stabbings during a hit) supposedly the nerves on the side of your hit flare up.

It's been said here before....although many many things about this condition are the same..everyone is different.  Pain tolerances are different.  Meds re-act different for each of us.  What works for me one time WON'T the next.  What doesn't change for me is 02.  After 24 yrs...I could count on one hand the times it DIDN'T work.

Hoped this helped somewhat.   :-*

Linda

Linda, how could such lovely, excruciating pain be boring? Oh, not that kind of boring.  ;)

My experience is pretty much the same as Linda's. But I will say, I have from time to time had a some other interesting effects while having a cluster hit. Sometimes what feels like an electric net would suddenly drop over my head; or an ice shaft would begin boring its way through my temples, or...you get the picture. I chalked these up to trigeminal pain and focused on ending the cluster hit, but that other stuff could get really intense. By God's grace I've "only" had CHs for the past year and that other stuff isn't there. Blessings. lance

Wow Linda, I just got off the O2 and your description just about triggered a rebound.

Kimme, you mean the molten cheese to pour over the cauliflower?
When I get shadows, they feel like someone is squeezing half my head trying to pop it. Once the pain starts in earnest it's as Linda so eloquently describes.

I think that's more representative if henicrania continua or trigeminal neuralgia.


There is also a disorder that some of us have called alodynia(sp?) in which the face is extremely sensitive and hurts to the slightest touch. At the Dallas convention in 2005 they were doing studies to see if there is a correlation between cluster side and the side of which alodynia presented

I just wanted to chime in about the Alodynia.  It's real!  I was diagnosed by a specialist in my state.  It was discovered by a Dr. Wolf who I also contacted after my diagnosis.

We have ALL agreed that becuase my migraines (and now new head pain...unknown) have never been able to be treated, my brain can no longer determain real pain from unprevoked.

Therefore, during an attack, my body hurts to even the slightest touch.  For me it is on my scalp, my arms, legs and back.  I cry for anyone dealing with the beast that keeps on giving, but have hope.  I do!

Springthyme