Hello.

My name is Christina and I am new to this board. 


For the past few years, I noticed that whenever I took any kind of narcotic, I would get these excruciating, ice pick, stabbing, type headaches that I cannot even describe.   I have endometriosis and the few times I have ended up in the hospital, they have given me narcotics. Well, this always ends up in me having a 2 month headache that just doesnt go away. In the past, I always have to take a course of prednisone to get the headache to go away.

I also learned to deal with the endometriosis pain and just stopped taking the narcotics.

Then, I did something stupid at the end of March.   I ate a pot cookie for the first time. I was very stressed out with what was going on in my life. Bc of doing this now, I have been dealing with the same type of headache that I got when I was given the narcotics at the ER.  I could kill myself for doing this b/c now I am really paying the price.

At the end of March, when this happened (The headache), I took myself to urgent care and they gave me a medrol dose pack.  It didn't do anything. 

Then, weeks went on and I had to go on a medical leave from work bc the headaches are so bad.  Finally, on May 17th, I was able to see a neuro and he thinks that I have cluster headaches.  I told him how this headache is similar to the times I have been given medications like codeine or vicodin for pelvic pain.

I am on a course of 100-80-60-40-20 prednisone  for 3 days each.  Is this a dose that is common for people with this problem?

Also, I have now had a headache for 2 months. I am wondering if this is ever going to go away!?!?!

I think it's safe to say that the cookie I ate was the trigger here.  Is this common?


I am extremely depressed.  On top of this, I was diagnosed with mono in April, and since being on prednisone, I have not been able to sleep. :(


If anyone can comment, I would appreciate it.

Quote:

For the past few years, I noticed that whenever I took any kind of narcotic, I would get these excruciating, ice pick, stabbing, type headaches that I cannot even describe. CH has been described as ice pick headaches, but they arwen't caused by narcotics.  Narcotics will cause rebounds if you have CH, but they aren't the cause.  A deformed Hypothalmus is the cause.   I have endometriosis and the few times I have ended up in the hospital, they have given me narcotics. Well, this always ends up in me having a 2 month headache that just doesnt go away. Cluster headaches don't last for 2 month STRAIGHT.  The cycle may last that long but the headaches come and go at regular intervals. In the past, I always have to take a course of prednisone to get the headache to go away. I also learned to deal with the endometriosis pain and just stopped taking the narcotics. Then, I did something stupid at the end of March.   I ate a pot cookie for the first time. I was very stressed out with what was going on in my life. Bc of doing this now, I have been dealing with the same type of headache that I got when I was given the narcotics at the ER.  I could kill myself for doing this b/c now I am really paying the price. Pot is a vasiodialator just as alcohol is and is a huge no-no for us while in cycle.  Now that you know this learn from the experience just like we all had to. At the end of March, when this happened (The headache), I took myself to urgent care and they gave me a medrol dose pack.  It didn't do anything.  Then, weeks went on and I had to go on a medical leave from work bc the headaches are so bad.  Finally, on May 17th, I was able to see a neuro and he thinks that I have cluster headaches.  I told him how this headache is similar to the times I have been given medications like codeine or vicodin for pelvic pain. I am on a course of 100-80-60-40-20 prednisone  for 3 days each.  Is this a dose that is common for people with this problem? Also, I have now had a headache for 2 months. I am wondering if this is ever going to go away!?!?! Again....CH doesn't go on and on for 2 months with no break. I think it's safe to say that the cookie I ate was the trigger here.  Is this common?   yes. I am extremely depressed.  On top of this, I was diagnosed with mono in April, and since being on prednisone, I have not been able to sleep.

Christine, are you able to see another Dr. to get a firm diagnosis of Cluster headaches????   If CH is what you have, get a script for pure 02.   Read the link to the left of here in yellow about oxygen.

Keep asking us all questions hun.  That's why we're here.

Linda

after hitting send I realized I hadn't changed the color of my responses to your original post.  Sorry about that as I realize my responses are now hard to read.   sigh....

The Pred dosing is standard and, if Cluser headache, it usually stops them within a couple of days (but then a long term preventive med should be given.)

BUT, headache is a far more complex area of medicine than most folks realize. Patience is needed now while the doc works thru the diagnostic phase, a process which may require more than one trial of a different med.

The relationship to narcotics is a new one for me. While this issue of being worked out, do not start any other treatments without first discussing with the doc. This can make his work confusing.
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Welcome to the board Christina, sorry to hear the head is hurting, that sucks. :'( Bob's given you some great advice, at this point move very slowly. Work closely with your doc as you go thru the diagnosis and start trying different meds.

The prednisone for a very small percentage of CH'ers, will actually bre,ak a cycle. For the rest of us, it will put the pain on hold until we go off the pred, then it comes back with a vengeance.

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Read this link and discuss it with your doc. As Linda mentioned, if it is cluster headache you are suffering from, oxygen will be your new best friend. I abort my attacks in about 6-8 minutes just huffing oxygen. You will want to talk to him about it as soon as possible because if it is CH, and the prednisone doesn't "break" the cycle, the beast will come back hard and you'll want something to fight him with.

Welcome to the board, hope we can help you.

Joe

Hi Christina.  A couple comments/questions.  When you say your headache doesn't stop for 2 months, do mean never relents, no breaks of a few hours?  Most episodic CH sufferers have 1-3 month cycles but the actual attacks come 1-8 times every 24 hours with breaks between each one.

Pot cookies?  Weed isn't usually good for us CH'ers but I haven't heard a lot of people getting their cycle triggered by it.  Certain smells can trigger our cycles according to some.  So maybe, but don't beat yourself up too bad over it, should not have been a huge deal.

Mushrooms, not weed.  Check out clusterbusters.com for (dare I say) the most effective CH medicines available.  I personally believe the pharmaceuticals are more dangerous than the natural fungus and plant medicines at the sister website.  And look out for the prednisone, many comments throughout this site over the years.

Good luck!

The Shaggy :)