Hi!  My name is Pamela and I came to this site a few years ago, when my first ever cycle of cluster headaches started.  My cycle ended and I had about 2 years of remission, which I am EXTREMELY thankful for.  Well, I am having them again.  It started a few days ago and they were very mild in comparison to my first cycle.  So mild, that I wasn't even positive it was cluster headaches.  Well, now I am sure.  I had 2 attacks this morning that were horrible.  I am in the process of getting my oxygen tanks back but it looks like I may have a suffer through the weekend and maybe a few more days before getting it (I turned them back in while in remission).  My doctor is out of town and can't write another prescription until Monday and the oxygen company doesn't have an H tank and won't be getting one until Wednesday.

Can anyone offer any home remedies that work in the mean time?  I tried chugging Red Bull last time and it seemed to help some.  Thanks in advance!

Pamela

Hi Pamela,

These are my 2 favorite home remedy abortives when O2 isn't available (I learned about them here).

1) At onset of attack dash out to the car while chugging a Red Bull shot, blast the air conditioner set to it's coldest, and breathe the freezing air deeply with your nose right up to the A/C vent. Holding ice cubes in your mouth pressing against the roof of your mouth on the cluster side might be worth doing at the same time also.

2) Ultra vigorous exercise at onset such as all out sprinting (in place if necessary) 'til you drop.

Personally I find these to be about as effective as lower flow O2, and they'll work for me during the first ramp up week of an episode, but after that only hyperventilating really high flow O2 or imitrex injection will work.

PS - you could potentially go get some O2 today without prescription from a welding supply place. Many CH'ers here do this and report it's  the same O2 you get from a medical supply place. Also you mentioned a giant H tank, but most of us use the still large (about 50 pounds) M tanks, so one or more of those oughta serve you well. I have the O2 suppliers deliver 3 of 'em at a time.  8-)

Thanks so much for your reply.  I could try your first suggestion, but last time I had a cycle, any amount of exercise triggered a CH.  So, I don't know that your second suggestion would work out to well for me.

I did find my Lidocane (sp?) and Verapamil.  So, maybe the Lidocane will help out some.  Unfortunately last time it didn't help all that much but I am willing to give it another try. 

Thanks again!

Pamela

Hi Pamela - sorry, I have heard of other CH'ers for whom exercise is a trigger before.

What I don't recall having heard of though is anyone who lidocaine worked for. Not that a lot of people including myself haven't tried it. There was a recent topic where someone asked about it and there were lots of replies - it was pretty resoundingly dismissed as being ineffective as I remember.  :-?

I don't recall it really helping me last time either, but it's all I have right now so I thought I might give it another try. 

I had a great night sleep last night....no attacks at all!  Woot woot!  I had my Red Bulls opened and ready in the frig and I didn't even need them.  I slept in the recliner and I also took 2 Excedrine Migraines right before I went to sleep.  Not sure if that really helped any but I figured maybe if it was already in my system it might help.  I'm still at the very beginning of my cycle too, so they are not coming regularly yet anyway. 

Thanks so much for all the info...much appreciated :)

Pamela

So sorry beasty came back... :'(...he can be a real pain that way. .....exercise is one of those wobblers....for some the exertion...or just the elevation in body temp of a workout, will act as a trigger. For many others, like Jeeber and I, it'll work as an abort in a pinch. Get that 02 going again! ;)

Joe

Pammykm wrote on Jul 30^th, 2011 at 2:05pm:

I had my Red Bulls opened and ready in the frig and I didn't even need them.

I'd keep them unopened as I am pretty sure that the gas helps with the rapid absorbtion of the contents into the bloodstream.

My rational for this is based on how quickly a drink like champagne gets you intoxicated compared to a still drink of the same strength like wine.

Guiseppi wrote on Jul 30^th, 2011 at 5:55pm:

So sorry beasty came back... :'(...he can be a real pain that way. .....exercise is one of those wobblers....for some the exertion...or just the elevation in body temp of a workout, will act as a trigger. For many others, like Jeeber and I, it'll work as an abort in a pinch. Get that 02 going again! ;) Joe

Thanks, Joe!  I am working on the O2...

Mike NZ wrote on Jul 30^th, 2011 at 7:27pm:

Pammykm wrote on Jul 30th, 2011 at 2:05pm: I had my Red Bulls opened and ready in the frig and I didn't even need them. I'd keep them unopened as I am pretty sure that the gas helps with the rapid absorbtion of the contents into the bloodstream. My rational for this is based on how quickly a drink like champagne gets you intoxicated compared to a still drink of the same strength like wine.

Well, that kinda makes sense.  I found that it was hard to drink them fast with all the fizz...I thought opening them might take away some of the fizz and make it easier to drink.  I totally get your reasoning though.  Thanks for the tip!

Pamela

  Try adding an icepack . . . moving it all over your affected side, neck, eye, forehead, jawline.  When I first tried ice (I use gelpacks), I left it in one place for too long and got an additional (and much unwanted) shot of pain . . . which kept me from trying again for awhile.

  I,m using RockStar energy drink . . . orange . . . which is more palatable for me.  Combination of 02, Rock Star & icepack is working quickly (under 10 min) for me ONLY if I use it at first sign of attack.  Had three yesterday . . . two aborted fairly quick . . . the third I was delayed 3-4 minutes getting to my vehicle and I got to "enjoy" a 25 min. Kip 8 dance with the beast.

  Hope you get some relief (and your 02) soon.

     Be Safe,   PFDANs

       Richard

Richard makes a good point - there are many different energy drinks out there that have the same stuff as Red Bull. Just make sure the ones you settle on have the two main ingredients needed for quicker aborts: a good shot of caffeine and around 1,000mg of taurine. This seems to be the magic combination.

RichardN wrote on Jul 30^th, 2011 at 9:32pm:

Try adding an icepack . . . moving it all over your affected side, neck, eye, forehead, jawline.  When I first tried ice (I use gelpacks), I left it in one place for too long and got an additional (and much unwanted) shot of pain . . . which kept me from trying again for awhile.   I,m using RockStar energy drink . . . orange . . . which is more palatable for me.  Combination of 02, Rock Star & icepack is working quickly (under 10 min) for me ONLY if I use it at first sign of attack.  Had three yesterday . . . two aborted fairly quick . . . the third I was delayed 3-4 minutes getting to my vehicle and I got to "enjoy" a 25 min. Kip 8 dance with the beast.   Hope you get some relief (and your 02) soon.      Be Safe,   PFDANs        Richard

Thanks Richard.  I will definitely try using an ice pack.  Sorry you had such a long dance with the beast :(

Brew wrote on Jul 31^st, 2011 at 8:27am:

Richard makes a good point - there are many different energy drinks out there that have the same stuff as Red Bull. Just make sure the ones you settle on have the two main ingredients needed for quicker aborts: a good shot of caffeine and around 1,000mg of taurine. This seems to be the magic combination.

I grabbed Red Bull because I knew it somewhat helped last time.  Good to know that some others will work too. 

I got my oxygen on Thursday...finally!  Couldn't have come at a better time too.  The beast visited 4 times during the night.  The oxygen was a life saver!  Headaches were aborted within 10 minutes.  I am so thankful that oxygen was here! 

Now, I am just exhausted.  Hoping this is not a preview of the nights to come.

Pamela 

Have you tried the melatonin at night? Start with 9 mg about 30 minutes before bedtime. Adjust up or down, down if it works well but you're groggy in the morning, adjust up if it's not helping at all after a few days. Remember to read the package and make sure the formulation of the melatonin you get is n-Acetyl-5-Methoxytryptamine There are several different "types" of melatonin and we've seen the best results with this one.

Great to hear you've got the 02, takes a lot of the "holy crap here he comes" fear out of the equation. ;)

Joe

YAY for the O2 working for you and for Joe's melatonin suggestion.  :)