I recently let the prescription of my Doxepin lapse, prescribed initially to help me settle down and sleep but generally used for depression.  During this time, my wife said I took a terrible turn toward depression.  She said it got pretty bad.  It was 2 weeks before she figured out the problem and asked me about the Doxepin.  I quickly got back to "normal" after I got the refill from my doc.  You see, I'm a certified moron and think I can go without a certain med or two, sometimes with extremely painful results.  I actually have CCH with a trigeminal neuralgia component, which can give me continuous pain at any time, which is why I am on more meds than the average chlusterhead. 

The Doxepin, however, has the least side effects of all my meds and has done really well to curb my depression, going on 7 years with cch/tnc and having 1 to 5 nightly on the kip scale (mostly 1 to 3) rather than my "non-medicated" 8.  I know chronic sufferers can experience depression and suicidal thoughts, but this has helped me and I thought maybe it might help others where some of the other depression meds might not have worked or may have intolerable side effects.  Also, it is one of those meds not often thought of (I know a ton of people on Zoloft but no one else on Doxepin).  Astonishingly, my GP gave me this med to help me sleep early on before I was even diagnoses with cch, and my neurologist thinks it works great. 

Please list any other drugs that have helped you or any other depression meds you know of.  Some of the new people might not be aware of the chronic depression found in chronic sufferers yet or the severe problem it may become if left untreated. 

Plus this helps with sleep!  It helps with sleep, man!

You're quite right that depression in an unwanted side car to the CH ride, or for any chronic pain for that matter. We have talked about that from time to time, but it's always good to have it brought out into the open. It isn't always easy to determine if the pain is itself the source of the depression, or if we are depressed for other reasons, or if it is physiological or characterological. All that aside, no one likes being in pain, and pain itself is wearing. So...we get depressed. As you note there are a variety of ways to deal with it, including meds, which may help with our CHs as well. Glad you are finding some relief. Take good care of yourself and God bless. lance

Nothing has helped me with depression, chronic pain, cluster headaches, and my frustration with this beast like Psilocybin.  Not recommended for everyone, but if you can deal with it a good dose will give you months worth of anti-depressant activity.

Since my (episodic) cycle has begun last month, I am EXTREMELY depressed >:(

I always got depressed from knowing what I was about to go through whenever my cycle would start. Some of it was a feeling of total lack of control, some from the lack of decent sleep, some from the pain dragging on forever. This past cycle was the first time I felt some control and I owe that to this Message Board and everyone's encouragement and strategies for managing the beast.  What a difference that made. For the first time I felt a sense of hopefulness not hopelessness.

I started taking Elavil (a tricyclic) and it has helped me immensely.  Previously all of my CH attacks were waking me between 11:30pm and 1:00am but after starting Elavil I can sleep through the night and the few episodes I've had since then I can feel them starting around dinner time.  I abort with my sumavel dosepro and I'm good to go.  My pharmacist said that the Elavil puts you into a deeper sleep and should be taken at bedtime. 

Cymbalta has been working wonders for me.  I've tried my fair share of antidepressents and anti anxiety meds but most just didnt agree with me in some way or another.  But cymbalta works great BUT I'm still struggling with some anxiety, and some difficulty with motivation.  My doc wants to change me from the cymbalta and I've been digging in my heals saying I don't want to cause my depression in general has never been better.  I know that the lack of motivation is some depression, but I'm still much happier than ever.

Thanks for bringing this up.  These things get to be a taboo topic and really should be talked about.

I suffer from major depression and chronic ch.  I have tried elavil, cymbalta, trazadone, effexor, etc.  to many to mention.  However, I have been on effexor for years at varying dosages and it has kept my depression in check.  I also take ativan as needed for anxiety issues.  None of these meds have had any effect on my cch but have done wonders for my mental health!

I'm on effexor too. I take it for anxiety though. It works great! Been on it for a while, only thing is, it's uh... not easy to go off of. lol

I've taken every med listed in this thread at one time or another. Seems that all of them either made the clusters worse, more frequent and/or more severe, or the drugs messed with my sleep and dreams so much that they scared me after awhile. I personally find it better for me to leave all the 'mind drugs' and 'sleep meds' alone. But, I am glad that some of these are helping some of you :)   You gotta do what you gotta do !

A one shot drug for your depression and your clusters....Now you just have to convince your doctor to give it to you   :)

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(I've been prescribed intranasal ketamine for my headaches and it has been working great!  I'll post more in the Ketamine thread soon!)