Hello
My name is Eve. My husband suffers from cluster headache for 3 years. He has attacks every day, without remission. I have heard that acupuncture can be helpful. Has anyone treated in this way? We live in Ireland in Cork. Does anyone know the best specialists from there?

You have an excellent support group which is more likely this this group to give you some leads:

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Hi Eve and welcome to the forums.

Accupuncture is unlikely to be helpful for CH.

What will be helpful is to work with a neurologist who specializes in headaches. The link Bob gave you is for a CH group in the UK who will almost certainly have members from Ireland who will be able to suggest who your husband can see.

Does your husband use a preventive, something like verapamil, lithium or topomax which can help cut down the number of CHs he has?

When he gets a CH, does he have anything to abort it, like oxygen or Imitrex?

If you can tell us more about what he is using for his CHs we'll be able to give good suggestions.

Also start reading the forums here, there is a huge amount of information that will soon have you knowing more than 98% of doctors do. And do ask questions galore, we will do what we can to answer them.

Welcome to the board Stroma. you've stumbled on the single best source of real life info on CH's! Thanks so much for doing the leg work for my CH brother, my wife found the original CH board many years ago and saved my sanity.

Follow Bob's link to the OUCH UK site as they have a lot of area specific information for your side of the pond. Go to the medications section of this board and read the post, "123 pain free days and i think I know why." A simple daily vitamin and mineral supplement regimen that's bringing a lot of relief to people on the board.

Visit the supporters section and say Hi! It's where all the husbands wives, significant others, friends and loved ones  of sufferers hang out to complain about what pains we can be on cycle, and get the support you guys so need and deserve.

Accupuncture, Accupressure, Chritopractic treatments, all provide varying degrees of relief for the associated damage we do to ourselves when we're getting attacked. The sore shoulders and neck from all the tensing up and thrashing around we do. But not a treatment that will prevent attacks or cycles.

So glad you found us, hope we can help your hubby and you.

joe

I tried acupunture. Was on pins and needles the whole time. Seriously, 7 visits, no relief, although lying on the table with soft lights was restful.

Thank you for that warm welcome. You're very nice.
My husband took verapamil, lithium, topomax. Did not work and it was even worse. The worst on topomax. For a time he helped imigran nasal spray. In the hospital in Poland he getting steroids - no effect. Now it has oxygen at home.
From month also suffers from trigeminal neuralgia. Since then, the pain is constant.

(Sorry for mistakes if they are, my English is still not very good)

That you have used some of the standard meds for Cluster is only half the issue: correct dosing is essential.

Our impression is that so many UK docs are not skilled in headache and their dosing tends to be conservative, i.e., insufficient to be fully effective.

Contact the support group about your rights to an immediate referral to a headache clinic, by-passing the use of local resources.

Bob Johnson wrote on Dec 27^th, 2011 at 7:19pm:

That you have used some of the standard meds for Cluster is only half the issue: correct dosing is essential. Our impression is that so many UK docs are not skilled in headache and their dosing tends to be conservative, i.e., insufficient to be fully effective. Contact the support group about your rights to an immediate referral to a headache clinic, by-passing the use of local resources.

Like I said before, Bob often has excellent advice !!

@ Stroma: Just wanted to say that 'constant pain' couldn't be a Cluster Headache.

Hello,

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