Howdy again all. It's cycle time for me once more. Wanted to share these experiences, though I don't recommend any of it. Seems to be holding me off for the meanwhile though.

Been treating my Clusters with psilocybin for the last 4 years with huge success. 1 gram of the stuff once at the beginning of my bi-yearly cycle seems to set me on the right track. Grew my own batch a few years ago which lasted until my previous cycle. Didn't prepare for another batch in time, and got hit quite suddenly one night while out with friends. Had a few glasses of wine and blamo.

I quit smoking about 6 years ago, not even a drag during those years. Well, as the headache came on that night I rationalized smoking a cigarette in an attempt to bust my cluster. Worked like a charm, instantly. Anyway, getting my hands on some mushrooms soon, but in the meanwhile I've been busting with cigarrettes the last two weeks. They've been waking me up every night at about 3am like clockwork. I just step out side for a smoke, and by the time I'm back in I can feel the headache start to fade. Only seems to work if I smoke furiously, with very little "regular" breathing between drags. But one cigarette seems to do it. American Spirit, additive-free tobacco of course.

Actually, the feeling reminds me of how Imatrex used to make me feel after an injection. Increased heart rate, tight chest, lightheadedness. Now I just have to save myself from becoming a smoker again . . . starting to sneak a few in between headaches  :-[. Whatever works right? I know, I know, I should try oxygen. :)

All the best, cluster buddies.

B

I'd be more inclined to recommend sucking in oxygen rather than cigarette smoke (it can actually act as a trigger for some folks like myself), but if it ain't broke, why fix it? 8-)

Since I have quit cigarettes almost 7 years ago, my cycles are shorter with less intensity and duration.  If i'm even near bystander smoke, burning leaves or a chimney, pretty much any smoke....it triggers a CH almost immediately.
If you have a cluster, i'm not sure how you could smoke.  The tank is the only thing to smoke when getting hit.

For me cigarettes help especially in the middle of the night but.... I get hammered by small little headaches that last days afterwards.  I am switching to e-cigarettes and we'll see how that goes.  It could be the nicotine that feels good and the rest that makes me feel bad.

Yes the nicotine works just like caffeine... vasoconstricting.
I would recommend the energy drinks for a healthier option... and works great in conjunction with oxygen.
I know, I know, you've heard about oxygen a million times... get used to it if you want to hang out with other CHers.

No way I could smoke at the height of an attack, in fact if I'm starting to have one and try to get in one last smoke it ramps up quicker. But whatever works!

That said, I'm really interested in quitting for hopefully some ch relief and many more reasons. I've had some sucess in the past using the nicotine gum, but gave in after a few days.

I'm wondering if anyone else has quit with nicotine replacement and what impact if any did it have on your ha's.???

This must be the only forum on earth where grown-ups can honestly discuss the positive aspects of smoking cigarettes.

Throw in busting, head banging and the Beer Test and it's little wonder the rest of the world wants to avoid us.

They're weird.

Bryan, having watched 2 smoker friends die of lung cancer, one at age 45, and having been through cancer myself (of a type traditionally caused by smoking but not in my case), I really hope you find another way to help yourself, whether it's oxygen, the vitamin regimen, the triptans or preventives, etc.

Having been there as we all have I do understand relief at any cost. I just hope that in the times when you're pain free you'll explore some of the alternatives.

Keep us posted!

Like ttnolan said - nicotine is a vassoconstrictor so for some people it might be helpful, and if it also helps them relax than it might help ending an attack.

But for many, smoke or certain chemicals that are added to cigarettes, are strong triggers.

Personally, smoking have little effect on my CH. Can't see a difference between times when I smoked lightly, heavily or not at all.

During an attack I found smoking to have a STRONG impact. One the onset of the attack it serves as a trigger, while in the last stages of the attack it makes it go faster.

I have always been a pretty light smoker. During an attack I find it impossible to smoke. Afterward however it helps calm me down, especially if I had slammed a Redbull. I did quit for about 5 days a couple weeks ago with no positive CH outcome....

My thought is that it is not quite as simple as just Nicotine and vasoconstriction. 

Tobacco has lots of stuff in it, not just Nicotine. Not to mention that cigarettes have a whole lot more then just Tobacco.

Just one of the things tobacco is is a MAO inhibitor.  It has beta-carbolines that are very similar to the MAO inhibitors used in Ayahuasca brews.

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Here is a professor talking about the combined effects of MAO inhibitors and nicotine.

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Then there is evidence showing that nicotine can be somewhat of a neuroprotectant, reducing inflammation in the brain by mimicking acetylcholine.

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As far as the idea that many drugs that we use for our clusters are vasoconstrictors, many researchers have challenged this idea.  Our member MikeNZ posted this link just a couple days ago.

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Quote:

Danish scientists have made a key discovery in what triggers a migraine - a step that could pave the way for better treatment of the debilitating condition. They say their findings contradict a long-held theory about why the head hurts during an attack. It's long been thought that the throbbing pain of migraine is caused by an expansion of the arteries on the outside of the skull. Now, the Danish research suggests there could be another reason for the pain: nerve fibres around the blood vessels become extra sensitive. The researchers came to this conclusion after looking at MRI scans of 19 women who suffered from migraines, examining their arteries during an attack. The women were all considered to be healthy and suffered from migraine without aura i.e. they did not suffer from visual disturbance. The researchers explained that this means that the migraine is limited to one side of the head - enabling their other, unaffected side of the head to be scanned for differences, ScienceNordic reported. They discovered that, contrary to popular belief, the blood vessels did not expand - leading them to think there must be another trigger. They found that the arteries on the outside of the skull did not expand during migraine attacks - and those inside the skull were only slightly expanded on the side where the headache was felt, compared to the other side where no pain was felt. This also raises the question of how the commonly prescribed migraine drug, sumatriptan, may work, reported the researchers in The Lancet Neurology. Migraine patients were given the drug before having another MRI scan. This showed that the blood vessels inside the skull were still slightly expanded even when the migraine eventually went - meaning that the drug doesn't work as previously thought. The new theory, said the researchers, is that migraine pain is due to nerve fibres around the blood vessels becoming extra sensitive. "Our findings are of great importance to our understanding of migraine headaches and future research on migraines," said study co-author Faisal Mohammad Amin, a PhD student at the Danish Headache Centre, Glostrup Hospital, Denmark. "At the same time, the findings can also be used to reassure migraine sufferers who worry that their arteries are about to explode during an attack. They're not." Commenting on the study, Helge Kasch, a headache researcher Aarhus University's Department of Clinical Medicine, told the website: "The findings indicate that a change occurs in the nervous control of the blood vessels locally in the brain, and at the same time there is a change in the pain regulation," he says. "Future medical treatment should also seek to ensure that the drug will function inside the central nervous system/the brain and must be able to pass the blood-brain barrier."

Great post Ricardo. It reinforces my belief that more we think we understand these damned things, the less it seems we understand them.  :-/

Joe

Nicotine is a strong pesticide that works on the CNS/PNS!

Note that the original poster mentions Using "American Spirit" brand cigarettes, which are advertised as additive free, organic farmed. I know they're more expensive, but maybe worth the cost??

P.S. We've been blessed with abundant rain this spring. Everything is so green. Hoping things are as beautiful in your part of the world as well... (and hoping the farmers didn't get too much rain)

Peace Of Mind

I have been a smoker, specifically an American Spirit smoker, for 18 years. I just went into another cluster trying to quit by switching to a lower nicotine brand (Camel Blue). Every time I try to quit, whether it be cold turkey, dip, the patch or gum it has put me into a cycle of pain.  This time I've decided to tough it with my O2 and Sumatriptan for break through pain.  I really would rather live without cigarettes, I hope these clusters won't prevent me from finally quitting. Wish me luck. :)

You're on the right track Ranger, hoping you can kick the cancer sticks for good this go round. Has your doctor ever tried you on a prevent medication to reduce the hits, Verapamil, Topomax or lithium? Have you had a chance to explore the D-3, also known as the Batch Regimen?

Joe

AussieBrian wrote on Apr 15^th, 2013 at 11:48pm:

This must be the only forum on earth where grown-ups can honestly discuss the positive aspects of smoking cigarettes. Throw in busting, head banging and the Beer Test and it's little wonder the rest of the world wants to avoid us. They're weird.

It is kind of funny when you look at it that way.  ;D

But, I also see that as a distinct indicator of just how bad these things are and just what level of recourse the demon will drive a person to at times.

Hey, many of us have imagined using a hammer (insert your destructive device here) to "fix" the demon once and for all in the midst of one of those "headbangers." With that in mind, I say, put down the hammer, and pick up whatever not exactly lethal but not exactly "good for you" object, device, "medicine," etc. and use that instead, if it works... that is, until something better comes along.  ;)

After reading all these post's, it seem's to me, the jury's still
out on this one. I managed to stop smoking using E Cigarettes.

So Guiseppi, I did go on Verapamil (my neurologist told me to call for the script at the next onset or a couple weeks before my usual, which I did) and, believe it or not, it brought this episode to shadows in days after starting the med. I've never been on this before and feel like I must be crazy to be almost PF that soon. I'm going to keep on the cut down of smokes old school style with different brands of lower tar and nicotine then ration the numbers down and try not to piss off my brain more than normal. I'm amazed at the Verapamil for bringing the pain to shadows so fast. That being said I've had a couple shadows on the WRONG side of my head. This is a first in 20 years. Scares me, but I'm brave. :)

Switching sides happens, several here have posted about that, even mid cycle! Glad the verapamil is holding beasty back. If the doctor didn't already warn you, increase your fiber and fluid intake with verapamil as it'll stop up the old digestive tract a bit. Some compare it to eating concrete dust!!! ;D

Check out the D-3 or "Batch Regimen" as we call it, it's had me med free and pain free for 3 years:

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Joe