So two weeks ago I was prescribed something called Nitro-Bid 2% to rub on my hands in order to help my Raynaud's Syndrome. The first true CH cycle I've had in 5 years began a few days later, and now that I've read a few older posts about the relationship between nitro for treating angina and inducing CH for research and the onset of an attack I'm wondering if perhaps this was the trigger for my current episode. The main difference is area of application - sublingual or chest vs. hands. Wonder if this makes a difference?

I should add that my historical trigger - alcohol - is something I gave up completely 3 years ago.

Has anyone had any experience with this stuff? The Raynaud's is a vaso-constrictive condition that causes cold and numb hands and feet. So treatment is designed to work just in reverse of what we're trying to do to stop our CH attacks, wouldn't you know!

Naturally my fondest hope is that if I stop the nitro applications, which I'm going to do as of now anyway, I can abort this current cycle or at least lessen it.

Many thanks, friends.
David

Generally, if nitro was going to do it - it would be as immediate as the cardiac effects. Not days later.

Original thinking was that expansion or dilation of the blood vessels in the brain caused the acute pain. So, we worked hard to avoid that expansion and searched for things to "constrict" instead. At times, we Clusterheads explained the success of many treatments on their "constrictive" properties.

Now, there are questions about that simplistic view, and that perhaps there is a deeper neurological function based in the Hypothalamus, in lieu of the Migraine type of "vascular dilatation pressure" being the primary cause of the pain.

CH's are still uncharted territory in many ways, so I'm quite certain that many people will feel that my comments are waaay off base and just plain wrong! When you suffer from this malady, you must read, listen and learn so that you can educate your doctor.

Marc

Thanks, Marc. Like any layman, particularly one who's grinding his teeth in pain, I'm casting about for any answers I can find. It's interesting to read about the deeper possible etiology; I hadn't heard of this but look forward to exploring it. Well, not look forward in the sense we usually use the phrase of course... you know what I mean!

I appreciate your weighing in.
David

Balanchine wrote on Feb 16^th, 2013 at 1:14pm:

Like any layman, particularly one who's grinding his teeth in pain, I'm casting about for any answers I can find.

Professionals do that, too!  ;)

So I finally had a brief convo with my rheumatologist last evening. He seemed to be of the opinion that the nitro cream could indeed be a contributing factor due to its dilating properties. File this in the for what it's worth category....