I've been a ch sufferer since I was a teenager but luckily my cycle is only 2 weeks every 2-3 years so it's been manageable. Recently I was diagnosed with dysfunctional endothelial cells (basically my blood vessels don't always open wide enough) and my cardiologist is trying to see if there's a link between the two - with clusters being vascular in nature. Is there anyone on here who may have similar issues?

Thanks

Byron

I don't have any experience with that type of disorder. The following was posted here recently disputing the long held belief that CH was primarily a vascular disorder. Might be of interest to your cardiologist:

Interesting to note that he is saying that the primary mode of action is NOT as a vasoconstrictor but on its effect on the central nervous system. Doesn't change our appreciation of this class of meds but suggests we need to change how we think about the nature of CH.

==============================
Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2007;(177):129-43.   


Serotonin receptor ligands: treatments of acute migraine and cluster headache.


Goadsby PJ.

Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK. peterg@ion.ucl.ac.uk

Fuelled by the development of the serotonin 5-HT(1B/1D) receptor agonists, the triptans, the last 15 years has seen an explosion of interest in the treatment of acute migraine and cluster headache. Sumatriptan was the first of these agonists, and it launched a wave of therapeutic advances. These medicines are effective and safe. Triptans were developed as cranial vasoconstrictors to mimic the desirable effects of serotonin, while avoiding its side-effects. IT HAS SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN SHOWN THAT THE TRIPTANS' MAJOR ACTION IS NEURONAL, WITH BOTH PERIPHERAL AND CENTRAL TRIGEMINAL INHIBITORY EFFECTS, AS WELL AS ACTIONS IN THE THALAMUS AND AT CENTRAL MODULATORY SITES, SUCH AS THE PERIAQUEDUCTAL GREY MATTER. Further refinements may be possible as the 5-HT(1D) and 5-HT(1F) receptor agonists are explored. Serotonin receptor pharmacology has contributed much to the better management of patients with primary headache disorders.

PMID: 17087122 [PubMed]
=================================================================
J Clin Neurosci. 2010 Mar 11.

What has functional neuroimaging done for primary headache ... and for the clinical neurologist?
Sprenger T, Goadsby PJ.

UCSF Headache Centre, Department of Neurology, University of California, 1701 Divisadero St, Suite 480, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA.

Our understanding of mechanisms involved in primary headache syndromes has been substantially advanced using functional neuroimaging.

THE DATA HAVE HELPED ESTABLISH THE NOW-PREVAILING VIEW OF PRIMARY HEADACHE SYNDROMES, SUCH AS MIGRAINE AND CLUSTER HEADACHE, AS BRAIN DISORDERS WITH NEUROVASCULAR MANIFESTATIONS, NOT AS DISORDERS OF BLOOD VESSELS.

PMID: 20227279 [PubMed]

Hope this is helpful.

Joe

Hi Byron,

Not my area either, but there is something else that may of interest to your Cardiologist, a known heart condition; Foramen ovale sometimes seen in CH patients. I may be wrong, but believe it can be surgically corrected.

My specialist explained, that if this problem exists, as found by a type of diagnostic scan (I believe) CH may cease when it is fixed.

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Sorry if it's off the mark mate.

Perhaps you may want to ask either your Cardiologist, or a headache specialist about the use of a drug called Diltiazem.
These medicines work by opening up blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure and lets more blood and oxygen reach the heart. A cousin to Verapamil; Diltiazem is also used sometimes as a CH preventive medication.

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I once did a drug trial of Diltiazem in CH, back when.
It worked for a while.
Check with a specialist of course, I am not a doctor.

Cheers, Ben.