I recently, for the first time in my life, had cluster headaches for 6 weeks. I've had 6 back surgeries and this pain topped them all!  Anyway, now I have a nagging residual headache that just won't go away. I looked up Trigeminal Neuralgia and it sounds like it could be that, the pain moves around the same area I had the bad headaches but mostly is sensitive under my cheekbone. Any help?

if you're having cluster headaches (get this confirmed) it could be a shadow or post headache pain. I get constant shadows now, but previously it was post headache pain. Cheek pain, eye pressure.
Is it shooting? From what I understand, if it is, it's probably Trigeminal nueralgia, but if it's sharp and constant, it might be post CH pain.

check in when you get Dxed!

There are a couple of questions you might want to look at. How long since your last cluster headache? What is the cheek pain like? Is it soreness and tenderness, tearing, burning, throbbing, stabbing, constantly the same intensity?

Welcome, McKissack. CHs do tend to present with a consistent kind of pain. Other neurological conditions can present with a wide variety of pains and symptoms. This is nothing to fool around with. I have a diagnosed combination of both CHs and TN, and the TN is as bad as a CH on a KIP 10. For me, that's where they start. And O2 also aborts those attacks as well. Speak with your neuro/headache specialist. blessings. lance

Any one with TN have success with d3 treatment helping with that as well as clusters?

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Next step MRI and Neuroligist as recommended by my Doc.

Sluders syndrome can exacerbate clusters and the pain is often in the palate and cheek. Another possibility to bring up with your neuro. pf wishes.

I get that post-pain too. Yesterday my CH lasted for 2.5 hours, but for several hours after that side of my face was really sore. I was afraid that another CH was coming, but nothing happened.

Hey McKissack,

That lingering sensitivity around your cheek following a heavy CH hit may be cutaneous allodynia...  one of less prevalent symptoms of the cluster headache syndrome.  Allodynia is a pain in the face or scalp due to a stimulus such as touch which does not normally provoke pain.

If it is cutaneous allodynia, no biggie...  other than the annoying sensations, it's harmless and eventually goes away.

Taking the anti-inflammatory regimen with 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3 should clear up both the CH and the allodynia.

Take care,

V/R, Batch