Hi.

I'm a 44 mom, wife, artist and office worker.
Always been pretty healthy, high tolerance for pain, normally never complain about my aches.

Long story short, I've had these headaches since April, so almost 5 months, with maybe a rare day here & there without a headache.
Thought it might be my hair's weight, its very long.
Thought it might be sinusitis. Nope.
No symptoms of migraines.
i've been so confused about what this could be...
I am not sensitive to light, but noise, very much so. Stress will trigger an attack. So I'm looking into meditation groups.

Doctor did tests, gave me medicine for chronic sinusitis (did nothing, of course) and recently did a scan, waiting on results, though dr said, "good thing is,  its not cancer, we'd have heard back by now!" YAY!

so research and discussions have finally lead me to discover about Cluster headaches. Upon reading and reading.. wow.
sounds like what I've been going through.

All of it sounds about right, except for the eye pain. Mine are more temple area and forehead. The tingling of the scalp is in between attacks.

I haven't spoken to my doctor yet, but left a message for her to look into this possibility....
from the description of the trigeminal nerve, the pathway of pain is still pretty spot-on. And I have noticed at times my left eye seems sunken in.
I've ordered the Capsaicin spray that Dr. Oz recommends, can't wait to get it to hopefully get some relief.

Thanks.

Hi and welcome

CH pain isn't exclusively around the eye, it is also fairly common for the pain to be located around the temple area.

For something like this you need to be working with a headache specialist. This is a pretty complex area of medicine, with there being many possible headache types plus other causes that can result in very similar symptoms. So you want to get an accurate diagnosis so that you can get the appropriate treatment.

Where are you in the world? People here should be able to guide you towards people with CH experience.

The Cap. spray pops up here from time to time but no evidence of a strong following--certainly  not a primary treatment. See the PDF file, below, for the most currently used meds.
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If at all possible, finding a headache specialist is your best route. This area of medicine has become too complex for the mass of docs who have limited training and experienc with headache.
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LOCATING HEADACHE SPECIALIST

1. Yellow Pages phone book: look for "Headache Clinics" in the M.D. section and look under "neurologist" where some docs will list speciality areas of practice.

2.  Call your hospital/medical center. They often have an office to assist in finding a physician. You may have to ask for the social worker/patient advocate.

3. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE; On-line screen to find a physician.

4. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE Look for "Physician Finder" search box. They will send a list of M.D.s for your state.I suggest using this source for several reasons: first, we have read several messages from people who, even seeing neurologists, are unhappy with the quality of care and ATTITUDES they have encountered; second, the clinical director of the Jefferson (Philadelphia) Headache Clinic said, in late 1999, that upwards of 40%+ of U.S. doctors have poor training in treating headache and/or hold attitudes about headache ("hysterical female disorder") which block them from sympathetic and effective work with the patient; third, it's necessary to find a doctor who has experience, skill, and a set of attitudes which give hope of success. This is the best method I know of to find such a physician.

5. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE NEW certification program for "Headache Medicine" by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, an independent, non-profit, professional medical organization.
        Since this is a new program, the initial listing is limited and so it should be checked each time you have an interest in locating a headache doctor.
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Before you start into self-diagnosis and self-treatment get a solid diagnosis again, if possible, from a specialist. Only then can you safely consider other approaches to treating yourself. Thee are numberous serious medical conditions which mimic Cluster, but which are not primary headache disorders. So, need to be sure what you are attempting to treat.

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Oh how I wish it were that simple, *sigh*. I'm in Canada, where the medical system is 'free', but also quite crappy. To get any kind of specialist, a general doctor has to give a ref. It is close to impossible to get a general doctor.... I am lucky to have mine though, for many years. She is great, generally...  I am hoping to speak to her soon so we can investigate more into this possibility. We've done a cerebral scan, but the results aren't in yet, though from what I've read here, an MRI is better suited for the job.
Of course, a professional diagnosis will reveal the necessary treatment.

Canada: why we ask you to identify your locatiion.
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It will help us to direct you to good sources of assistance if you will tell us where you live (city & state, if U.S. or country). At the Home page: Help button-->Edit & Profile --> Location.
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Give your doctor this link. One of the best headache docs in the U.S. Long run of articles on headace which your doc can sear by by topic. And the e-based book is aimed at M.D.s.
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START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

Done.
I was informed of a Trigeminal specialist here in my city, I just need a referral from my doctor, who is yet to call me back. So awesome, I feel so assisted by her. Ugh. I hope that the waiting list isn't several months long like most specialists here......
Quite bad today, only thing that helped a bit was a Xanax. Which I hate to take.
Frustrated and tired of waiting for something, anything. I detest being without any clue as to what is happening to me..

Get to the Doc.  Get some Oxygen to start.  Do not DELAY they will get worse unfortunately.

Karen

Hi Karen.
They are...
Seeing specialist in October.
I pray for a quick September...... I want my life back!!!!

I agree with the others...Get your hands on some high flow oxygen and September will suck a lot less.  Sorry to hear about the pain.  Just remember it will get better.  That is what keeps me going.

I have no idea how to get that. Doc wont prescribe it until i see the neuro...