Hi,

I have just registered, I hope I'm writing to the right place.

A few days ago I woke up with a terrible headache in the left side of my head in the middle of the night around 1:30 am. It never happened before, so I did a little research while I was struggling. It lasted for an hour approx, then the pain eased and I went back to sleep. It was painful enough, but not unbearable, just painful.

The next day I had a dull headache all day, it wasn't that bad though.

The following 2 days were ok.

Now I woke up in the morning as usual, didn't feel any pain, then after a 20 minutes I had another "rush". It was less painful than the first one and disappeared after some 20 minutes. It hurt but I could eat my breakfast, so it wasn't that bad.

I checked the secondary symptoms, but I had none of them (maybe red eye? I didn't check it). No tears or runny nose, however my last teeth on the left side did hurt a bit.

I hope it's not CH... I have read quite a lot about it in the last few days and it is terrible thing.

ASSUMING for a moment that it's Cluster: it's too soon to make a call because symptoms at first onset can be so variable, unclear.

The cluster quiz (left edge of this page) is a crude tool but worth using.

Because there are a number of disorders which mimic Cluster, would be worth looking for a headache specialist to work on the diagnosis. Most docs, including neurologists, lack useful training/skill with complex headache disorders--unless you can confirm, by direct questioning, their experience 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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Bob's spot on. Sudden onset head pain is a HUGE red flag, from the early symptoms you describe, it's possible you're developing cluster headache, but WAY too early on to diagnose. Take the cluster quiz on the left and record your answers. Begin keeping a headache journal, when they start, how fast the pain builds, how high the pain builds, how long it stays at peak pain, how quickly it recedes, secondary physical symptoms you observe, the more detailed the better. Headaches are a complex disorder, the final diagnosis will be in the details. If it is Cluster Headaches, the faster you can get referred to a headache specialist neurologist, the better.

Hoping it's not CH but if it is, as you'll see from reading this site, it's not the end of the world! ;)

Joe

Hi and welcome

It might be CH but equally it might be some other headache type or something else. What complicates things is that there are lots of things that can result in the symptoms seen with CH.

As Joe mentioned, sudden onset head pain where there was no previous history is an immediate case to get it checked out by a medical professional. For headaches you should try to work with a headache specialist as it is a complex area and you need to get the right diagnosis in order to get the right treatment.

The headache journal will help a lot with the diagnosis and it will also help if you educate yourself about headaches, causes, triggers and similar.

Keep reading and ask any question you can think of.

Mine came on slowly in the beginning too.  For about a month I thought I was having sinus problems.   It started by feeling like I had sinus congestion on the left side.  I even went to the doctor thinking I had a sinus infection but they said my sinuses were perfectly clear.  Then it increased to off and on pain behind the left eye that began to persist throughout the day, then it started getting worse in the early morning... then one morning at 1 a.m. I found myself in the ER with pain unlike I ever imagined I could endure, and it was on from there. 

My advice is to read through this forum and get ideas to prepare yourself for the worst.  It could make a huge difference for you if it really is the beginning of CH.  I'm hoping for the best for you. 

A. Go see a doctor ASAP.
B. Chances of this being a CH are very small, for several reasons.