Well, after reading hundreds of posts I figured I'd jump in and say hi.  I was so hopeful for today.  I'm in my 3rd or maybe 4th cycle of CH.  ( since I have learned what they are ). Usually only once a year, usually spring,  usually about 2 weeks and always one headache 1-2 hours after I go to bed. 
Learned my own routine.. Get up.. Get up as soon as I wake up from the pain.   Make coffee.  Take excedren, heat up a gel pack. Move to the couch, prop myself upright In the corner, put the hot patch thing on my eye, face, nose.  Then squirm, moan and wait for it to pass.  Usually 30-45 minutes.  Then they go away for a long while.......  Not this time  :-[

Started 19 days ago...  About 7-10 days in I would get a 2nd CH sometimes after falling back asleep a few hours from the first one.  Then... If I tried to catch an afternoon nap to catch up on missed sleep......BAM... "Gotcha". And lately, getting 1 to 3 DURING THE DAY!!   It's been playing havoc with my body, work schedule, family time etc.  but you all know that already.  My girl got me a next day appt with a headache / neurologist.
HOT damn!  Was so excited.  Saw him this morning. Seems OK kinda doc. Says i seem to be right.  I am getting cluster headaches. Scheduled an MRI to check for anything else but agreed to start greeting me for CH right away.   Starting 50 mg topomax tonight. Can go to 100 in a week if no success.   Also got xxxxxxxx.
Tonight , 10:00. I felt it starting.... Coming on fast.  Took the xxxxxx.   Sat up on the couch. And it got worse and worse and worse and faded at 50 minutes.  No better than I have ever accomplished on my own :-(.
I know it's just the start, I have to give it all time, but it was discouraging after spending 300$ to see a specialist and lick up $410 in scripts to feel absolutley nothing.   (Health insurance kicks in August 1st , thank god )
..... I'll post more tomorrow.  I was so hopeful for a chance to nock one of these lousy, life disrupting headaches, out of my head faster.   Without the "sore" feeling in my head.  Day 19. I'm so tired.... Just soooo tired.

You guys and girls have been great.  Been reading the forum off and on for a year now.

Paul
New Joisey

Sorry for the incomplete post. And ipad won't let me edit.

Also got Sumatriptan SUCC 100mg.  (9 of them... 9??   Who packages 9 of anything!!!??? )

     Hey  Paul,  Your experiences sound a lot like mine, sure sorry you have to go through this nightmare.  Yep, 9 seems to be the magic number for most people, insurance won't pay for any more than that a month. Though oral sumatriptan is not real popular here, it has been my savior for years... to get me through the night. I cut those 100mg puppies in half and take one right before going to bed, takes an hour to go to work, just in time for that first ch of the night.  Most nights it'll buy me 6 to 7 hours of real sleep and I get 18 nights of it. There's a catch..... after a few days or more that morning wake up ch you're gonna get can be a real monster so you better have that oxygen tank ready. My worst headache off all time was a rebound ch from Imitrex..before I had oxygen. I think a lot of clusterheads would be lost without oxygen, I know I would.
   
     Sounds like you've been following this forum for a while so you know about the d3 regimen and oxygen so keep on reading and learning. And those afternoon naps, well they're a no no. Day time hits are pretty common when I'm in full cycle but a nap is a guarantee I'll get one.

      You might try running the next time one starts, I've killed many a headache within half a block and it's better than rolling on the couch like I used to do.

     Good luck and stay in touch,      Sean

Hi Paul and welcome,

Paul wrote,  Starting 50 mg topomax tonight. Can go to 100 in a week if no success.

Also known as dopymax! Best to talk with your Doc about
Verapamil with a 7-10 taper dose of Prednisone! To get
the beast under control, Also ask for Imitrex auto
injectors, these will abort an attack in 5mins.

Best, Hoppy

Definitely Dopymax for me too.  I hated it.  Couldn't get any work done...

Hi Paul
I agree with Sean and Hoppy about the imitrex.  50mg taken just before bedtime often helps to ward off that first nighttime wake up call. It works in the daytime too. The injectors are brilliant at aborting bad CHs but please be aware that you cannot take the full daily dose of both. It's either/or.  The dose is only 2 injections per day but they can be split and the smaller amount works just as well- so that gives you 4. That said I have occasionally gone over the limit, but only by a little. You do what you have to do right?

The injections are very expensive over there in the US and some insurance won't cover more than 2 per month, but I always advise to get a few while you are not in cycle. It creates a small stockpile to help you through the first few days till you get things organized and also helps to spread the cost. And it still works after the date has expired.
Hope this helps
Maz.

It would help clear the ari if you would give us an ouline of what the headache specialist had to say, what specific treatments (and doses/fequency) he prescribed. AND is "specialist" your label or does he have credentials or training in treating headache?

Gonna keep this short for tonight guys.   Last night after I wrote my post and went to bed.... I slept till 7 AM.... First time in weeks !!  YEY me. I had a CH at 2 PM today was so so. Took an emtrx.  Tonight's been fine.  Couple times in the past few hours felt like maybe one was starting, but it didn't.  But I do think I'm going to take 1/2 a pill now as a , before bed strike.  I took the doc apt I did because he had a NEXT DAY appointment ( someone canceled ) I am going to be searching for MY headache doc for sure.  I asked about nasal spray or injectors And he said we start "here". Here being top and emtrx pills. It's the usual HMO protocol I bet. Th doctors don't even get to make judgement calls based on their experience or based on specific patients much anymore. The protocol book is written, to provide a standard of care ( savings ) ....topic for another day. I asked about O2, he said it's hard to get... Sometimes I try and walk that fine line of letting the doctor do their job instead of walking in after reading online for 17 hours and telling HIM what to do. 
I had O2 from a friend last year... It helps... No denying that.  Most CH's that woke me up , I could shut down in 10-15 minutes. Lately, my run time has been 40-50 minutes.

Thanks GUYS!!    More tomorrow.