New CH.com Forum | |
http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl
Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> New to the forum! Need some support/help http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1212984301 Message started by sosomatt1123 on Jun 9th, 2008 at 12:05am |
Title: New to the forum! Need some support/help Post by sosomatt1123 on Jun 9th, 2008 at 12:05am
The past 2 weeks have been the worst ever!!! I recently started having extremely painful cluster headaches. Some days I get a few that are extremely severe and they last long too. I honestly have no idea what to do. The pain is SO INTENSE! It is always in the same spot, which is the corner of my left eye and the back of my head. I noticed my eye is droopy when i have a cluster headache. My sinus open up and then the pain starts. Its woken me from a deep sleep many of times! I really don't know what to do. When I get them, I cant work and I feel like I cant function! I had a bad episode that i think was set off by one alcoholic drink, that actually made me throw up and it lasted through the night till the morning. The doctor put me on rel pax and fioricet. The rel pax makes me extremely nauseous so they switched me to immatrex nose spray. Sorry for the rant but im at the point now that i don't know what to do! What causes these? How long do they typically last for? Any help is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
Title: Re: New to the forum! Need some support/help Post by George_J on Jun 9th, 2008 at 1:24am
Welcome.
I haven't forgotten what it's like to be new to these. The pain is not only extremely intense--it's frightening. It really is unlike anything else, not only in its magnitude, but in the way it "feels". I know how difficult it is, but approaching the thing calmly is the best way. Try not to get upset. It won't kill you, and it more than likely won't do you any permanent harm. It just is. If you are episodic (and chances are that you are--somewhere around 90 percent of us are episodics) it will eventually go away. Unfortunately, there is no "typical" time period for episodic CH. Perhaps it will last a couple of weeks. Could be 6-10 weeks. Could be longer. The best advice I've ever seen here is to take it one day at a time, one hit at a time. Enjoy your painfree time, and deal with it when it comes. Get hit, live anyway. As far as practical approaches go, ask your doctor to look at preventives for you, as well as abortives. (The imitrex nasal spray you're taking is an abortive--kills one headache at a time.) Most people have discovered that imitrex injectables are more effective and faster-acting than the nasal spray. Preventives are intended to "prevent" attacks, and are typically used in concert with abortives. They include verapamil and lithium. Read the "oxygen info" in the link to your left. Oxygen, properly administered, is an extremely effective abortive for around 70 percent of us. Discuss the possibility of a prednisone taper with your doctor. Prednisone is often used in conjunction with preventives, and seems to act to stop the attacks until the preventive kicks in. It's not for extended use, however. I'm hoping that Bob Johnson and others will weigh in with links to accepted treatment protocols for CH. Read, read, read. There are hundreds of years of accumulated experience with CH and with the medications used to treat it here. And again....welcome home. Best wishes, George |
Title: Re: New to the forum! Need some support/help Post by icedragon on Jun 9th, 2008 at 1:35am
Hi Matt,
You have come to the right place. Sorry to hear that you are in pain. Imitrex is a popular choice of drug around here, it does well for most. Something else you will here a lot about is Oxygen. You will need to get a prescription from your doc. If they don't agree, you will need to push for it. Breathing 15 liters per minute with a non-rebreather mask can usually abort the pain in less than twenty minutes. Until you get the O2, something that helps me is to use ice packs on the back of my neck and the affected parts of my head. The colder the better. I don't use a barrier which can be a little risky. Your doctor should refer you to a neurologist so you can get a true diagnosis. There is lots for you to read up on, the OUCH site has lots of good info (tab on the left.) The people here are great and are going to have plenty advice for you. Good luck with your pain and wishing you pain free days ahead. Thomas |
Title: Re: New to the forum! Need some support/help Post by BarbaraD on Jun 9th, 2008 at 8:25am
At the onset of the headache grab a can of Red Bull and down it - that helps a lot of us (the caffeine and taurine) or a strong cup of coffee (or several cups).
O2 with a non rebreather mask (at 15+ liters a minute) works for "most" of us as an abortative. Melatonin at night (12-15mg) works for a "lot" of us to help us get thru the night hits. A good "preventative" is what it sounds like you need - you've been given the links - read up on them and talk it over with your doc. Read Read REad... Go to the doc with information and DISCUSS these things. You are your best advocate. But you must be informed. You do the research and THEN disucss with your doc. He/she doesn't have the time to research and probably doesn't know that much about CH. Keep us informed. Hugs BD |
Title: Re: New to the forum! Need some support/help Post by sosomatt1123 on Jun 9th, 2008 at 11:45am
thank you for all of the responses!! Im going to the neurologist tomorrow, so we will see what happens. Right after i posted i had a bad migraine!! I tried the ice pack on the back of the neck, immatrex, and fioricet. The pain lasted a while and i eventually fell asleep. This morning i woke up with a soreness and it almost felt like another one was coming. I made a big pot of coffee and it certainly helped!! Is there any reason why we get these headaches? stress/allergies?? I feel like in the 2 weeks that ive had them, that they have changed my life! I cherish every second that i dont have one! I PRAY THAT THEY STOP!! Im happy that there are people here that understand, help and support one another!!
|
Title: Re: New to the forum! Need some support/help Post by Lawmandave on Jun 17th, 2008 at 2:52am
Hang in there buddy,
I feel your pain, being in the middle of my bout myself. Im a very strong willed person but this beast, broke me down and spit me out a couple times over! Nonetheless, you came to the right place because the people here will do whatever they can to help, believe me. Just reading posts here has got me through unbareable times. Imitrex injections work for most of us, (however, you will want to conserve them the best as you can and may want to try the imitrex tip listed on the left). Once you get used to using them, they are like gold! Unfortanetley, most insurance companies will only cover a few per month, which is a down right joke. What I do is, once I'm out of my cycle, I continue to refill my Imitrex Injections prescription every month whether I need them or not, kind of like preparing ammo for a war you dont want to fight but stock up just in case. Also, try coffee, red bull and/or oxygen when you can!!! Hang in there and good luck!!! Lawman |
New CH.com Forum » Powered by YaBB 2.4! YaBB © 2000-2009. All Rights Reserved. |