Hi All,

my name is Dave Russell and I live in New Zealand .. I checked out and joined this website about 4 years ago ..  I read and read and read but to be honest didn't find anything that would help me personally .. yes I did try the mushrooms and even got a friend of a friend to get me some LSD to try but unfortunenately for me none of it helped me a great deal .. I guess I got a bit sidetracked being nearly dead for a couple of years .. but anyway here I am back and this cycle is into it's 5th year with no sign of letting up at this stage .. I am 49 years old with two daughters aged 10 and 12 and a beautiful loving wife Carolyn who I wouldn't have made it this far without .. I am a chronic sufferer, I have had clusters since the age of 15 and used to only suffer them about twice per year when I first got them but as I've got older they have become more severe... this is my 2nd bad cycle, my first cycle lasted about 3 years but this cycle is into it's 5th year  .. I get an average of 30 to 40 headaches per week each one lasting from 1 to 3 hours .. I have smacked my head so hard on the kitchen table / floor / wall that I've made it bleed on many occassions and I've rubbed most of the hair and skin off on the right side of my head .. I used to rub my gums when I was younger but seemed to have progressed to my right temple mostly .... anyway what I am here for is that one day I got to such a low ebb that I wrote a song about clusters .. probably most of you on here won't like it but hey if you wanna download it you are most welcome .. I'm just not sure how to do that ???  but anyway if you want to download and have a lisen please let me know and I'll send you a copy ok :)  my email is : rustlers@xtra.co.nz   :)

 
Quote:

I read and read and read but to be honest didn't find anything that would help me personally

Well Dave....In the 10 yrs. I've been here, this is a first for me.  I've not heard of, or met one single person who didn't glean SOME kind of help from this site as well as from OUCH.   Even if it was simply the insight that they were not alone anymore and got support for the first time.

    Have you tried oxygen?    (pushing, pushing, pushing)

02,02,02, hope ya find something that helps.
all the best
thebb

Are you sure you are thinking of this site?  We don't usually tell people to use LSD & mushrooms, per se.  We usually suggest Oxygen and verapamil, and next Topamax.  Also, we usually suggest one sees a doc or neurologist familiar with cluster headaches, or willing to learn about them.

Good luck.  Hope you get more out of it this round.

Charlotte

p.s.  I'd love a copy of the song.  I'm pretty sure my email is in my avatar.  Thanks.

Hi Charlotte,

yes it definately was this CH site that I joined .. but I probably didn't explain myself too well .. I got the mushroom / LSD idea off "Clusterbusters.com" .. I would never in my wildest dreams have ever contemplated using that sort of stuff but I was just so desperate that I was willing to try anything and everything .. by the way Charlotte unfortunately neither of those things worked for me.

By the way I am presently under and have been under two different Neuro's for the past 5 years and was under the care of one of them 4 years before that with my previous CH cycle which lasted 3 years  .. I do use oxygen and they've tried me several times on all of the usual treatment drugs such as Imigran (Imitrex in the USA ?) Ergotamine, Methysergide, Lithium etc etc but unfortunately nothing at all has worked for me .. the 02 helps very slightly but not a lot ..

Anyway Charlotte I must dash as I have an appoinment at the hospital pain clinic shortly .. thanks so much for your reply and your kind words .. I forgot what makes this site so good .. it's the people and it really does help a lot to be able to talk to people who have this nightmare in their lives too ..

Take care, Dave

PS: I'll try and send you a copy of the song if I can fiquire out this new PC we've got ..LOL  the cluster song is a little rough but I just recorded it using a couple of old tape decks so hence the sound quality  ::)