(Cluster sufferer since I was six years old.)

I have recently found that with more mild attacks, going into the shower and facing head first into the cold water can help to distract from, numb, and even shorten attacks.

I have experimented with different combinations of cold and warm water, ranging from some to none. I've tried directly on my left eyebrow, which is where my pain emits from, along with every other area of my head and neck.

It kind of is a cooling and numbing sensation. It can be kind of weird or irritating at first and seem to be making it worse, but after a while it numbs and cools; a much healthier alternative to the distracting self-beat-up that a lot of my clusterhead friends like to give themselves.

Thoughts?

There are many things that help some people, but not others. Showers with varying degrees of hot/cold have been reported as beneficial here, since the late 90's.

I'm a "cold" guy, but some need heat. After 14+ years of almost daily agony, I don't think about hot/cold anymore. Look into the Vitamin D therapy.

Don't be like me (and sooooooo many others) who blew it off as "it can't work - it's too simple" - then suffered more of the pain that only we understand.

It's your call.

Marc

I swear by showers, variously cold with a hot pack for my head or boiling hot with a bag of frozen peas.

Reckon if I can't beat the beast I can confuse it into leaving.

Hi and welcome

What do you do for the non-mild CHs? Have you got oxygen? Injectable or nasal spray imitrex? Or anything else to kill off a CH?

Are you taking any preventives, like verapamil, lithium or topomax?

Have you looked at how many of us are getting great results using vitamin D3?

Oxygen has been ordered, and I'm on verapamil, topamax, propranalol, and butterbur.

StickENote wrote on Oct 21^st, 2014 at 4:14pm:

Oxygen has been ordered, and I'm on verapamil, topamax, propranalol, and butterbur.

It is extremely unusual to be on BOTH verapamil and propranolol (inderal) at same time....they both affect blood pressure and the inderal has poor results for the ch crowd...better for migraine...
I'd ask the doc real quick about this combo...maybe you can up the verapamil (480-960dy effective dosage).....better yet try vit d3 regimen

Best

Jon

jon019 wrote on Oct 21^st, 2014 at 4:28pm:

StickENote wrote on Oct 21st, 2014 at 4:14pm: Oxygen has been ordered, and I'm on verapamil, topamax, propranalol, and butterbur. It is extremely unusual to be on BOTH verapamil and propranolol (inderal) at same time....they both affect blood pressure and the inderal has poor results for the ch crowd...better for migraine... I'd ask the doc real quick about this combo...maybe you can up the verapamil (480-960dy effective dosage).....better yet try vit d3 regimen

Totally agree on this, it is highly unusual to mix verapamil and propranolol together as documented (START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE and many others).

If they have both been prescribed by the same doctor then I'd question their skills and experience in treating CH.