Yes....no....maybe!  Some people stop having them as they get older...some don't, not much rhyme or reason to it from what I've seen on the board. I'm 48, been battling it about 30 years, I keep hoping!!!!

You haven't mentioned oxygen yet. Please read the link on the left, it should be your first line abortive. I can halt an attack as quickly as 6 minutes by huffing pure 02. The key points are pure 02, at a high flow rate, at least 15 lpm, using a non re breather mask. Definitely worth looking into.

What is the dose on your verapamil? It's not unusual for it to take a week or two to start having a beneficial effect. The effective doses can be a lot higher then many docs are comfortable with.

I had the same experience as you on prednisone. Provides 100% relief from headaches, but as soon as you stop taking it, WAM!!!

Hoping you catch a short cycle this time around! Welcome to the board, glad you found us!

Guiseppi

hi there, welcome to the site. i am new here too, but have been battling the beast for over 20 years. i am 42 now and mine started when i was 18. i read your question earlier today and it almost made me cry. i would love to tell you that they DO go away as you get older, but for most of us, that is not the case. however you may be the lucky one! but if they dont, you have sure  found help right here!!!!!! about 19 years ago when i was diagnosed, i was told that this was mainly a male thing, that it affected males between the ages of 18 and 40. i too keep hoping that mine will go away. and to be honest, they have been less intense the last three cycles. so there is hope! it seems prednisone is an option alot of folks here choose. i used it for years myself with good results. one thing i can guaruntee you is , is that now that you have found this site, yours will be better too. there is a WEALTH of knowledge here, not to mention support, that i assure you will help you in some form or another. i have found that in just two short days, that the people here honestly feel and share your pain, and will literally do almost anything to help you. please try some of the suggestions others have menitoned, ( like high flow oxygen with a non re-breather mask) some are truley life savers, and i hope and pray that you will find something that helps you put the beast at bay. i hope and pray that your cycle is short, and remember, help, support, and an understanding person is just a click away.  God bless     Tuck

It is perfectly acceptable to feel sorry for yourself when you are in cycle.  Ya just have to eventually get over that though.   

But my grandmother had CH and yep - it just went away.

My wife's grandfather was diagnosed with Horners syndrome a long time ago.  He is 82 and hasn;t had them in over 20 years

abnorth wrote on Jun 9^th, 2008 at 6:30pm:


Give Zomig nasal a try.  It's not as fast as imitrex injections, but I found that using it once during the night, I do not have additional headaches and can at least sleep.  The half life of Zomig is longer than the imitrex.  Your doc probably can give you a sample pack---caution:  wait at least 24 hours before using after your last imitrex dose.

John

Ab, i take 320mg's of verapail every day. the oxygen is a LIFE saver. remember, you MUST have a non re-breather mask, and you MUST have a high flow regulator. at LEAST up to 10.(I use 12 to 15 flow) i have been fighting the beast for over 20 years, and my nighttime hits were always bad also. i just this week,(thanks to this site) tried melatonin,(10mg's before going to bed) and it was a MIRACLE!!!! its cheap and you can get it at almost any drugstore over the counter. glad you found us, and good luck and GOD bless.     Tuck

We see verapamil doses as high as 960 mg a day before some people get relief, it's a trial and error deal of how much your body will stand and finding out at what level it starts helping. I've never used any of the other triptans other then imitrex so I'm not a good one to ask as far as how to use them without causing yourself problems.

Guiseppi

The older I get, the longer my remissions.

I am 42 and have had the clusters since age 11. There was no help for these things back in the 70's.

In my teens and early twenties I had one cycle per year, every year. Later twenties, remissions went to two years with the same cycles. My last three cycles, however have been 1999, 2004 and 2008. That is a 5 year and 4 year remission. I am THRILLED that these things are getting longer and longer between cycles.

Working on an oxygen prescription as we speak. Regular MD won't prescribe, waiting for referral to the Neurologist. Argh!

My neuro prescribed Zomig nasal spray for me and I have found it works pretty well if i can use it before the hit gets too bad.  I too have practically all my hits in the early morning hours.  When the hammer hits me in the head and wakes me and when the searing hot starts in my eye, if i can use the Zomig then it really helps.  There have been times when I waited too long and I was in such pain I couldn't even find my nose.  Holding my head over and popping the single dose in the very end of my nose and then holding my nose closed for 20 seconds seems to work for me.