Before you talk headache find out what his experience is in treating headache. Many good doctors have neither experience nor training in headache--even neurologists.

Actually, these are questions which you could direct to his staff, by phone, before you go in to see him. Might save time/money.

If you don't like what you hear:

1. Search the OUCH site (button on left) for a list of recommended M.D.s.

2. Yellow Pages phone book: look for "Headache Clinics" in the M.D. section and look under "neurologist" where some docs will list speciality areas of practice.

3.  Call your hospital/medical center. They often have an office to assist in finding a physician. You may have to ask for the social worker/patient advocate.

4. Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or ; On-line screen to find a physician.

5. Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or Look for "Physician Finder" search box.  Call 1-800-643-5552; they will send a list of M.D.s for your state.I suggest using this source for several reasons: first, we have read several messages from people who, even seeing neurologists, are unhappy with the quality of care and ATTITUDES they have encountered; second, the clinical director of the Jefferson (Philadelphia) Headache Clinic said, in late 1999, that upwards of 40%+ of U.S. doctors have poor training in treating headache and/or hold attitudes about headache ("hysterical female disorder") which block them from sympathetic and effective work with the patient; third, it's necessary to find a doctor who has experience, skill, and a set of attitudes which give hope of success. This is the best method I know of to find such a physician.

Bob is right.  If CH is a possibility, normal doctors aren't good at diagnosing it.  The average time between onset and diagnosis is many years because of this.  You really need to see a neurologist that claims (at least) to be a headache specialist.

One additional piece of advice I can give, since it took me 8 years to get diagnosed, is to keep a detailed headache log to give to the headache specialist.  Read the links on the left of this site to learn the proper jargon, but in your log write down the following each day:

Time headache starts
Intensity (whatever scale makes sense to you)
Other symptoms - like watery/burning in the eye, side of the head, where it hurts, runny nose, dizziness, whatever
Type of pain (piercing, burning, throbbing, etc.)
Time headache ends

It wasn't until I did this that the headache specialists figured out what I had.

I have always had a really big fear of doctors so I've had problems talking to them so it was hard for me to remember what to say and what questions to ask.  I found it easiest to print out the page from the Mayo Clinic about what cluster headaches are, the symptoms, etc. and highlighted everything I had.  I made little notes on the side explaining it or how it varied, whatever.  Maybe go over it with your mom and see if there's any kind of questions or concerns she may have herself that she'd want answered and write those down too.

If money is a problem, ask your mom what she can do financially for an abortive and preventative.  Call your local pharmacies before going to the doctors and ask for a general price per pill for some of the standard treatments.  Read up on here on the different treatments - people have success with it or not, side effects, etc. so you have an idea of things when you talk to the doctor and can help him prescribe the best treatments for you, especially financially.  And don't be afraid to ask the doctor for samples.  I've only ever gotten imitrex pills, but you'd get an idea if it'd work for you and it'd be something and it'd be that many fewer that you didn't have to pay for.

Right, all those advices are good.

But i would also suggest NOT to get suggested by information found @ Internet. IMO better explain what is wrong like you don't know anything about cluster. Why? Because nowadays there are many hypochondriacs and Internet is a great source for them. Don't get me wrong, but I am telling it from my own experience (if you come and say sth like "Oh hey, I am suffering from CH" and it wasn't diagnosed by any doctor, your doctor may be sceptical).

Of course, if your doctor doesn't suggest CH, you can say "Oh some time ago I heard something about so-called CH...".

But that's only my opinion. Each doctor is different :p (and I know that's hard to understand me )