One morning I woke up and I knew you were really gone
A new day, a new way and new eyes to see the dawn
Go your way, I'll go mine, carry on

The sky is clearing and the night has gone out
The sun, he come, the world is all full of love
Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice but to carry on

The fortunes of fables are able to sing the song
Now witness the quickness with which we get along
To sing the blues you've got to live the tunes and carry on

Carry on love is coming
Love is coming to us all

"Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Carry On"

Couldn´t have worded my feelings about this better myself.

Have posted here before a long time ago when it all started for me and have been looking for permanent relief since. Anyway here now to post some hope.

To recap, male, 43Y, slightly overweight. Clusters started a few years back during summer. Detected and diagnosed because of the link with alcohol. Unilateral pain on the left side of the head and eye. I´ve been hanging on without any medication since which at times was really, really hard.

I´ve been looking for a consistent way to stop an attack ever since, and this summer it seems I have finally found one. My friends used to be strong coffee and tobacco, but I have a new best friend. Here goes, I hope I can word it all correctly.

As you will probably agree upon, summer time is bad for us. Dunno something with the change of season and the heat surely. In my case it meant a visit from my otherwise practically dormant demon, at the rate of three times a night. Sleep 2 hours - awake 45 minutes in agony - sleep 2 hours - awake 45 minutes in agony - sleep two hours - awake 45 minutes in agony. If I had a gun I probably would have shot myself at a certain point in time, luckily I do not have a gun.

By chance I found that if I got my left arm stretched out (I was clutching the window) I shaved off a pain point within minutes. Continuing this I started experimenting with my arms stretched out above my head and found the following exercise will stop an attack of any severity within minutes.

You wake up during the night in agony, grab your handkerchief and follow me.

1) Stand up straight immediately and look straight ahead.
2) Stretch out your arms to the max right over your head and make fists (one of your hands holds your handkerchief)
3) Bend your arms so your fists come together right over the top of your head
4) Gently touch the top of your head with the thumbs of your fists and immediately...
5) Pump (don´t throw) out your arms straight over your head, keeping your fists clenched

The outward motion is quick, inward is slow. Visualize a pump - you are pumping blood from your head to your arms - and continue for one or two minutes. Now stop and blow your nose thoroughly, long and hard.

Relief? If no, start at 1) again. You will know the end of the attack is near once your nose on the side of the attack starts to open, and there is actually something exiting from your nostril as opposed to just air.

What am I saying: you will know it in an instant.

If your arms are down and you are still 6 or 7 on the pain scale you must start again to avoid lingering shadows.

Doing this in front of a mirror I have seen my left eye go from alien red to an almost healthy white within two minutes. There are some variations to this, but the main thing is the pump motion.

Now, normally I would like any other summer accept my faith and suffer for six to eight weeks during my sleep as mentioned previously. But... Ever since doing this the attacks are actually DIMINISHING in frequency.

It has now been ten days before my last sleepless night and the attacks are completely gone (first time during summer in two years). I have been pumping for about a month now, and I have decided to post this because it has consistently helpt me. I will continue and report on the general state of recurrence.

Here is my list of what NOT to do. In my case any of this prolongues an attack.

Do NOT stroke or rub your head in any way. Do not obstruct the blood flow by rubbing your temple, eye, cheek or neck. Bad idea. Does work for about ten seconds - the pain will come back worse and linger for over an hour.

Do NOT force the blood to your head by holding your head between your knees. I used to think this was part of the solution but it is not. It will in most cases prolongue an attack.

Do NOT sit, do NOT lie down.

It is OK to wander around when pumping though. We all know at times the pain is absolute, and cannot be bargained with (9-10). Still, to give you some hope, I had a rare factor ten (blinding pain where your eye is shut and your environment becomes a blur) during the night a while back after celebrating and overconfidently had some beers. (U-huh). I got up, staggered to the bathroom and did the routine. You know, a factor 10 is nothing but a factor 7 which escalated because you did not wake up in time. In my case I was simply too intoxicated to wake up earlier. Sad but true. However it took me no more than five minutes to go from 10 to absolute zero. No shadows, no nothing. Now I can live with THAT after such a sinful evening.

I´m hoping this will bring relief to some of you too, and hopefully some of you can get rid of the chemicals you have been taking, that would be the biggest win. If the frequency of the attacks keeps diminishing, why not get rid of them all together? Now that would be something. Please let me know how you get along with this.

One more thing, you can do this seated or lying in bed too, although it works best standing up straight. Lying down or sitting it just takes a little longer for the pain to stop.

Good luck and feedback welcome.

The Spaniard.

Yes, it sounds strange.
But as long as it is working for him and he's happy with the results...

Oliver

I stick with verapamil (as preventative) and oxygen as abortive.

Have you tried these?


                     

Simple...never relax, ever.
thebb

Before I knew of other CHers, that's you guys, people 'd tell me to lie down during a hit. Probably because that's what a migraine sufferer does. But I couldn't, simply couldn't. It has always puzzled me. Why did I rock back and forth on the side of my bed, instead of lying down, why did I shake my legs in an upbeat rhythm? Maybe it soothed me somehow, maybe it made the blood flow differently?

What about the nasty ones? The ones that make you crawl, hit your head with your fists, punch your neck, pace through every room in the house, makes you thrown yourself to the floor or the sofa, while clutching your head with all your strength, only to get up again a few seconds later to march again. Why? I really don't know. All I knew it served a purpose. Somehow it helps to get through a hit, and this probably does so for you Spaniard. Whatever helps, do it.

Wishing you painfree days soon from the Netherlands.

Pascal.

Haha not quite Brew. It was more of a grindcore or deathmetal blastbeat.

AlienSpaceGuy wrote on Jul 21^st, 2008 at 10:05am:


Just about O2, I have nothing against it, but I am too lazy to go to the local MD, get a referral to a Neurologist in Alicante to get the O2.

Simply cannot be bothered. Maybe not enough KIP-9+´s lately.

  Thanks for the advice on the pump, i will definitly give it a try. I will try just about anything to keep from havin to drink 2 cups of coffee at 2 or 3 am.
  For the people that don't know caffein is a awsome aborter. I found i can drink 2 cups and be pain free in as little as 5 minutes. For the real bad headaches (8+) i take one or two BC powders with the coffee. It will make you jittery but as any Ch sufferer knows, you'll do anything to aliviate the pain.

  Oh by the way, thanks a million for everyone involved in this website, users and creator alike. I found it just today after 5 years of suffering and not knowing what the hell was happening. When i read the first 3 posts i got goose bumbs. Describing to the T my syptoms and telling me what the doctor couldn't. I love all you guys like family, it's good to know i'm not alone now. I wish everyone a pain free day, and i look forward to talking to people that feel my pain.

                                       Greg
                             

Thanks spaniard woke up at 3 am, an hour and ten minutes ago with a pacer...  immediatly did the arm pump. It took the edge off definitly, enough to were i could make a cup of coffee.  I appreciate the advice and wish your pain free days an nights to continue. Well i'm pretty exausted, even after drinkin that coffee. Goin back to sleep hopefully i'll make it through the night uniterrupted.

Greg wrote on Jul 23^rd, 2008 at 4:16am:


That´s great! Glad to see at least some results...

You have to be consistent, and not give up too soon, even though the pain is tremendous. Just continue, breathe, blow nose, continue breathe blow nose, etc...

I woke up after a noon nap yesterday with a solid 8, the end of my painfree spell after almost two weeks. I jumped up and out to the bathroom, did the routine and after about twelve minutes was down to acceptable 2/3. Shadows went after cup of strong coffee.

Again, this is good enough for me, as opposed to pacing, banging, crying and escalating all over the place.

Like these guys who posten on YouTube, I cannot understand them remaining seated during 9-10. I wish they would try NOT to block the artories or push against the eye, but rather raise both arms (at least) and pump them.

Ah well...

[quote author=1C3D1F3D2037111A520 link=1216631845/0#19 date=1216914501
If it helps only one further individual this was worth the post...


[/quote]

Agreed!

Potter wrote on Jul 24^th, 2008 at 11:55am:


Nope, quite sure I´m not a "meegrainer". Wish I was, because treatment would be soooo much easier.

See yer.

Heh heh.

Quote:


No that is me, In my third year. My relief has come after 25 years of many many doctors and neurologists wearing out their pen on perscriptions, and many many failed attempts at relief using stupid tecniques and remedies your describing. One of the physical mechanisms of CH is vascular. It is no secret that cardiovascular stimulation can provide temporary relief. It is just that temporary. The next hit will come, can your technique stop that? Some people report an increase in pain using these techniques. Had you done some research you would have known that.
Caffeine is your abort. The rest is in your head.
Come on Spaniard get real. GET 02
IMHO
thebb