Headache. 2004 Jun;44(6):607-10.

   Obstructive sleep apnea and cluster headache.
   Graff-Radford SB, Newman A.

   The Pain Center, Cedars Sinai Medical Center and UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.

   A patient with cluster headache often wakes from sleep. The relationship to sleep apnea has been described. This study sought to confirm the relationship cluster may have with sleep apnea. METHODS: Thirty-nine consecutive patients diagnosed with episodic cluster headache according to the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria were sent for polysomnographic studies. All patients were in an active phase when they were in the study. Patients were told of the proposed relationship and were allowed to choose a sleep laboratory close to their home. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients with episodic cluster headache completed an overnight polysomnographic study. Twenty-three were male and eight female. The average age was 51 years (range 33 to 78 years). The average weight was 173 pounds (range 117 to 260 pounds). A total of 80.64% had sleep apnea (25/31). Average respiratory depression index (RDI) was 19.0 (SD 14.6) with 6 patients having no apnea, 10 having mild, 11 having moderate, and 4 having severe apnea (RDI < 5 = none; RDI 5 to 20 mild; RDI 20 to 40 moderate; RDI > 40 severe). Oxygen saturation decreased on average to 88.4% SD 4.5. Sleep efficiency was 76.2% (SD 13.4). CONCLUSIONS: The data closely approximate those of Chervin et al, where 80% had RDI > 5. The relationship sleep apnea has in the perpetuation or precipitation of cluster headache is still to be determined. There are some reports that treatment stops the cluster but there is no prospective study. The high incidence (80.64%) seen in this population suggests the cluster patient should receive a sleep evaluation and perhaps intervention with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or an appropriate dental device.

monty wrote on Oct 9^th, 2008 at 3:58pm:



It totally is worth! Um..what's Imo? Thanks.

. The link you posted mentioned that many sufferers of CH abuse alcohol...from eeverything I had read before that is the first time I heard that. Is that a common thread? Let's use the term "abuse" loosely, .

Kit wrote on Oct 9^th, 2008 at 5:54pm:


Lots of links say common thread is heavy drinkers, heavy smokers, very rare in females and that we all have lion shaped faces.   I rarely drink,  not a heavy smoker,  I am a female  and I don't have a lion shaped face.  What seems to be the case is that for every similarity in CH you will find many differences too.    

What we all do have in common is a screwed up hypothalmus.  

Journal Current Pain and Headache Reports
Publisher Current Medicine Group LLC
ISSN 1531-3433 (Print) 1534-3081 (Online)
Issue Volume 10, Number 2 / April, 2006
DOI 10.1007/s11916-006-0025-z
Pages 137-141

Cluster headache: Myths and the evidence

Herbert G. Markley1  and Dawn C. Buse1

(1)  New England Regional Headache Center, Inc., 85 Prescott Street, 01605 Worcester, MA, USA

Abstract  Although cluster headache (CH) has been the focus of a great deal of research, it also has been the focus of a great deal of speculations that have been repeated commonly as fact. The authors conducted a thorough review of the literature and an informal poll of several noted headache experts to investigate the truth behind common myths and hypotheses regarding CH. They then present an overview of some of these more common hypotheses, observations, and myths, and offer a brief review of the existing evidence supporting or negating the theories. These include gender, genetics, suicidality, homicidality, physical appearance, personality, and psychologic features of the patient with CH.

The link you posted mentioned that many sufferers of CH abuse alcohol...from eeverything I had read before that is the first time I heard that. Is that a common thread? Let's use the term "abuse" loosely, Chris is NOT an alcoholic but he does like his beer...just curious.