How is everyone???  My name is Pattyanne and have been suffering from clusters for 23 years.  I am 43 now.  I get them once a year for 30 to 45 days.  Usually, they show up around when the weather changes from cold to hot or vice versa.   Of the past 23 years, two years were cluster free.  I did not figure out what was wrong with me for about 10 years.  I just thought they were migraines and that I was just going to have to deal with them.  After reading some of your post, I realize just how lucky I am.  I usually only get 3 headaches a day and they only last for about 2 hours max.  They are bad though. 

Believe it or not, I thank GOD for them now.  Because of my headaches, I found an aneurysm in my brain this past March.  I went to a new doctor and he ordered a MRI just to check.  The question remained, until recently, did my aneurysm have anything to do with my headaches?  NO.  I still get the clusters, even though I had the aneurysm clipped. 

Anyway, hello, and I am relieved that I am not alone and there is someone out there who truly understands. 

I'm with Linda -- Thank you for posting and we're all glad you had that MRI and got the aneurysm found and removed. We're sorry you have the headaches but they won't kill you.

And we DO understand about the headaches. Welcome to our family. We're here for support and whatever help you need. Just ask.....

Hugs BD

So Patty...I hope you didn't just breeze in and out of here.


We're still here if you need support or information or a shoulder to cry on or or or or or...we are here. 

If you'd rather talk to a person one on one just send me a personal message.  (PM)  at the bottom of my posts.  I will answer with 24 hours at least, or  call you if that is o.k. 

Linda


Linda

Thanks so much for the great replies.  I really do sometimes feel that I am alone battling these damn headaches.  I am a carpenter for a bridge builder here in Jacksonville Florida and there are times when I feel my headaches coming while at work like today.  I say to my fellow co-workers, I think one my headaches are coming and they just look at me like I am trying to get out of work.  I know they could never understand what I go through and the fear I have of my headaches coming at the most inconvenient times. 
I have lived with these headaches for over 20 years and sometimes don't think that I can survive another.  These headaches saved my life by discover of my aneurysm, but I still hate them and dread them.
I am on verapamil and I think that it is starting to not work.  Sometimes it is just so depressing.