I found this site last February when I had a episode of CH. I didn't post back then because the CH went away after a few weeks (3-4 weeks normally) and like usual I go on with life as if nothing happened at all. This has been my pattern for the last 10 years when I had my first set of CH. For me CH are the worst part of my life but, when they go on hiatus, normally for 8-12 months, I feel great. I almost feel like a Jekyll by Hyde. When they hit, I'm so depressed, but as soon as the go away I feel like a million bucks.

For the first 8-9 years I had no idea I was having CH, only until one night when the pain was so bad I asked my wife to take me to the ER. The ER doctor did something my physician has never done, actually took what i told him and did some research, mind you at  3AM in the morning, His brief research indicated that I might have CH. The next day I did more searching and ran across this site. It brought tears to my eyes.

To make a long story short my physician prescribed Oxygen after i explained some of the treatments I read here. I tried it sevral times, especially before going to bed and it seemed to work or at least the pain was not as extreme when they did hit in the middle of the night. However, my insurance doesn't pay for oxygen and I finally couldnt pay for it anymore. So my Dr. prescribed Maxalt something my insurance will at least pay for some of it. 6 pills for $20, expensive but if I didnt have insurance I understand it could be much, much more. Maxalt sort of works, if I feel a CH coming on and if I catch it in time it normally keeps it manageable. At least the pain is only for about an hour with extreme pain for 15-30 minutes.

Anyways, earlier this week they have returned. Yesterday was probably the worse episode I've had in recent memory. I had one early Friday about 7am, but after taking Maxalt it went away in about an hour, with the strongest pain only lasting about 15 minutes. Then later in the day when I was driving home I felt it coming on again, I took another Maxalt, but this time it didn't go away so quickly. the worst pains was from 6 to 8:30 with nausea that forced vomiting, that was a first, and from 8:30 to about about midnight I had pain but not extreme pain.

Well, I'm glad I finally got around to posting on the forum. I find much comfort reading different posts because most people simply don't understand CH.

I have a Dr. appointment this Tuesday and I'm going to beg him to find me a headache specialist. Does anyone know of one in the San Diego area?

thanks,

Welcome to the board! I'm a San Diego boy, everyone else on the board will hate you now because...well...we live in San Diego, where the weather is ALWAYS  sunny and 72!

Amazingly enough, I use Kaiser on Zion Avenue, their neurology department is awesome. I use a nurse practitioner who sees a couple of us on the board and is open to listening to you. Are you a Kaiser person? They now pay for oxygen, didn't until a couple years ago. I'm an east county boy, what part of the city you call home?

Guiseppi

Hello everyone. What a bunch nice people!

Recently my work insurance changed to Aetna. Hopefully they will pay or at least cover some of the expense of 02. I guess, I should call and find out, it didn't even occur to me until now that maybe Aetna will pay where Pacific Care did not.

Guiseppi - I live in the Clairmont area of San Diego.

BTW - My wife is making fun of me for writing "Jekyll by Hyde" what I meant to say is Jekyll and Hyde.

Mr Lunch wrote on Dec 6^th, 2008 at 7:32pm:

Thanks again everyone.

I'm lurking around the forums but I haven't really understood what I need for the O2 treatment. Can someone point me in the right directions?

I've tried O2 before and I had positive response from the use. Apparently, I wasn't using it completely right, but it certainly lessened the pain. 

Well, I'm about to go to bed and I'm a bit terrified that I'll awake in the middle of the night with a CH. I hope not, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm having these attacks again. I just want the pain to be less. This episode seems to be much more intense then in years past.

One other thing, when I'm having attack I do a lot of moving around and twitching, arm flaring, shifting of my shoulders, and chills. Is this common with other Clusterheads?

Hi Joel and welcome to your new family. You are not alone with these anymore.

  Barry

Mr Lunch wrote on Dec 7^th, 2008 at 1:32am:

You need to breathe the O2 as soon as you feel a hit coming on.  You also need a regulator that goes up to at least 15lpm, and a non-rebreather mask (like the mask you see when you click on oxygen info to your left). 

I'm sure more will be along to answer any questions in particular you have about the O2.

Welcome to the family!