Hello fellow clusterheads
My name is Marty I have been  suffering since 95 my first experience lasted for 4 weeks getting hit at 11, pm every night and lasting for about 30 min each time only one hit per night averaging kip 4-5. I went for two years without another hit then they came back they were more intense kip 5-6 and getting hit about the same time every night now it was 2-3 times a night. My sinuses hurt so bad I made an appointment with a doctor and ultimately had sinus surgery I thought this would be the end of the pain. I went back to see my surgeon two weeks later for my follow up appointment to have the tubes removed from my nostrils and then BAM all of the sudden I was in pain that was indescribable kip 10 right there in my surgeons office I thought I was going to die for sure. I was immediately transferred to the E.R. where they immediately presided to call my wife and let her know that there was a problem. The doctors then started to look for possible causes they shot me up with morphine to control the pain that I was in the morphine did not even take the edge off. They continued to monitor me for another 45 min or so. They could not believe that I was still in pain so they gave me another shot of morphine ten minutes later the pain stopped as fast as it came on. The doctor was then able to start a battery of tests including a CAT scan. Everything came back clean they did not know what to tell me other than it must have been a freak reaction to having the tubes removed from my nose three hours earlier so they sent me home. Needless to say I did not even make it to the front door of the hospital and I was hit again. Now I was admitted to the hospital spent about an hour in the E.R. while waiting for a room during this time the hospitals neurologist came to see me asked a few questions, saw my swollen eye and tells me I have CH, he then orders an injection of Imitrex within five minutes the headache was gone. My stay at the hospital lasted five days during this time he started me on prednisone for two weeks and verapamil 360 mg. daily and imitrex as needed up to two 6 mg. inections a day. My insurance company said they would only allow six injections a month, I talked with my neurologist about it he imeditly called my insurance company within two days they would now pay for sixty doses a month, I have never needed that many in a one month period but nice to know I can get them if needed. I have since been diagnosed chronic, my wife asked me to leave she can’t take it and I can hardly blame her?? Since I left about a year ago I had my neurologist up my verapamil to 480 mg. and he also put me on Gabapentin 600 mg. in the last year I have only had 7 CH that I have needed to abort . I still get those pesky daily shadows but I’m not going to go there.
Anyway thank you all for being hear with your wonderful sight.  

Welcome Blue Eyes!

Ask your neuro to prescribe you O2 (see the links at the top of the medication forum for details).

Regarding the use of Imitrex check the Imitrex tip on the left and regarding the shadows try strong coffee until you get O2.

Oliver

Blue_eyes wrote on Jan 1^st, 2009 at 2:44pm:

What flow rate and mask did you try?

B

Read the oxygen threads in the medication forum and try it again.

Oliver

OK, make sure he prescribes O2 at a flow rate of at least 15lpm and a non-rebreather mask.

Meanwhile you can try energy drinks and strong coffee to abort the hits or at least lessen their intensity.

Oliver

Welcome to the group Marty.

     I see you have gotten some good advice already.

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