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New to CH.com (Read 1186 times)
vince
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Hull, UK
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Jan 20th, 2009 at 8:12am
 
Hi, been lurking for a while, reading posts.
I'm from the UK and have had ECH for about 8 yrs and Migraine for 25.
Have tried a variety of stuff, and currently taking:
Verapamil
O2 and Imigran.
I am currently 'enjoying' nightly visits from the Beast.
After 8 yrs saw a specialist nurse last week (referred by my neuro) who did and Occipital Nerve block injection (first time it's been offered).
Doesn't seem to have done anything yet, anyone had any successes?
Fingers crossed.
take care
Vince
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Iddy
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Toronto,Canada
Gender: male
Re: New to CH.com
Reply #1 - Jan 20th, 2009 at 8:51am
 
Hi Vince welcome to your new home.
There are many great people here with greater knowledge than I who you will hear from.
It sounds like you have the proper ammo to fight the beast.
Cheers hope for PFD   Smiley
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Walk in Peace

"If you can, help others, if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them." Dalai Lama
 
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Bob Johnson
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Posts: 5965
Kennett Square, PA (USA)
Gender: male
Re: New to CH.com
Reply #2 - Jan 20th, 2009 at 9:11am
 
Suggest that you contact an excellent support group in GB:
    Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to Login or Register
=============
Suggest that you print both of these lists and use as a discussion tool with your health provider.

HERE ARE TWO MAJOR DOCUMENTS WITH RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS FOR CLUSTER HEADACHE, ONE FROM A U.S. PHYSICIAN, THE SECOND FROM EUROPE.
_________________________________________
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to Login or Register
Here is a link to read and print and take to your doctor.  It describes preventive, transitional, abortive and surgical treatments for CH. Written by one of the better headache docs in the U.S.  (2002. Rozen)
================
Treatment guidelines from Europe

------
A. May, M. Leone, J. Áfra, M. Linde, P. S. Sándor, S. Evers, P. J. Goadsby:
EFNS guidelines on the treatment of cluster headache and other
trigeminalautonomic cephalalgias.
European Journal of Neurology. 2006; 13: 1066–1077.

Download free full text:
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to Login or Register
(Thanks to "cluster" for link.)
=============

See also,

 
Cluster headache.
From: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to Login or Register (Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases)
[Easy to read; one of the better overview articles I've seen. Suggest printing the full length article if you are serious about keeping a good medical library on the subject.]

Leroux E, Ducros A.

ABSTRACT: Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache disease characterized by recurrent short-lasting attacks (15 to 180 minutes) of excruciating unilateral periorbital pain accompanied by ipsilateral autonomic signs (lacrimation, nasal congestion, ptosis, miosis, lid edema, redness of the eye). It affects young adults, predominantly males. Prevalence is estimated at 0.5-1.0/1,000. CH has a circannual and circadian periodicity, attacks being clustered (hence the name) in bouts that can occur during specific months of the year. ALCOHOL IS THE ONLY DIETARY TRIGGER OF CH, STRONG ODORS (MAINLY SOLVENTS AND CIGARETTE SMOKE) AND NAPPING MAY ALSO TRIGGER CH ATTACKS. During bouts, attacks may happen at precise hours, especially during the night. During the attacks, patients tend to be restless. CH may be episodic or chronic, depending on the presence of remission periods. CH IS ASSOCIATED WITH TRIGEMINOVASCULAR ACTIVATION AND NEUROENDOCRINE AND VEGETATIVE DISTURBANCES, HOWEVER, THE PRECISE CAUSATIVE MECHANISMS REMAIN UNKNOWN. Involvement of the hypothalamus (a structure regulating endocrine function and sleep-wake rhythms) has been confirmed, explaining, at least in part, the cyclic aspects of CH. The disease is familial in about 10% of cases. Genetic factors play a role in CH susceptibility, and a causative role has been suggested for the hypocretin receptor gene. Diagnosis is clinical. Differential diagnoses include other primary headache diseases such as migraine, paroxysmal hemicrania and SUNCT syndrome. At present, there is no curative treatment. There are efficient treatments to shorten the painful attacks (acute treatments) and to reduce the number of daily attacks (prophylactic treatments). Acute treatment is based on subcutaneous administration of sumatriptan and high-flow oxygen. Verapamil, lithium, methysergide, prednisone, greater occipital nerve blocks and topiramate may be used for prophylaxis. In refractory cases, deep-brain stimulation of the hypothalamus and greater occipital nerve stimulators have been tried in experimental settings.THE DISEASE COURSE OVER A LIFETIME IS UNPREDICTABLE. Some patients have only one period of attacks, while in others the disease evolves from episodic to chronic form.

PMID: 18651939 [PubMed]
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Bob Johnson
 
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Guiseppi
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Posts: 12063
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA USA
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Re: New to CH.com
Reply #3 - Jan 20th, 2009 at 9:40am
 
Welcome to the board, I haven't tried the nerve block route, several on the board have, hopefully they'll chime in shortly. Is the oxygen effective at aborting your attacks? The key is to get pure 02 into your lungs as soon as the attack starts. Best accomplished using a Non Re Breather Mask and a high flow regulator, at least 15 LPM or higher.

Bob's given you some awesome reading, the latest and greatest in what's working. Welcome to the nut house! Wink

Joe
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"Somebody had to say it" is usually a piss poor excuse to be mean.
 
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vince
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Hull, UK
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Re: New to CH.com
Reply #4 - Jan 20th, 2009 at 12:29pm
 
Thanks for the welcome. Will read the details.
Have had Oxygen for my last three episodes and it is better than not having, it doesn't always work (probably delay in starting). Wish I could take it everywhere with me!
Reading the list of drugs I have been on:
Topiramate (prescribed for migraine,very bad reactions memory loss, dizziness etc)
Prednisone (at onset of episode, tapering dose)
Methysergide (prescribed for migraine, no great effect)
and loads of stuff for migraine (pizotofen, amytriptline, propanalol, epilim, etc.)
Nasal sprays
Zomig.

Read loads of similar experiences.
My wife read some posts and said 'That sounds like you', she and the kids are really supportive but I think there must have always been some doubt.
The kids are great, my daughter gives me three kisses on the head every night to 'make my head safe', she's 4.

Ta
Vince

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Linda_Howell
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Santa Maria, Ca.
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Re: New to CH.com
Reply #5 - Jan 20th, 2009 at 12:38pm
 
Quote:
my daughter gives me three kisses on the head every night to 'make my head safe', she's 4.



THAT is absolutely adorable !!!
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UnderTheRadar
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Posts: 383
Texas
Gender: female
Re: New to CH.com
Reply #6 - Jan 20th, 2009 at 5:45pm
 
Welcome home, man...it's your new second family here!  Wink

What have you found to be effective (if anything) for the migraines?  (I'm in the same boat.)  And does your migraine change while in cycle?

-Paige
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vince
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Hull, UK
Gender: male
Re: New to CH.com
Reply #7 - Jan 21st, 2009 at 12:33pm
 
Hi Paige,
Have tried loads of stuff for Migraines:
Sanomigran (Pizotofen) - worked for a while but weight gain was bad
Amytriptyline - Did nothing
Propanolol - made me feel weak and tired, didn't work.
Sodium Valproate (Epilim) - didn't feel good while taking.
Topirimate - really bad reaction, memory loss, dizziness.
Methysergide - reduced migraines a bit, but felt less able to cope because of the on/off scenario to avoid sideffects.
Also done elimination diets, was great whilst eating basically nothing, introduced new inidividuals food items and found no triggers, gave up before I could get to combinations (6mnths of crap food was enough).
Done acupuncture which worked more for the neuralgia than the migraine but after a year it got on my nerves, couldn't cope laying there once a week for an hour (more invasive than I wanted with an hour drive each way)
Currently taking nothing for Migraine and usualy have 1-2 a week. Weirdly I don't have migraine during cluster cycles, which is fine by me.
What do you do for migraine? Does it work?
Vince
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