Well damned glad you found us. When you get a chance, give us a run down of your routine. What you've used that has and hasn't worked, if you have oxygen yet, etc. Maybe we can steer you to something that'll help, maybe you'll drop a pearl on us.

My youngest just graduated from Regis University in Denver. She fell in love with the town! Welcome to the nut house, sure help we can ease your burden a bit.

joe

Hello Topher and welcome home to your nutty family.

I'm sorry to hear you're hurting, but so glad that you have found us.

hugs,
mel

Well, as I said, they have gotten worse over the years. I wasn't officially diagnosed with them until recently, however I do remember weeks of headaches starting when I was 15 but doctors attributed it to sinuses, allergies, caffeine addiction, etc. So of course, nothing really helped.

In May of 08, I had about 3 weeks of excruciating headaches, to which the only thing that helped even in the slightest was marijuana through a vaporizor. This didn't make the pain go away, but it kind of pushed the pain to the back of my mind so I was at least able to function. I quit smoking, I quit drinking caffeine, I started jogging, trying to figure out why I was getting these headaches. Finally, I went to the doctor and she said "Well it sounds like cluster headaches, but I can't say for certain unless you come in with a headache" so she gave me a prescription for zomig and sent me on my way.

The zomig worked as long as I took the pill RIGHT as it started, but if I missed, it was pretty much useless (not to mention way to expensive). A week or so later they just stopped.

The next attack started on the 20th of December, my new girlfriend and I were up in the mountains for the weekend and when we went to breakfast the morning we were coming back I couldn't function.  I was able to drive down the mountain and back to my house. My mother pretty much has a standing prescription for vicodin, so I started taking those at the first sign of a headache (again, like the weed, it doesn't remove the pain just allows me to function). After 2 and a half weeks of these headaches (1-2 a day) I scheduled an appointment with my doctor around the time of day my headaches happen most. I got a call back from her saying she would rather I just go to a neurologist. I convinced her to prescribe me my own vicodin as my mother needs hers and can't be running out.

I saw a neurologist last week, who officially said "Yeah, clusters" gave me some maxalt, frova and verapamil. As it has been over a month since the start of the attack (meaning I should *crosses-fingers* be almost done) I decided save the frova until my next attack as my neurologist said it would only help shorten the clusters if they helped at all. I took the maxalt the next day when it was so bad I couldn't move and man, those things are awesome. Within about 10 minutes, I felt my pain level drop from a 9.5 to a 4. I filled those right away, unfortunately my insurance only covers 4 tablets at $22 a piece). The verapamil is a calcium channel blocker and I can't remember exactly what my neurologist said it would help, but the internet says a side-effect is "headaches", so i'm not sure what to expect from it.

Welcome to your new family!  I'm in college, too, and it's a bitch, ain't it?   

Have you read everything on clusterbusters.com about the hallucinogenics?  They stop the headaches, you don't have to dose for every attack...in fact, you have to wait 3-5 days between doses for your receptors to reset.  Breaking a cycle is harder than preventing one, so you may have to dose 2 or 3 times to stop the cycle.  AND check the list of counterractive meds- you may be on something that you must detox out of for the mushrooms, seeds, etc. to be effective.

PLEASE stay away from narcotics- they really don't do what you need them to do for CH, and more importantly they cause nasty rebound headaches!!    I do take them sparingly myself, but only about once a week and only because I'm resistant to any other meds.

Also, pot is a vasodilator- one of the LAST things you need right now. You're going to hear a lot about how to properly use oxygen to abort, how to use caffeine and energy drinks, and lots of other great info.  This board is Grand Central Station for the very latest, up-to-the-minute info on CH- soak it all in, my friend!  Good luck!
-Paige

Welcome Topher,
     Amen to the O2, get some.

Verapamil worked fine for me for the most part.  I was taking 360mg per day.

                                 PFD's
                                  JPC

Hey another Denverite. I've had clusters since I was 18, (I'm 30 now). It took six years of seeing different doctors before I found out what it was. This is the first year that I've tried shrooms, and I've been pain free since November. I'll be ending my cycle at the end of February. Best thing I ever did.  

Good luck.