I'm glad it isn't a tumor.
OK, so we got THAT taken care of. Now let's go on from there. No nasties to worry about.
Married to a CH sufferer wrote on Apr 21st, 2009 at 5:51pm:Maybe his stomach will recover now... he's been taking tylenol, motrin, excedrin, aspirin like our kids eat PEZ.
So get rid of all that OTC crap! It does NOTHING for clusters, yet a nasty number on his innards. BTW, as a side note, I ALWAYS eat something, and have a glass of milk (to coat stomach) before I take any meds. I am always worried about a pill, sitting on my gut, eating away at it. So, I always make sure I take something FIRST.
Married to a CH sufferer wrote on Apr 21st, 2009 at 5:51pm:It's a sick joke now--
Sick, demented jokes are a REQUIREMENT, here, because every one here (other than myself, of course) is a sick and demented SOB ... REAL nut cases! I am the only sane one on the whole site!
- - - - - - - - - - - OK, that above method is too cumbersome, and time consuming ... Let me answer your questions in a different format:
Married to a CH sufferer wrote on Apr 21st, 2009 at 5:51pm:It's not funny that my husband asks me to hurt him but when he's not in pain,
(Hurting him is NOT allowed while he is going through an attack ... AFTER WARDS is fully acceptable and expected ...)
but we try to take advantage of it and laugh when he can.
(A good attitude, and a great sense of humor are the two first weapons to fight the beast. DON'T dwell on the pain, dwell on the PAIN FREE times, between hits. Laugh, joke, and live your life fully, even if it is JUST to SPITE the beast!)
I hope that doesn't upset anyone. We know how serious it is. I promise.
He's really active and in great shape, probably because running seems to help the pain sometimes. (IS THERE ANYTHING that helps the pain ALL the time?) There are times he's tempted to get up and run in the middle of the night. Is that normal?
(Very normal! Most of us cannot sit or lay still. We have to be moving around. Some sit and rock, others pace, others bang their head, and others do strenuous exercise. Some, do all of the above ... Some have GREAT results in aborting their hits, by doing the strenuous exercise! For others, exercise is a trigger.)
I have so many questions... I am not sure where to start. Please excuse me if this isn't the right place at all or if I'm overdoing it all at once.
(You're not over doing it at all ... Keep asking ...)
I see that some people use icepacks on the offending eye-- does it really help with the pain, or is it a mental thing?
(Ice works for many, yet others use heat. It is different for all. Try each, and see what helps. Move them around to different parts of the head and neck to find the spot that helps the most. Heat or cold do not necessarily abort the hit, but it sure does take a bit of the edge off, and helps you cope with it, until it is over.)
I don't mean to offend, I just don't know. We haven't tried it yet. I mean usually he'll ask me if his eye is swollen but it's not, just red and irritated. Followed by dark circles due to a lack of sleep.
He seems to grind his teeth in response to the pain...
(Not at all uncommon.)
later his jaw and neck hurts, any suggestions as to how I can help with that?
(Hit him over the head, with a base ball bat ... Oh wait, I told you that you could not hurt him while he is battling the beast ... Ok .. Forget I mentioned the base ball bat ...)
I dunno if I want to stop it in the first place or alleviate the pain afterwards. I just don't know.
Do triptans cause gastrointestinal stresses? He's had quite enough of that trying to drown a CH in OTC pain meds (like trying to drown an elephant in a tea cup) that so I'd like to see him on a treatment that doesn't cause side effects he's already tired of. I love him so much and I'd prefer no side effects, but something new would be better than no relief.
(The best abortive, without side effects is oxygen ... Read the information behind the tab, on the left side of your screen: oxygen info and that should answer most of your questions ...)
Okay-- what about chronic versus episodic? It seems to me that he is episodic because sometimes we'll have good weeks, but it's never more than a few weeks. But sometimes the cycle is only a short time, but then the relief time is relatively short, too.
(The present medical definition is more than 12 months of pain, without a 30 day (continuously) break in hits. If he has not met those requirements, he is episodic. If he has, then he is chronic.)
The doctor prescribed a daily 'preventative' med- can't remember the name right now-- has anyone had any luck keeping the headaches at bay longer with those?
(Many have excellent luck with prescribed meds, or even some unconventional methods to keep the beast at bay.)
He's always tired all the time during a cycle. He can't sleep, and he's exhausted. If he does get a few minutes to sleep or even lay still, it's always too short or it's just a time when it's only 'less painful' not pain free.
(Have him try taking Melatonin (3mg size) about 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour before going to bed. Start low, and builtd up, if he has to, till it allows him a good night's sleep. Some take 15mg a night. Sometimes it takes a week or two, to start giving the desired results.)
Is this all cluster 'normal' or does all this sound so weird that I need to badger the doctors into looking deeper?
Is any of this Cluster 'normal'?
(Virtually EVERYTHING you mentioned is normal (if we can use that term here) for a cluster headache sufferer.)
Geeze, I get a motor mouth (fingers) don't I ?? ?? ??
I am glad you are here, but sorry you have to. You are an AWESOME person to be such a great supporter! He NEEDS your kind of support! And when YOU need support, come right here, and vent, cry, scream, complain, or what ever. We are here to listen and support you, the supporter! There is even a special section for you, a supporter. Go there to talk and commiserate with other supporters.
Chuck
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New to a diagnosis, not the pain (Read 1112 times)
