Hello,

My father (age 63) has a new episode of cluster headaches for over 2 weeks now. He is using oxygen and Triptan injections. He had been in remission for over 5 years.
He got his first attack in his early 20s after severe head trauma caused by a car accident.
His father got his first attack after severe head trauma by a blow with an axe on his head. He committed suicide after years of suffering with cluster headaches. That was in the early 60s.

I have a few questions:

He has seen a lot of doctors in his live and had several different treatments. They always told him that there were no patients over age 60. Apparently that isn`t true. But are there people over here that got rid of the headaches after a certain age?

Are there more people that suffer from these headaches after severe head trauma? Or are there people that know what triggered it by them?

I`ve read on an other site that melatonin pills my help. Anyone here ever tried that? If so what doses?

I wish all of you that suffer from "the Beast" and your relatives all the best.

Regards,
Jelmer (The Netherlands)

Bless your heart for being a supporter and doing the search for your dad. Makes you golden in my book.

Some people "grow out of them" others do not. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason. We have people on the board who have stopped having cycles in their 40's, and we have people I believe as old as their 70's still having cycles. Many started with head trauma, others, like me!!!, never had head trauma and they just started!

Melatonin is an over the counter sleep aid. It helps a lot of the sufferers who get the attack 45-90 minutes after going to sleep at night. Many have found by taking melatonin 30 minutes before bed, they can avoid those wake up hits. Trial and error with the dosing.

You mentioned 2 great abortives, the 02 and the triptans, is he on any preventative medications? Many of us take a prevent type med while on cycle to reduce the number and intensity of their attacks. I use lithium. Verapamil and topomax are also popular prevents. Worth talking to the doc about.

Joe

Thank you for the replies,

My father is using O2 7l per min. That helps him for the milder attacks.
Have seen here that most of you use 12-15l per min. Will tell him that maybe it helps him with attacks scale 9-10.

I used a 15 lpm regulator for 20 years...until this nice guy here bought me one that goes to 25 lpm.  The difference is amazing and SO worth the cost. 


and yes.....thank you for being such a great son.  I don't know what we'd do without our supporters.  Their/your  life is not a bowl of cherries, that's for sure.   

I'm hoping that since he went 5 yrs. w/o a cycle, he's going to be in for a very short one this time.