I'm not a suffer of cluster headaches myself however my father has been suffering from them for quite a while now. I set this account up for my dad who sadly at the moment is in hospital after having a severe Cluster Headache attack.

For about a year or so my father was clear from cluster headaches sleeping normally, until recently when my father who is 61 had shingles which covered his left arm and upper back. When the blisters had finally disappeared, he was left with Postherpetic Neuralgia in which the area the shingles occurred causes the nerves to be on edge leaving the slightest touch causing excruciating pain.

This has affected my fathers ability to sleep and usually resulting in waking up long periods at night. However recently my father has been getting up with pain similar to toothache. Unfortunately as my fathers arm has began to get better, the cluster headaches have began to get worse and worse.

My father takes an injected drug called Imigran for his cluster headaches when they should arise, within a week he has already taken at least 40 injections.

19th October 2009 my father who has a high pain threshold finally broke down in tears crying and screaming with the pain. It was very upsetting for me and my mother and had no choice but to call an Ambulance.

My father is spending the night over in Intensive care at the Hospital in which my father had two following attacks there, I have NEVER seen my father in such pain. Seeing it felt like my father was being tortured by something that I couldn't see. If I could take my dad's pain into me just so he didn't have to deal with it I would do it in a heartbeat.

Anyways once he comes out, this will be his account and I'm sure he will be able to tell you his personal feelings more. I know how you lot feel cause I know through watching my father going through the hell.

Kind Regards

Aaron Price

Imigran can be a very effective drug, but 40 in a week is a LOT. There are other additional therapies that are very effective, and they may help keep your dad from more ambulance rides and from having to inject so much imigran.

There's a newer way of administering O2 that many many sufferers swear by now:

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

There is a method for injecting half doses of Imigran (half doses are just as effective). This will halve the risk, and double the amount of injections available:

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

There are preventative meds such as verapamil that will keep a lot of the attacks from even surfacing. Personally I'm on Neurontin - it's a good one for me, and I believe it also alleviates nerve pain, so it might be worth it for your dad to check it out if he hasn't already.

This is just for starters. This site needs to be explored in depth and plenty of questions asked. That's exactly what has helped me largely overcome this CH beast.

Aaron, how wonderful of you to do the research to find us in order to help him.  We will be on the look-out for him and welcome him with open arms.

As has been said...40 injections in one week is FAR too much.  Imitrex is good for relieving pain quickly but it is dangerous to use it that often and can and DOES cause rebounds.   Much safer and effective to use pure oxygen.  Read the yellow oxygen link thoroughly and if you have any questions, feel free to ask here.

I just thought of something.  You used the term Imigran instead of what we, in the U.S. call Imitrex Can you tell us where you live?  (no we don't want your address.   )  The reason I ask is because sometimes getting 02 is harder to do in other countries and maybe we can help you with that.

Linda

Hi and Welcome to Clusterville

  ABSOLUTELY get the 02.  I'm 62 and have some artery blockage and high cholesterol so use sumatriptans like Imitrex (Imagran) . . . 02 is my only abortive and can kill the beast in minutes if used early-on in the attack.  CH attacks ramp up so quickly . . . a fast abortive is a must, and any reduction in Kip level is a blessing.

  Read the 02 links and copy pertinent info to take to your doc.  Many docs are reluctant to prescribe 02 for some reason, so it's helpful to have recognized (by the medical community) information in hand when getting the script. 

  So glad you found us . . . this place saved my life.

     Be Safe   PFDANs


        Richard