Hi,
   My name is Garland. I have been dealing with Clusters for over 35 years. Sometimes I have been headache free for as long as 4 or 5 years and sometimes not so lucky. The longest round has been everynight, 5 or 6 headaches a night, for over 8 months!. I only have them when I go to sleep. I have tried everything there is to offer except O2, for some reason Drs. around here don't like it when you self diagnose yourself. I know exactly what each one of you are going through and I know how frustrating it can be not being able to find help. Over the years the only two things that have helped me is hot showers ( I can literaly drain a 40 gal water heater) and in the past couple of years I have been taking Benadryl before I go to bed and it seems to help a bit with the pain and frequency of the cycles. Last night I went 5 rounds, but I am determined to not let these headaches get the best of me, they may hurt like hell and wear me down and disrupt a part of my life but I absolutely refuse to let them win! Thanks for giving me a place to share my experiences and I hope that I can be of help to someone!!

Garland

Hello Garland,
Sounds like a bad nightmare with Freddy Crouger coming for your eye every night.
Have you used Melatonin?  It seems to be very helpfull for some.  I use 9mg every night (I over did it the other night, oops) and sleep soundly with no 2am wakers.

And for the O2, some use welding grade, which is safe. I have used it myself.  I don't get a prescription for O2, I pick it up myself.  Non-re-breather mask, 15 LMP and it works 95% of the time.  Be sure not to use the strap on the mask, you don't want to fall asleep and have the O2 run out.  If I have a breakthrough on O2, I use Imitrex (shot) to nip it out, and use the tip on the side menu.  Also, as a preventive, I am currently at 320mg of Verapamil daily.

Good luck, and get the O2!!!
PFN (nights) to you.
Angela