The pain of cluster headaches is upon me once again.  The hell that is one of these demon's inside of me has descended... and it did so as soon as I was starting to get comfortable... as soon as I thought that maybe they were gone.  It started easily enough, but that little level 3 scared me completely to death and its only been worse since then.  I've even had the occasional 9 and 10. 

Its hit me harder this time, and I didn't know what to do until I found this site.  I got hooked up with a doctor who knows this disease and he gave me some oxygen.  It really does help, but not enough, and not all of the time so...

I tried injecting my oxycodone, probably one of the most powerful opiates in the world... I only do it for attacks that are really, really bad.  I always have a needle ready, just in case.

Then I remembered what I tried a long time ago, cocaine.  A vaso-constrictor.  It completely eliminated the attack the only time I tried it.

Anyways, so I tried it again during an attack... it stopped the whole ordeal, and I didn't have another for a while.  I thought, "wow, this is great.  I don't have to worry about becoming physically addicted to opiates." And I lived. (This was all starting 2 months ago)  Disaster occured when I thought, "why not try injecting it?  If it works with opiates, it'll work with cocaine."  And boy, did it ever work.  Not only did I stop the cluster, but it didn't come back all night, and I had fun.

However, I first used it for fun... when I didn't have a headache about a week ago.  Immediately afterward I decided not to touch the shit ever again.

The moral is that this might be a damn fine way to eliminate headaches, but remember that it can kill you... and it will worm its way into your life and do far worse than merely ending it.  If you can control yourself, snort away!  But.. don't inject, and don't EVER take it outside of a bad headache situation.

There it is.  Please understand what it takes for me to tell you this.  I am a law abiding citizen, but this disease destroys lives.  My girlfriend actually left me after an attack, she didn't understand.  I *kind of* have another one. I met her a few days ago, out at a bar, not drinking (trigger for me) and definitely clean.  I told her immediately.

Finally, I wont be shooting my oxy either, I feel like too much of a junkie (even though I'm NOT, as you guys know... you'll do anything to avoid that kind of pain); however, I will be snorting my oxycodone anytime a 4 or harder hits.

So, good ending.  Thanks for the oxygen tip guys.  I will be around.

-PbZep

P.S. And thanks for listening.

Brew wrote on Feb 7^th, 2010 at 7:05pm:



Second your  and raise you 

There are so many safe, effective, and legal meds for CH. Despair is not effective.....
-------

 
Cluster headache.
From: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or (Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases)
[Easy to read; one of the better overview articles I've seen. Suggest printing the full length article--link, line above--if you are serious about keeping a good medical library on the subject.]

Leroux E, Ducros A.

ABSTRACT: Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache disease characterized by recurrent short-lasting attacks (15 to 180 minutes) of excruciating unilateral periorbital pain accompanied by ipsilateral autonomic signs (lacrimation, nasal congestion, ptosis, miosis, lid edema, redness of the eye). It affects young adults, predominantly males. Prevalence is estimated at 0.5-1.0/1,000. CH has a circannual and circadian periodicity, attacks being clustered (hence the name) in bouts that can occur during specific months of the year. ALCOHOL IS THE ONLY DIETARY TRIGGER OF CH, STRONG ODORS (MAINLY SOLVENTS AND CIGARETTE SMOKE) AND NAPPING MAY ALSO TRIGGER CH ATTACKS. During bouts, attacks may happen at precise hours, especially during the night. During the attacks, patients tend to be restless. CH may be episodic or chronic, depending on the presence of remission periods. CH IS ASSOCIATED WITH TRIGEMINOVASCULAR ACTIVATION AND NEUROENDOCRINE AND VEGETATIVE DISTURBANCES, HOWEVER, THE PRECISE CAUSATIVE MECHANISMS REMAIN UNKNOWN. Involvement of the hypothalamus (a structure regulating endocrine function and sleep-wake rhythms) has been confirmed, explaining, at least in part, the cyclic aspects of CH. The disease is familial in about 10% of cases. Genetic factors play a role in CH susceptibility, and a causative role has been suggested for the hypocretin receptor gene. Diagnosis is clinical. Differential diagnoses include other primary headache diseases such as migraine, paroxysmal hemicrania and SUNCT syndrome. At present, there is no curative treatment. There are efficient treatments to shorten the painful attacks (acute treatments) and to reduce the number of daily attacks (prophylactic treatments). Acute treatment is based on subcutaneous administration of sumatriptan and high-flow oxygen. Verapamil, lithium, methysergide, prednisone, greater occipital nerve blocks and topiramate may be used for prophylaxis. In refractory cases, deep-brain stimulation of the hypothalamus and greater occipital nerve stimulators have been tried in experimental settings.THE DISEASE COURSE OVER A LIFETIME IS UNPREDICTABLE. Some patients have only one period of attacks, while in others the disease evolves from episodic to chronic form.

PMID: 18651939 [PubMed]
==========
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Here is a link to read and print and take to your doctor.  It describes preventive, transitional, abortive and surgical treatments for CH. Written by one of the better headache docs in the U.S.  (2002)
================
Michigan Headache & Neurological Institute for another list of treatments and other articles:

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


 

I know you're a Mormon.......And it's testimony Sunday.

    Potter

Potter wrote on Feb 7^th, 2010 at 8:37pm:


Potter....one too many m's....

Sounds like you are headed for the permanant solution..... Very wreckless. Most of us would do anything to stop an attack but I've never heard of even one getting that desparate.

You will survive CH, I pray you survive your desparation.

Don

Dude, i've delt with clusters for years w/o drugs of any kind.  It was horrible, but I knew I wasn't going to die.
Those opiates are only masking the pain if they do that at all.  I will tell you also in college I used cocaine "once" during a cycle and guess what?  Had a cluster in the middle of the coke high.  So, it's doesn't do jack shit if you ask me.  Shooting the stuff, please get help immediately.  It's the best thing you can do because you're playing with fire.  Look into oxygen, a much more natural way of aborting the pain w/o the drugs.

Cocaine is listed as some sort of pain reliever, I guess it's more the plant itself than the processed, powdered drug.  I'm not willing to try it.

It's difficult for us to know your intentions.  It does sound, however, as if you are experienced in snorting and shooting stuff up.  What I will tell you, without being judgemental, is that opiates dont work for many of us at all.  We've all tried them, and there are very few who say they relieve cluster pain. 

U might want to look into using Oxygen in a more effective manner, which could mean a higher flow rate or a different delivery method.  There are also pharmaceutical drugs (not pain killers) that can stop the pain.  There are also daily medications you can take which can help to stop a cycle or avoid it entirely.

Hopefully you can find one that works for you.  In the meantime, please don't snort pills.

jon019 wrote on Feb 7^th, 2010 at 11:16pm:

    As a baptized, priesthood holdin, card carrying, member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I assure you my spelling is perfect.
     I loved testimony Sunday, them folks would stand up and confess their sins in front of everybody. I got to hear shit that made me cringe.
   

                        Potter


    

In a side by side comparison of lidocaine and cocaine, both were found equally effective. Other studies have shown that these can help some people but are not a first choice med (~25% got good relief, 25% got some relief, and the other half got no relief).  Lidocaine is also much cheaper and less dangerous than cocaine. Ten dollars a month versus a hundred dollars a day ... you do the math.

Seek help. Seriously.

PbZep, if you know it's wrong, why are you doing it?  Because the pain is too much to bear?  Well guess what, we ALL know what that's like.  You are not special here due to that fact.

Also, most people partake on support groups to find camaraderie and when they come across an opinion that is not the same, they become defensive.  This is the Internet, we are all different and some do not think what you're doing to yourself is a good thing (including me!).  I'd rather you try Oxygen, or one of the alternatives like seeds or mushrooms than go down the route you're on.  Those treatments have been PROVEN to help without the horrid side effects like addiction (amongst other things).

There is a reason your fellow sufferers are saying what they are, and it's because they've been there, done that or found something much better.  Instead of bucking against advice, maybe try to be a little humble and take their advice?

We only want to help, really!

Congratulations you have now reached that point in your life where you receive a new moniker.  Junkie.  Make your mom proud son.

              Potter