Hello Friends,
This is my first post in 4.5 years.
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The date on my most recent prescription of Imitrex is the latter part of 2005. I've kept all my old medication though it's all expired, just in case. My "remission" ended three days ago, out of the blue (or should I say "black"). I had gone on with my existence, almost forgotten about what cluster headaches were like. But I kept my little black bag of meds, anyway. I had four Imitrex left and I always made sure that when I travelled I took it with me; I never needed it for over 4 years, but I kept it close anyway. Three days ago I got my first CH in over 4 years. I was in tears five minutes after it started blubbering on again just like the last attack almost 4.5 years ago. It all came flooding back, the  pain, the intense pain and the incredible nervous horror of waiting for the next attack. I sat at the kitchen table with the tears pouring out of me remembering everything and experiencing once again the most abysmal savage pain I'd ever experienced. And I knew it was all starting again, when I thought it was long passed and just a bad memory. I remembered all the details of my last bout with CH, and I found my CH diary stuffed in a bookcase with the last entry from September 2005. That day I had a ten-level CH then the pages are all blank because the headaches stopped as mysteriously as they had come on several months before. I remember being so happy when the headaches ended, thinking I could have a normal life again - I had thought that the clusterheadaches would debilitate me and my life ruined. I remember pacing, and drinking strong coffee, and smoking strong cigarettes to make the pain retreat just a little. It seemed to work just a little, but that little made a big impact. Today, I go to the docs to have my 5 year old prescription of Imitrex refilled. I once had an account on this forum, but let it go dormant and now I've forgotten my login name. Why would I remember it, I had no reason to post anything for almost 5 years - I wanted to forget clusterheadaches, forget the horror of it, the frustration, pain, and fear of it. Every aspect of clusterheadaches is negative, it was like some dark patch of my life that I thought was over and done.
I keep feeling shadows constantly and every twinge in my gums or eye I get nervous. I think, "S***, I've got only once imitrex left!" The thing about clusterheadaches is that it makes one feel helpless, and without control over one's own life. There seems no rhyme nor reason to it, but that it's some kind of tribulation some kind of training in suffering that I have to endure again. I remember the agony of these horrible attacks, every day, and to be totally honest, I am terrified.

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Besides coming around here to help others who are newly diagnosed and need help like you recieved...another reason to come around once and a while would be that in almost 5 years there are a lot of NEW treatments that are very promising and helping a LOT of people.  A reprieve of 41/2 yrs. is fantastic...but we all know that they will return and having the knowledge to fight them when they come back...is priceless.    High-flow regulators, RC seeds, not to mention cluster-busters are among the things you missed being talked about all this time.

I hope you have a short cycle and get another wonderful reprieve...but in the meantime you've got a lot of reading to do around here to catch up. 

Linda

Linda expressed well a vast reason for this site and otherwise the benefits of checking in with the reoccurring nature of ch. 



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Yet here's a thread that finds a way to say different.


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

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Linda_Howell wrote on Feb 17^th, 2010 at 12:46pm:


We're always open. 

RemissionOver wrote on Feb 17^th, 2010 at 1:52pm:

    I'm 2,000+ days painfree.  I keep a full M tank just for the day they return.  You might have learned something new if you checked in.

             Potter

Congrats on your long remission and sorry to see that you are going through this again.  Please read the link to the left on oxygen info.  It talks about the need for a certain kind of face mask and high flow rate of oxygen at over 15 lpm.  It works for almost everyone.  There is verapamil, lithium, topamax, elavil, etc to help prevent the ch.  Imitrex injection and nasal spray work wonders in under 10 min. to abort the ch.  Please check the clusterbusters website they may offer you a solution that may be something you want to look into.  Welcome back!!!

I think Churchill mentioned something about pessimism seeing difficulty in every opportunity and optimism as seeing opportunity in every difficulty.

This place can be that opportunity.   

I read right through it without even noticing, probably knew what you meant automatically, Jimi.   

Hello R.O.

Sorry to have you back.  I had my first cycle in six years last March so I think I know exactly how you feel.  I also had some old Trex lying around and it still worked like a charm.

I had a lot of help from the CH gang.  The knowledge here is simply awesome.  I did the Imitrex tip for the first time (worked like a charm) and also learned a ton of stuff on O2 which I STILL have to try.  But fortunately my cycle ended real fast.  And nothing since then.

So hang in there.  IT WILL PASS.  And I really wish your next remission to be even longer (say 70-80 years long, how's that?).

Take care!

miCHel

In re to the original post WOW 4 years that had to be heaven. I think I'd be trying to forget all about them too at that point. But I'd imagine now it's only made you feel worse holding on to that false hope. I'm sorry they are back. Littlebit

I'm new to the site and someone mentioned- RC seeds, not to mention cluster-busters are among the things you missed being talked about all this time.

Can anyone enlighten me on what those are?
Thanks Littlebit

Littlebit, RC seeds are just one of a few natural ways to get rid of cluster headaches.  Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or is a website devoted to these natural methods.  I would recomend you go read there for further information they are having lots of success with there methods.   

Welcome back, and I am so sorry that your CHs have decided to strike back after such a long break. Mentally, that would be tough to deal with, but just know that you'll get through it and there is a ton of support for you here. 

Wishing you pain free days and nights.

Thank you very much Linda and Karla I will def. check it out.