Hello.  I'm new to the board and an eposodic sufferer.  I get clusters every couple of years for about 6 weeks.  Each episode happened at the same time every day and lasted anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours.  Previously, I had tried prednisone tapers and that seemed to work somewhat.  However, one beer and I was a goner.

I was out one night when the headache hit.  I ran into an acquaintence who happened to be a neurosurgeon.  He waived it off and said "put an ice pack on your skin below your sternum/rib cage a little to the left and it will go away".  Something about a nerve or blood vessel that leads from your mid-section up to your eye area

I tried it.  The headache went away within a few minutes.  When another started the next time, I did it again and it went away.   The cycle then broke and I didn't have one again.  That was two years ago.   I had a big one the other night and tried the ice pack again.  Again it was gone within 10-15 minutes.  When another started the next night, I did the same thing- it went away.  Haven't had one since.

I haven't searched these threads extensively to see if this was suggessted.  Just wanted to share this.  I know very well that there is no greater relief then when a cluster dissapates.   So, I hope this helps you too.

Brew wrote on Jul 6^th, 2010 at 4:15am:


Ditto.

I'm just going to suggest that, as the title of the thread states, it's an ice pack AND 15 minutes.

What's the true cause of the abort? Impossible to say because there's more than one variable: the cooling of some nerve that reportedly runs from the sternum to the trigeminal AND the passage of 15 minutes.

I find this one to be interesting - starting to eye it for my file of various things people have reported that I might try on a future episode.

Thanks for the report.

where is it supposed to be put?
you mean just a bit under the heart spot?

Just an update.  Had an attack last night while at the bar.  (a couple of drinks in) Brought a baggie with me just in case.  Ordered glass of ice.  Put baggie under my shirt and pinned against the bar.  Went away after a few minutes.  Pain never got above a 4 or 5.  Continued my evening.  Beat the hell out of having to call it a night to go home and cry.

Placement was exactly as wimsey described.

nope.doesn't work for me.
but since ice packs are there in the fridge
maybe i ll give it a try a few more times just to be sure.

Why would anyone even think of drinking alcohol during a cluster cycle!  That's just plain dumb!

Denver Mike wrote on Jul 21^st, 2010 at 10:36pm:

So, whenever you leave home you have to consume alcohol? That borders on problematic, man.

batch has told me that placing an ice cube on the top of your head makes your brain think that your body is freezing causing your capillaries to constrict thus taking pressure from the trigeminal nerve.

wimsey1 wrote on Jul 24^th, 2010 at 7:51am:


i can work outside in the cold all day in the peak of a cycle and not get hit. 15 minutes after i come inside i get hit

Shaggy likes the cold during his cycle.  Got hit once at the end of my work day, loaded my truck and piled my crew in to the cab.  By the time I got back into town my crew was freezing/frozen and I was still sweating.  Wouldn't let anyone touch the air conditioner.  Ice cubes on my chest or head or whatever?  yes please!

--Shaggy