Had headaches in my teens, some migraines, some other.  Diagnosed when I was 23 give or take a year or two.  Went chronic at about 47-48.  Now 56.  You just got some of that same old stuff like "women don't get CH"  (Course, that one is right . . .  running for the hills now)

Would you believe Henry?

I didn't believe it either but my girlfriend is crazier than i am and she still has hope. I told her many times don't think that this will just end one day and we will live happy ever after ch's. I know my ch's are related to head trauma when i was young and not hereditary or just piss poor luck.

I was asking for myself a little also cause I've been getting them sooo long and knowing that i may get them for the rest of my life has been hard to accept. 

What Brew said.

I doubt head trauma caused it.  That has been discussed, but there are those who have had head trauma and those who have not.  Doesn't seem to be a factor.  At the moment a malfunctioning hypothalmus (SP) seems to be our best guess.

Jerry

Edit to add:  My wife has MS.  CH won't kill me.  MS will kill her.  We don't have it so badly after all.  Keep your chin up.  You CAN learn to live with CH and do well.

when i was nine i rolled a home made go cart over on a road head first and was knock out cold for a few minutes. i crashed a peddle bike also when i was 13 and was KO second time. when i was sixteen i suffered a seizure. i got ch's through my teens and they stopped maybe do to seizure meds i took till 18. i really don't know for sure if this may have caused ch but these were some bad hits to head and i still have a lump and a scar on my right forehead.

I started getting CH at 34 yrs of age it's now 11 years later and still getting them.

My dad started getting CH's in his late teens early twenties and he's now 70 and still gets them.

Some years back a Doctor did a survey on this site.  He remarked on the frequency of head trauma in sufferers but couldn't actually tie CH to it.

Sometimes, episodic sufferers do "out grow" CH.  I've been told it's more in the late 50s-60s age range though.

>70% of sufferers develope CH before the age of 30.

Never give up hope, it's the one thing you've always got! I've had CH since my late teens, I'm 50 now. My remissions have gotten longer, although so have my cycles! They've gotten less intense as I've gotten older, some of that is due to how I treat them, but I can't remember my last KIP 10.

You may outgrow them, some people do. But if you don't, by educating yourself, and always being ready to do battle, you'll be just fine.

Joe

What Brew and Jerry said certainly puts things in perspective.  No matter how bad we perceive things to be there are always others who are suffering more, or have it worse.  If anything else I hope it let's us appreciate life more, especially during pf times. 

Hubby started CH at 29 yrs of age, 48 now.  1 cycle a year usually begins June and ends in September.  But huge variables, can start as early as March and this year didn't end until December with lingering shadows.   Head trauma?  Yep, football.

(Jerry, I'm sorry your wife is fighting her own battle.  I hope she's doing well)

Callico wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2010 at 11:32pm:

Very true and powerful words, Jerry.  We can make a choice to not let CH win and keep on fighting the good fight.  Yes it is painful and horrible, but when it is over we can go on.  Sadly so many out there do not have the luxury of getting a break, no matter how small from their condition and my thoughts and prayers go out to them, you wife most definately included.  MS is one of the ones that I really hate, along with ALS.  They just make me question the fairness of the cosmos.......

Will,get your weapons together. It may go away and it may not,nobody knows.

I never had a headache all my life until I hit 45.

Could always be worse. A headache is a pain in the butt,but it wont kill me..

My episodic CH's started after a closed head injury at age 11.  I am now 42.  I have not had a cycle in over 5 yrs, since coincidentally another closed head injury.  Coincidental with closed head injuries?  I think so. 

I also think that age studies may have something to do with my good fortune of ridding the beast.  But I do not ever take a day for granted that they are completely gone.  Just very grateful