Hey everyone! I'm new on here, so anything I say might have been already been talked about to death, but I'll take the risk...

For those of you that don't have chronic cluster headaches, have your cluster periods varied much in duration? I'm asking because my first -- and until very recently, only -- period was three years ago and my headaches occured 2-3 times a day for about a week. But suddenly I'm having my second period after that three year remission, and it's already been 2+ weeks and it's still going strong. So I don't know if I can reasonably expect them to go into remission again soon...

Similarly, has any had cluster headaches go from being acute to being chronic? Or is it something like "once chronic always chronic" or "once acute always acute"?

Merry Christmas by the way!

It varies too much from individual to individual to say much about it.  Some episodics are all over the map--others know pretty clearly when a cycle will begin and end.

In general, cycles seem to be more erratic at the beginning, developing into more established patterns later on.  But that's a very, very broad generalization. 

Wish I could be a bit more specific, but specifics don't really exist.  After a time, you'll have a sense of what to expect with your own cycles. 

Even so, I think you have to take it one day at a time, one hit at a time.  Unlike most things we do, the only way to get through CH is moment to moment.  When it hurts, it hurts.  When it doesn't, life is good.  Predicting it, anticipating it, worrying about it, thinking about it, and planning your life around it won't change a thing, and it won't do a damn bit of good.  Fight when you have to, live fully when you don't.

Whatever happens, you'll learn to get through it.  It's what we do.   

All good wishes,

George

Merry Christmas r3v0lvEr

And ditto to what George said.

Cheers
Barry

32 years and I am still eisodic. For most of the first 20 years, they were setting the atomic clocks to the rhythm of my cycles! 8-12 week cycles, spring and fall, 2 attacks a day. Hit my 40's and they went all over the board. Unpredictability is it's nature!

Joe

I'd be careful about taking too much excedrin as you might be getting rebound headaches from it.

Ya know, for that matter, in the beginning sinus meds helped me as well. Didn't stay effective, but in the first couple of years before they settled into a predictable pattern I'd pop an allergy pill and it helped. I think I've read about this somewhere but what the hey, it's worth a try. But consider better and longer lasting prevents. God bless. lance

When I was 23 in 1969, I got my first run of this horror and from then on it was my "friend" until 1991. This year will make 20 years since I've had something that I'd call a real cluster attack....they put up with me here anyway....

My 20 minute hits began just about the first week of October every effen year for about four or five weeks. Five a day was the norm, two of them at night. Then one day I'd have maybe two and the next, gone. My next cycle was exactly the same, almost always in late March or early April. This would be the last until October again. Once in 1989, I had a two or three day hit in late July and I have no idea why.

Then in 1991, my fall hit consisted of two or three a days for maybe a week. That was the end. I've not been hit since I was 45. Back then there was really no serious drug that my doctors knew of for the thing. I was lucky in having one that knew what it was. My only serious weapon was this technique I post now and then:

Dr. Wright’s Circulatory Technique:

What follows is a technique learned from my neurologist:

I am not sure what mechanism is triggered by this but whatever it is, at least indirectly helps kill the pain. I do know that this technique has nothing to do with meditation, relaxation, or psychic ability. It is entirely physical and takes some work. It involves concentrating on trying to redirect a little circulation to the arms, hands, or legs. It can described as a conscious circulatory flexing. Increased circulation will result in a reddening and warming of the hands. Try to think of it as filling your hands with redirected blood. The important and difficult part is that it has to be done without interruption through the pain. Do not give up in frustration. It may not work on the first try. Every now and then it will work almost immediately. I lived for those moments. Try experimenting between attacks. You will find that it gets easier with practice.

I was given less than five minutes instruction in the use of method. The doctor, while placing his arm on his desk, showed me that he could slightly increase his arm and hand circulation. After several attempts, I was able to repeat this procedure and use it successfully. I have had about a 75% success rate shortening these attacks. My 20 minute attacks were often reduced to 10 minutes or less. Once proven that I had a chance to effectively deal with this horror, I always gave it a try as I had nothing to lose but pain.

Perhaps it will help if you think of it as trying to fill the arm as if it is were an empty vessel. I used to try to imagine I was pushing blood away from my head into my arm. Use your imagination. There is one man who wrote that his standing barefoot on a concrete floor shortened his attacks. This may be similar as it draws some circulation away from the head. Cold water, exercise, or anything affecting circulation, seems to be worth a try. My suggestion is to not let up immediately when the pain goes. Waiting a minute is probably a good idea. So long as you do not slack off, this has a chance of working.

This technique is very useful while waiting for medication to take effect or when none is available. It costs nothing, is non-invasive, and can be used just about anywhere. It is not a miracle but it helped me deal with this horror. It can be a bit exhausting but the success rate was good enough for me and a cluster headache sufferer will do just about anything to end the pain. It gives us a fighting chance.
I hope this technique is helpful and I wish you the best of luck

Charlie      

I am episodic and my cycles are around one and half year, means some times the start of the attackes falls in the spring and some times in the begineing of the automn. as i have have business trips some times the jet lag is a trigger and it cause the start of the cycle , or i remember even whatching the tragedic scenes will cause the start of the cycle.
my attackes are normally in the mid night.
however i am in the pain free times and between the cycle , actually the last cycle was in cotober 2010.
anyway cant forget the pain even duting this time but i am agree with the above firends statement that we shall learn to live with this situation

wish you all pain free times