Hi guys, my first few posts have been somewhat wayward, i feel like i should introduce myself and my experiences so far in a little more detail. I understand that everyone is here to help, so the best course of action seems to be to lay all my cards on the table!
Alot of this is going to be all 'me, me, me' and for that i apoligise. I really hate talking about myself.
I'll start with explaining how my worst attack to date came about.
I'd been suffering headaches at work, just over a week. I made nothing of it, just carried on with my job. It wasnt the easiest thing to ignore, but it was just a bad headache.
They started getting worse day by day, and appearing at the same times. The first one at roughly 12.30 pm, the second at 16.30 - 1700. I could feel it coming, and as the days wore on, i knew what to expect.
My right eye, just behind my right eye is where the majority of this takes place. On the odd occasion, it starts behind my left, but as the 'attack' takes full force, it's always behind my right eye. The pain, it's like someone is jamming a thick, curved needle into my eye, then turning it upwards and up into my head. The eye closes, becomes heavy, weepy, my nose starts to drip, but only on the side where the pain is, it never runs from my left nostril when the pain is momentarily on the left side of my head.
Friday came and the pain got so severe i literally stumbled into my boss's office and asked to take the afternoon off.
Rebecca suggested i booked an appointment at the doctors. I agreed, and it slowly started to die down. It hit again when i was sat in the waiting room, i remember an older man sat near to me looking uncomfortable with the way i was behaving. My doctor, she was surprised to hear my symptoms. This, apparently, is quite rare. I was given imigran, two 20 mg nasal sprays. I didnt take any until the following day, she said after i took the first i may need another after a two hour period.
I woke up saturday, the sun was shining and i felt good. Bekki had work throughout the day, and her parents, my in - laws were looking after my boy. I was sat there waiting for 12 - 1 o'clock, imigran at the ready.
Mid - day came and minor pain, nothing to worry about, started dancing behind my right eye. I dont know if i mistimed it, because i let it get gradually worse. I took one 20mg imigran nasal spray through my left nostril, the right was a no go area, and waited.
Within 5 minutes, i was hit with what i can only describe as someone beating me around the head with a hammer. A really big man, hitting me with a really big hammer.
I was pacing at first, holding my head, already crying, but then it started 'spiking' every 5 to 10 seconds. The most excruciating pain i've ever felt, and i've broken my fair share of bones! I went from felling sorry for myself to a snarling, screaming, violent animal. I sat on my bed, i couldnt lie down, just rocking back and forth holding my head. I rember repeating 'c'mon, c'mon, c'mon,' then every few seconds i'd get an unreal surge of pain. GET OUT OF MY ******* HEAD! I must have broken everything within reach, but at the same time didnt have the energy to do it, if that makes sense. I wanted to pull my head open and remove whatever it was causing the pain, my hands and head are bruised from the constant lashing out. It felt better to have something else hurt.
Bekki came back from work, was horrified to see what had happened, and drove me straight to A&E. I cried and screamed all the way there. I cried and screamed when i got there. The walk from the car through the doors felt like too much to do. I'm normally such a self conscious person, but i just didnt care anymore. Everyone, and i mean everyone was looking at me literally attemp to climb the walls, talking, whispering, and i just wanted to die. I really wanted to die. I wasnt even thing about Bekki or Tyler, and for that i feel ashamed.
Oxygen, i dont know how high the flow was, didnt help to begin with. Eventually it slowed it down though. Afterwards, when the pain was minimal, they gave me a rediculously strong painkiller. Maybe for them that was job done, but it was around 19.30, 18.00 when it starts to disappear of its own accord. I dont have enough experience to be able to tell the difference.

I've rambled havn't i?

Hah i've got a funny feeling i'm going to be a thorn in all of your sides for a long, long time.

Apologies in advance, and thankyou if you managed to read all of that

IronCookaroo

I can't imagine what that's like. Do you take vitamin D3? People on here have had some promising results from D3 lately.

Also, people keep mentioning Kip and then a number. Is this like, a pain scale? Like on a scale from 1-10, how much does it hurt, sort of thing?

Ah, thanks Batty. The Force is strong with you. XD

Batty wrote on Feb 26^th, 2011 at 12:33am:


Ooh GOOD one Batty! 

And I agree IronCookaroo that you should feel free to be a thorn in our sides all you like - yes it's these jumbo thorns right behid our frikkin' eyeballs that are the real buggers, but we're figuring out how to yank 'em outa there. 

Jair Crawford wrote on Feb 26^th, 2011 at 12:10am:


Dont forget Padawan....... the Force is strong with O2!

Gary

Hey Iron, not a ramble at all. Everyone reading your post is nodding their head and saying, yeah, been there and done that. Mike makes a good point about the oxygen. It's most effective when started at the onset of an attack. My attacks went from 90-120 minute bastards to a 6-8 minute abort time just by huffing pure oxygen. If I wait even a few minutes to start the oxygen, the abort times can be doubled. If I let the headache get really established, oxygen won't help and I have to resort to imitrex.

Hang in there, we've all been in your shoes.

Joe

Based on what I've been reading, maybe try some vitamin D3. It seems to be giving good results when taken daily at about 10K - 15K IU.

Glad to see MikeNZ just gave you the best, most succint and info packed run down on the medical approach for CH.

The alternative approach, "ClusterBusting" is gaining a lot of traction lately due to it's effectiveness, If you haven't already looked into it, here's a video talk on the subject by one of our fellow CH'ers:
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Hi Iron'

Print this off here Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or and take it with you to your Doc..If he agrees and signs it no problem, will you ask him for me,will he accept another new patient,willing to travel?

Best of luck mate!

Respect

Gary

And thankyou Mike NZ, your post has been there for ages, i really should open my eyes abit more. I'll ask for help, I'll ask about what you've suggested. At the moment its all i can do.

Cheers man, i really do appreciate this

IronCookaroo

Your original link didn't work, but the last two are working fine for me.

I was scared of looking weak infront of bekki. I cant appear weak. I'm the provider. I stared into space gritting my teeth for what felt like an eternity. I thought it was hours but bekki say's  it was only around half an hour.

Iron
You sound as if you have a supportive partner,
has Bekki had a look at the info on the supporters page and also the info that is posted about the symptoms of CH? Unless you experience the pain it is impossible to imagine what we go through, it is also difficult to put the pain into words in an attempt to make others understand.
Please don't think of yourself as weak, you have a condition that is described as the most painful a human can experience!! 

My headaches typically start anywhere from November to early February. So far this year, they haven't started. I think I'm almost in the clear. In the 10 years I've been getting clusters, this would be the second time I've skipped a year.

I've been trying to identify health or eating habits that might have contributed to the dormancy. It usually seems to be a futile effort, but I can't help but try.

After reading this post, it dawned on me that I switched multivitamins early last year. I checked, and it contains Vitamin D3. Curious.

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