i am a heavy  drinker and alcohol is one of my smaller triggers, when im out of cycle i drink far more than most. when on vacation i will drink as soon as i get up and then the rest of the day and no headaches, well maybe a hangover but the difference is pretty obvious. i have something quite strange happen with alcohol many times when im on a cycle to the point where ive used it to my advantage. if i start drinking i usually start to feel  the pressure in my neck and my head 10 or 15 mins after i feel a slight buzz start, if i stop then many times it will stay there as long as i stay calm make sure i dont crack my neck and relax it will subside ( guessing 80% of the time).that usually take 45 mins or so after it starts for the pressure to fully subside then most of the time i can start drinking like normal with no ch the rest of the night after that. bad part is when i start drinking the second time if a ch comes on it will be bad and need an imitrex. ive used this to "prime" myself at home in a controlled environment for bdays before with some success. ps dont use imitrex as a way to drink while having a ch, tried it on my bday first shot lasted 2 hours and second shot was ineffective so i got to leave my party in pain with tears rolling out of my righteye, so much for i dont care how many shot of imitrx i gotta do im having fun with my friends on my bday.

As with many CH issues, individual variation is common re. alcohol. You will develop your own "rules" by learning what your body has to teach you.

In general, alcohol which in cycle is a broadly based trigger BUT research from Europe suggests that distilled spirits is a universal trigger, red wine also a potent trigger, but not (for many) white wine. (This hints that the issue may be some chemical[s] in spirits and red wine which is the trigger, perhaps more than the alcohol???? This line of thought is reinforced by the fact that some are triggered by solvents of various kinds--cleaners, etc.)

So, you'll have to run your own trials to detemine your personal pattern of response.

Hi, im kind of episodic and chronic at the moment as i think i am tranforming from one to the other.

as for alcohol, if im not in cluster then i can drink as much as i like with no threat of an attack.
But while in cluster i am guarenteed a hit approximately 20mins after the first sip of alcohol.

similar to a comment above, if i then wait to handle that particular attack before continuing drinking then i seem to be able to continue all night without the fear of a further drink bringing a further hit ..

but then i woul;;d still be awoken in the night for my regular 2am and 4am hits 

Joshl924 wrote on Apr 10^th, 2011 at 9:16pm:


I can drink as much as I want out of cycle and have no ill effects (CH's that  is! )

Joshl924 wrote on Apr 10^th, 2011 at 9:16pm:


The final drink for me this past cycle triggered a CH within 5 minutes. Stayed away from all alcohol from then on until I was certain the cycle was over.

Joshl924 wrote on Apr 10^th, 2011 at 9:16pm:


Not had that experience. But this last cycle seemed to linger on beyond the end of the 'regular recipe' clusters with zips, zaps, and strange flashes that I'd not experienced, so I kept on the wagon until ALL was in the clear.

Joshl924 wrote on Apr 10^th, 2011 at 9:16pm:


No, I've not had a random one outside of my cycle.

As a College student I drink heavily out of cycle and haven't had a hit because of it yet, nor have I started a cycle start.

The one time i did drink in cycle it took 10 min after a glass of wine (that mom ignorantly told me would be a non factor) to erupt into a kip 9.

I wait until i'm at least 2 weeks hit free until i consider myself out of cycle. This means i dont' drink, i keep my odd sleep habits, and generally carry on like i'm about to get one until I am proven clear.

Better safe than dancing is my logic