Longer acting triptans, like Amerge or Frova, taken at bed time, can usually buy you anywhere from 4-8 hours of pain-free time so you can get some shut-eye.

There is no good way to deal with the exhaustion, so you have to channel your energies into finding a way to sleep.

Thanks guys.

I'm hoping that when the O2 arrives next week I can relax a bit knowing that I can jump on that when the CH starts rather than waiting 5 minutes (like I have been doing at the moment) to check it is really a CH rather than a shadow before injecting - do others worry about using the meds too soon and wasting it? I've read about how to take the auto injector apart to reduce the dose but I'm not too confident about this yet...

I wasn't aware of the stronger triptans in the UK? Maybe the GPs can only prescribe certain ones and others come from the specialists? I know the stuff I'm on costs the NHS £46 for two injections (the last prescription of 12 sets caused raised eyebrows at the chemists but apparantly they have 3 other guys using this stuff) and I got the impression that the O2 is also quite costly. Then again, it is wrong for them not to prescribe stuff that works based on cost...

At the moment the CH definitely starts after 1-2hrs of going to sleep so I am going to try the short naps this weekend and after work next week.

Something has to work....

Have you tried using melatonin?

Quite a few people have been using it as it helps them sleep and avoids the night time CHs.

Deltadarlin is correct - Frova and Amerge are not stronger, they're just time-released. They act for a longer period of time. Injectable Imitrex/Imigran is still the Rolls Royce of triptans, the gold standard. But it won't buy you a full night's sleep.

Tiredness update:
I tried propping my top half up by approx 30 degrees last night (as I often find that laying flat with just one or two pilllows can start to trigger the shadows in my neck) using four pillows and it helped a lot.
I still woke at 11.30pm with the shadows in my neck and just above my left eye but I sat upright for 10 minutes and it eased by itself! I managed to get back to sleep within half an hour and was woken again at 5.30am with the same shadows but sitting up again stopped it
I've still had neck ache all day (but not as intense as Friday) and I keep having the odd shadow twinge but nothing bad. I also don't feel quite so zombie like today as I reckon I had around 7 hours sleep in total

I've had one night previous in this current attack with no CH so this makes it two but I know that CH can be every other day so tonight will tell if I'm onto something or the CHs are just messing me around!

What Mike NZ said about the melatonin.

Some folks here have reported success preventing the night hits with dosages from 9 mg to 21 mg before bed. I'd start with 9 mg and take 'er from there.

Apparently in the UK Melatonin is prescription only?
I'm trying Nytol herbal tablets - I think I slept a bit heavier last night but not too sure
I'm on the O2 now - I've found the general background head ache was less today and did not feel the need for a Red Bull to take off the edge

MRI scan appointment is in a months time...Still nothing on the neurologist yet though