Welcome to the board Dave. The good old days of chewing aspirin until your tummy bleeds, I remember them well. That was the early 80's Thankfully we've come a long way in our treatment options since then. I've had CH for 33 years, they haven’t killed me yet! You need an organized approach to managing them so they don’t manage your life. I use a 3 pronged approach, many use a similar approach:

1: A good prevent med. A med I take daily, while on cycle, to reduce the number and intensity of my attacks. I use lithium, it blocks 60-70% of my attack. Verapamil is the most common first line prevent, topomax also has a loyal following. Some have to combine lithium and verapamil together to get relief.

2: A transitional med. Most prevents will take up to 2 weeks to become effective. I go on a prednisone taper, from 80 mg to zero over a two week period to give me a break while my prevent builds up. Prednisone will provide up to 100% relief for many CH’ers but is harsh on the system and should only be used for short periods of time.

3: An abortive therapy, the attack starts, now what? Oxygen should be your first line abortive. Breathing pure 02 will abort an attack for me in less then 10 minutes, that’s completely pain free. Read this link as it must be used correctly or it will not work. Consider welding oxygen since you don't have insurance. It's cheaper then the "medical" variety but comes outta the same bottles. Many on this board have used it for years.

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Imitrex nasal spray and injectables are very effective abortives. I use the injectables, they’re expensive, and I rarely use them, mostly just when I get caught away from the oxygen. The pill form generally works too slow to be effective for CH’ers.

Go to the medications section of this board and read the post "123 pain free days and i think I know why." It’s a vitamin/mineral/fish oil supplement, all over the counter stuff, that’s providing a lot of relief for people who have tried it, it’s a long read, worth the time. This is another great option for someone without insurance as the whole regimen costs you pennies a day.

For now, get some energy drinks. Rock Star, Monster, any containing the combo of caffeine and taurine, chug it down as fast as you can when you feel an attack starting. Many can abort or at least really reduce an attack using these.

Finally, visit our sister board for “alternative” treatment methods outside of mainstream medicine. As you’ll see from all the success stories on this board, there is something to it. Another great option for those without insurance.

clusterbusters.com


Read everything you can on this board, if you are a CH’er, knowledge is your best ally. We’ll help you all we can.

Joe

Some emergency short term things to try:

Extreme heat or cold. Some use a burning hot shower, others like me use cold. I stick my head in the freezer and hyper ventilate through the nostril of the affected side. I've also used the ac vents in my car. It works as a vaso-constrictor, will notch the pain down a few clicks for me.

Ice packs at the base of the neck on the affected side. I keep a bag of frozen peas on hand as they mold nicely to the shape of my neck.

The energy drinks previously mentioned, moster, Rock Star, any with the combo of caffiene and taurine. Chug one down at the first sign of an attack.

Extreme physical activity, a 10 minute sprint, doing squats or lunges, always seemed to lessen my attacks.


joe

P.S.   These Headaches suck huh?  Crazy Suck!!!
But they wont kill ya, But they will make you do some crazy things like down 7 asprin at one pop. Dont worry, If your lucky, as quick as they came they will be gone. You will get your life back.

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Coach Bill

Have you been diagnosed with Cluster by a doc? Before trying to self-treat yourself be aware that there are a number of disorders which mimic Cluster, some of which are serious.

I understand the insurance issue but the potentials of a wrong diagnosis are important.
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