So currently I am in a constant state of headache. The bloodpressure meds my neuro gave me keep me sorta light headed and dizzy until I drink a bunch of caffeine or eat a ton of salt.

I have migraines all the time.

My cluster is on a rotation of 1 day pf, 1 day getting kip 1-2 hits and 1-2 days of full on clusters.

Last thursday I got the jackpot. Cluster AND migraine at the same time. It hit in matter of minutes in full force, and even though the oxygen gave me relief from the cluster I had that muthaeffing migraine still there. So by the time I got a nasal spray in hand, energy drink in the other the cluster decided to make a comeback, but the combo killed everything after about 30 minutes of me not knowing up from down.

I think I found my new record of "painful state I don't want to ever be in again".

Totally wiped me out.

I had attacks all day starting from early morning, which is a sure sign the days going to be bad anyway. I had a migraine in the background going on, but it wasn't bad, mainly just a little light headed and nausea. I luckily never throw up in migraine, just a feeling of a really bad motion sickness.

But the cluster reigned supreme of the migraine, and when the kip 9 came, I retained the migraine's nausea and got weird double vision (my neuro calls it aura symptoms but they happen during the migraines, not before, like I've been told auras usually happen). So I grabbed the o2 at first, it helps with the pain in minutes, but until I get this "relief"-feeling I know the attack is not aborted. So I stayed on the O2, all the while the migraine starts the usual pain hits on the right side, like it jumps to the chance to be in power when the cluster is getting treated. After about 20 minutes I got the idea that the migraine was here to stay, so I figured my nasal sprays would work on that and finish the job on the cluster too.

It takes about 15-20 minutes for the spray to work on a cluster, and I gulped down an energy drink, and the cluster came back pretty fast after the "snort". I got the urge to start "nodding around" right after I took it and it got to the point that I am hitting my head on the floor. Meaning bad, bad attack. Funny thing is that I remember pressing my face to the carpet and remember the feeling of it on my cheek even though that side was getting numb at the same time.

The nasal spray killed the migraine in mere minutes but the cluster continued another maybe 25-30 minutes. I can't be really sure, I'm sure you understand.

After it winded down, I was like a wet rag. It took everything out of me and I slumped on the sofa.

On a side note, my cats always get really worried when I get that bad so once I got to the sofa, both them curled on top of me, sort of looking after me in their own way. I had a mental aww moment there..

Just have your doctor write you a prescription for oxygen, it should not take long for you to get it, have it on 8 to 10 and inhale for 20 minutes, that should be a great help.  Sometimes mine is on longer as it takes me about 10 minutes to wind down from the pain and inhale properly.  Good Luck!

Linda_Howell wrote on May 6^th, 2013 at 1:17pm:

I am on oxygen. I take it at 25lpm an it still takes me 15-20 minutes to abort a regular cluster attack.

My most recent problem has been those mysterious migraine attacks where I pass out or fall asleep and then wake up a little later with a kip 7-8 migraine. The passing outs can now happen several times a day, and I have been having lucid dreaming as part of it. I used to get that with certain strong painkillers, and it was on for a week after a surgery once. I have a hunch it could be basilar migraines, which I have suspected before, but my neuro has now put me under the diagnosis of chronic paraxysmal hemicrania - which means the neuro has no idea what is wrong or how to help. Yay.

I've applied for medical rehab where a physiatrist and a neurologist might consult each other to make heads or tails about my condition. Hopefully I should get some help next summer or early autumn.

I know all about the rebounds of painkillers but I am not in a situation to stop using them completely due to orthopedic issues in my legs and back. I have made massive improvements after I started the D3 regiment, but I still need them when the pain gets too bad.