Sorry you're having such a bad time. You need to read the following thread, get to a pharmacy, and purchase the supplies for the vitamin D3 regimen. It works for 80% of the cluster heads who try it.

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Might also pay to look at the top left of your screen for the 'oxygen info' button. Oxygen generators are generally thought useless around here, but a proper O2 set-up is the number one abortive for many.

Welcome to the board. Are you working with a headache specialist neuro yet? We have seen the best results from doing so. There are hundreds of headache types, some which mimic CH, and it’s important to eliminate those before arriving at a firm diagnosis. I’ve had CH for over 34years, 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. But first and MOST IMPORTANTLY

Follow this link to the medications section of this board and read the post, it's the same one Brew posted,

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It’s a vitamin/mineral/fish oil supplement, all over the counter stuff. It’s up to an 81% success rate of those who try it and respond to the survey so you’re just shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t give it a shot. I’m 3 years pain free on it after a 35 plus year track record with episodic CH. Best of all, it’s healthy for you even without CH!

As of January 20, 2013, the compiled raw data indicates an efficacy of 80%. 240 out of the 300 CH'ers who have started this regimen and stayed on it for a month or more have experienced a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of their CH... 78% of the 300 CH'ers experienced a pain free response and 60% of the 300 have remained essentially pain free. Episodic and chronic CH'ers respond to this regimen at roughly the same rate.

Preliminary survey results indicate most of these CH'ers were pain free before the end of the third week with some responding in a little as 12 to 24 hours. The average time to respond is five days

So all that follows will be worthless I hope……….but still…

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. As previously mentioned, the generators are not the best way to go as pure oxygen is critical to a rapid abort.

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This link will show you how to get set up with welding oxygen:

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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.


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. I find that by drinking a red bull while I abort with oxygen, I get a faster abort and it really pushed the return headache off several hours.

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.

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

Ok, so here's the thing: all of the advice above is golden. Take it as the Gospel according to a CH sufferer. I would also add to ask your doc for a prednisone taper. This could give you a decent break in the CH routine. Now having said all of that, I want to get a little harsh with you: you are in danger of sinking into a pit of despair, so don't. I/we know all about the pain. We have it, too. We know all about the frustration, we are often stymied, too. We also know all about the need to just end this terrible affliction. But, and here's the bottom line, we have persevered. We have fought back. We have made the decision the beast will not control us. You have to dig deep down and find the same fortitude. Do not let the beast define who you are. There are so many interventions available to you that you do not mention, and many more effective means than you do (the O2 generator for example ought to be replaced with a proper tank and mask). Do this, and you will forget about bullets in the head or cars on abutments and begin once again to enjoy your children. I know. I am there with you. God bless. lance

i dont think you're being harsh, i have been depressed n such. i know i'll feel better once im working again and can try the things yall have mentioned here. this site is truly invaluable and literally save lives and stop so much pain n loss. dont have much choice but to work with what i have at hand right now, but at least now i know there is stuff out there that has really helped, instead of just rolling the dice on another script with horrible side effects. i wont give up and again cant say thank you enough for all this info.