Could someone explain this to me. I've seen others post on here or make comments as to "things" not triggering a cycle. I am also that way, if I'm not in a cycle I can eat and drink (especially beer) things that would normally trigger a cluster, without a cluster. If I'm in a cycle it takes very little to trigger a cluster.

Why is this? can anyone explain?

I'll use an example. I'm currently in a cycle which is off from my normal cycle. I drank 2 beers yesterday evening and was hit hard with a cluster. When I'm not cycling I can drink 10 beers of the same beer and not cluster. So then, why does the same thing trigger when in cycle, that does not trigger out of cycle.

If only all questions were so easy!

Definition: triggers only operate to cause an attack when you are in an active cycle period. (Well, except when....)

Shift you attention to something simple: How to stop clilmate warming.

best wishes.

Us good guys have our beer test, but how do non-drinkers know that their cycle has truly finished?

Ultimately, until we know precisely why CHs happen and why some people experience them as cycles vs chronic it is unlikely we can explain triggers with any sense of certainty. Furthermore, why some things appear to triggers CH in some and not in others is another issue that demonstrates the complexity of this condition. Being neurological in origin, CH is rather difficult to study and understand, even for specialists, and what we do "know" are usually more guesswork at this moment than based on solid research and analysis.
Luckily for us, we have developed many successful treatments for this condition without a fundamental understanding of the underlying causes and mechanisms. However, this lack of understanding becomes painfully clear for those who have exhausted the usual treatment options with little success. We are learning more about the brain every day, and there is always the chance that the day will come when this disease is finally understood and more effective treatments can be developed.

...or, to be more concise, we just don't know

Triggers are also confusing in that some like alcohol will always trigger a CH for those who have it as a trigger and yet for some other triggers, it may trigger a CH.

As for working out when a cycle is over when alcohol isn't a trigger I have just figured it out from watching the days between CH hits get longer and longer as the cycle fizzles out. In some ways I'd quite like to have a definitive test like the beer test.

After years of suffering the immediate effects of alcohol I gave up drinking completely. It's just not worth the risk, especially with my cycle shifting around. They started moving around about 20 years ago. It was another year before I gave up drinking entirely because the benefit wasn't worth the pain. Then I found Verapamil and was pain free for about 16 years. No trigger strong enough -- year round, unless I accidentally skipped a dose, then BAM, no trigger needed. Triggers for some are constant and never changing when in cycle. For me, they've been a moving target at best. It's like the Benadryl commercial. You don't always know what hit you, but you're still in a mess until the medication kicks in. Hope this sheds a little light.

rep