Have copied and pasted this from my entry on an Australian CH sufferers forum.
Hey guys, first things first, I'm so glad I found this forum and a really big thank you to the gentleman who created this website.
My CH history started when I was 19 doing my undergrad in university. I started noticing migraines and I didn't take too much notice because I thought it was normal. They normally showed up during the day and lasted maybe 20-30 minutes. I'd generally been able to fall asleep (shamelessly in class at times) to avoid dealing with the pain and would wake to the pain gone.
It was only ever during spring time that I would notice the attacks and the first two years of cycles I kind of just 'powered through'. But it got worse. It was during my third year that they occurred much more frequently and I stubbornly endured the pain, excluding myself from certain things to suffer where nobody could see me.
In my fourth year was when I discovered that caffeine had some sort of effect in preventing the attack if I have it before it starts, but when it had already started the caffeine had little to no effect. It was here that I was still so clueless as to what I had and started having coffee/coke all through out the day during spring to avoid the attack and when I'd missed or thought it wouldn't happen, I'd again endure the pain for a couple hours.
Last year was my worst cycle yet, with some attacks lasting up to 3 or more hours and for the first time my girlfriend watched me take on an attack and was terrified by how much pain I was in. I would be rolling around, groaning, head in absolute pain, immense pressure behind my right eye and it was always on the same side. It felt like someone was trying to pry my skull open with a hot iron. I hadn't of discovered Sumatriptan yet and had considered taking my own life but kept finding things that kept me from doing it.
I know suicide is such a heavy topic to bring up and that people always associate suicide with mental health issues which I have none of. I just had this incredible pain that I didn't know how to escape.
It was during last years cycle that I had trawled the internet and finally found out about cluster headaches. I was excited to finally find what I had been suffering with and disheartened that there was no idea of a cause or cure, only managing it.
So I went to my GP and asked for Sumatriptan and was denied until I had tried a number of other medications, a lot for allergy symptoms, and nothing had worked until after some begging and a number of GP visits in a week I was finally given Sumatriptan and it worked. I was so overjoyed that I finally had found something.
To describe my episodes, they generally occur around September-October give or take a couple weeks either way. Attacks normally occur during the day but have had some at night. Caffeine helps as a preventative. Sumatriptain works as an abortive. Attacks would be about 3 a day everyday for those two months. Usually lasting from 1-3 hours, although found that last years cycle they were closer to 3 hours a lot of time. I had also found sumatriptan and used it as a last resort after an attack occurred so can't be 100% sure how long attacks are lasting. Not too keen to find out though.
Am really glad I've found this website, have came across some chatter about o2 and the vit d3 regime and am now reading into it and honestly willing to try anything that will work.
Am currently collecting all my over the counter supplements to try the Vit D3 regime. Feeling very optimistic while also distressed about having to face the soon coming beast.
If anyone has anything they can add to how I manage my CH please do!
My cycle this year hasn't started yet, but the thought of taking it on is daunting.
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Australian 24yo CH sufferer (Read 1903 times)
