Glad I caught you 4-minutes after you posted! Greetings!
First, if you think you will staicking around:
It will help us to direct you to good sources of assistance if you will tell us where you live (city & state, if U.S. or country). At the Home page: Help button-->Edit & Profile --> Location.
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Notwithstanding that you can make a case against Canadian medicine, it's your system, and you have to work with it. (Ditto for the U.S., in spades!)
Biggest single issue: most doc (GPs, etc.) have meager training/experience working in an area which is far more complex than most folks appreciate. Ergo, since you don't have a diagnosis, haven't started treatment, I'd encouager you to seek a headache specialist OR a doc who can outline good experience with headaches. It will likely, from other folks in Canada experience, going to be frustrating--but still worth the effort--for you long term benefit.
Because there are a number of disorders which mimic Cluster but which are not headache disorders, suggest you not try self-diagnosis and self-treatment. This can be a misleading and, potentially, hurtful response--UNLESS you find that it may be months before you can get to a skilleld doc. Under that condition, some interim band-aiding is appropriate.
While starting your search for a skilled doc start to learn. Posting several sources here and, in a few days, will be posting a multi-page list or rescources (likelly in the top most section).
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Cephalalgia. 2010 Apr;30(4):399-412. Epub 2010 Feb 15.
Cluster-like headache. A comprehensive reappraisal.
Mainardi F, Trucco M, Maggioni F, Palestini C, Dainese F, Zanchin G.
Headache Centre, Neurological Division, SS. Giovanni e Paolo Hospital, Venice, Italy. federico.mainardi@ulss12.ve.it
Abstract
Among the primary headaches, cluster headache (CH) presents very particular features allowing a relatively easy diagnosis based on criteria listed in Chapter 3 of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II). However, as in all primary headaches, possible underlying causal conditions must be excluded to rule out a secondary cluster-like headache (CLH). THE OBSERVATION OF SOME CASES WITH CLINICAL FEATURES MIMICKING PRIMARY CH, BUT OF SECONDARY ORIGIN, led us to perform an extended review of CLH reports in the literature. We identified 156 CLH cases published from 1975 to 2008. THE MORE FREQUENT PATHOLOGIES IN ASSOCIATION WITH CLH WERE THE VASCULAR ONES (38.5%, N = 57), FOLLOWED BY TUMOURS (25.7%, N = 38) AND INFLAMMATORY INFECTIOUS DISEASES (13.5%, N = 20). Eighty were excluded from further analysis, because of inadequate information. The remaining 76 were divided into two groups: those that satisfied the ICHD-II diagnostic criteria for CH, 'fulfilling' group (F), n = 38; and those with a symptomatology in disagreement with one or more ICHD-II criteria, 'not fulfilling' group (NF), n = 38. Among the aims of this study was the possible identification of clinical features leading to the suspicion of a symptomatic origin. In the differential diagnosis with CH, red flags resulted both for F and NF, older age at onset; for NF, abnormal neurological/general examination (73.6%), duration (34.2%), frequency (15.8%) and localization (10.5%) of the attacks.
WE STRESS THE FACT THAT, ON FIRST OBSERVATION, 50% OF CLH PRESENTED AS F CASES, PERFECTLY MIMICKING CH. THEREFORE, THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCURATE, CLINICAL EVALUATION AND OF NEUROIMAGING CANNOT BE OVERESTIMATED.
PMID: 19735480 [PubMed
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Cluster headache.
From: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
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(Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases)
[Easy to read; one of the better overview articles I've seen. Suggest printing the full length article--link, line above--if you are serious about keeping a good medical library on the subject.]
Leroux E, Ducros A.
ABSTRACT: Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache disease characterized by recurrent short-lasting attacks (15 to 180 minutes) of excruciating unilateral periorbital pain accompanied by ipsilateral autonomic signs (lacrimation, nasal congestion, ptosis, miosis, lid edema, redness of the eye). It affects young adults, predominantly males. Prevalence is estimated at 0.5-1.0/1,000. CH has a circannual and circadian periodicity, attacks being clustered (hence the name) in bouts that can occur during specific months of the year. ALCOHOL IS THE ONLY DIETARY TRIGGER OF CH, STRONG ODORS (MAINLY SOLVENTS AND CIGARETTE SMOKE) AND NAPPING MAY ALSO TRIGGER CH ATTACKS. During bouts, attacks may happen at precise hours, especially during the night. During the attacks, patients tend to be restless. CH may be episodic or chronic, depending on the presence of remission periods. CH IS ASSOCIATED WITH TRIGEMINOVASCULAR ACTIVATION AND NEUROENDOCRINE AND VEGETATIVE DISTURBANCES, HOWEVER, THE PRECISE CAUSATIVE MECHANISMS REMAIN UNKNOWN. Involvement of the hypothalamus (a structure regulating endocrine function and sleep-wake rhythms) has been confirmed, explaining, at least in part, the cyclic aspects of CH. The disease is familial in about 10% of cases. Genetic factors play a role in CH susceptibility, and a causative role has been suggested for the hypocretin receptor gene. Diagnosis is clinical. Differential diagnoses include other primary headache diseases such as migraine, paroxysmal hemicrania and SUNCT syndrome. At present, there is no curative treatment. There are efficient treatments to shorten the painful attacks (acute treatments) and to reduce the number of daily attacks (prophylactic treatments). Acute treatment is based on subcutaneous administration of sumatriptan and high-flow oxygen. Verapamil, lithium, methysergide, prednisone, greater occipital nerve blocks and topiramate may be used for prophylaxis. In refractory cases, deep-brain stimulation of the hypothalamus and greater occipital nerve stimulators have been tried in experimental settings.THE DISEASE COURSE OVER A LIFETIME IS UNPREDICTABLE. Some patients have only one period of attacks, while in others the disease evolves from episodic to chronic form.
PMID: 18651939 [PubMed]
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Three sites which are worth your attention: medical literature, films, plus the expected information
about CH.
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
or
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Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
or
Search under "cluster headache"
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Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
or
Full of articles, blogs, book: written by one of the best headache docs in the Chicago area.
Worth exploring. The latest book is in e-book edition, $10; comprehensive and worth buying for
a careful read.
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Enough to get you started learning about your new companion.
Print out the PDF file, below. IF you get a fnal daignosis of Cluster, these are the meds which you should expect the doc to be using.
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