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I think I found a cure for cluster headaches. (Read 6961 times)
dnlgy
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I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Nov 3rd, 2013 at 9:54am
 
I had frequent cluster headache attacks before. At times, it would be gone for years, then when it returned it would attack by about 2 or more times a month.

So I took myself to a Eastern medicine doctor. First he told me head aches occur due to issues arising at the point of your back neck, between your upper nerve and lower nerve.

Your upper nerve is inside your skull and your lower nerve is right below your skull. So the doctor placed an object to put my head on and lie down. The object had several silicon rods spiking upwards. Two of these spiking silicon rods were erected relatively higher than the others, and the doctor placed my head on it so that the two spikes would pressure exactly the points right below my back skull bone.

He told me most head aches occur from this part of your neck as this part of your head is were information from the brain is transferred to the rest of the body. And that the pain (cluster headaches) may occur because such things like bodily and mental stress twist and tighten the muscle in this area, making it difficult for brain messages to go through when the messages hit this point of your neck. When the brain messages get stuck here frequently, I start getting acute pain in my head.

So I lay down and it hurt. The weight of my head on the 2 short and pointy silicon rods caused a lot of pain. The doctor told me to stay in that position for about 30 minutes, and that I should be relaxed and that it would be okay to fall asleep if I wanted to. I thought to myself how the hell would anyone fall asleep in all this pain. But the doctor also told me, healthy people, generally don't feel any pain from lying their head on this device.

The pain was no where near my cluster headache attacks so I was able to endure this lesser pain. After about 30 minutes, though, I actually did start to fall asleep. The pain was replaced with numbness, and i felt a level of comfort I haven't in ages.

I think I dose off for about 5 or 10 minutes, when the doctor cam back in and started to lift my legs up. This brought back some of the pain I felt at first, but along with a relaxing relief as well. The doctor kept me with both my legs straight up until he ran out of strength. He let me down and started performing other twists and turns on my body, much like a chiropractor.

I purchased about $250 worth of medicinal tea liquid, in a bag, that I was instructed to heat up and drink about 2~3 a day. I also went back, and got similar treatment for 2 more times. At my 3rd visit, however, I felt no initial pain when I lied down on the silicon rods, and I felt no more cluster head aches.

Subsequent visits were acupuncture, but not sure how effective that was. Those 3 sessions of pressurizing those 2 points behind and between my neck and skull really did it. The medical drink just kept me very mellow all day and didn't allow my neck to tense up.

Since then, I just apply pressure in the same area with my thumbs. I try not to stress my body too much with stuff like cigarettes and booze. Also, I tried to avoid work related stress by not thinking too much about what went on. Co-workers understood and let me be, since I was drinking this strange smelling tea every morning.. Smiley

This all happened about 1 year ago. Today I simply don't have cluster headaches anymore. I do get close to it sometimes, however, when I had had alcohol 2 days straight. If then, I pressure that area with my thumbs, drink lots of water periodically, and lie down on my pillow full of hard wood cylinders. These wooden cylinders would pressure random areas on my upper back neck, and I would leave it like that for several minutes at a time.

This worked for me. And at this point, I strongly believe this area at the back of your neck, right below the bottom tip of your skull, is actually where cluster headaches formulate.

I came here looking for answers but wasn't able to find a good one, so I ventured out and found a cure. However, I did see that I wasn't the only one, and found it supportive to see that others were trying to get rid of this crippling headache. So I'm posting this as to share my experiences in getting rid of CLH.

The pain is excruciating, I know.. So I hope this helps. And let me know if you have questions.
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« Last Edit: Nov 3rd, 2013 at 9:54am by dnlgy »  
 
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nhs
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #1 - Nov 3rd, 2013 at 11:05am
 
Hi dnlgy

I don't think you have CH, but Sternocleidomastoid.

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AussieBrian
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #2 - Nov 3rd, 2013 at 11:09am
 
G'day, dnigy. Interesting that your attacks come only twice a month. Top left of your screen is a button for  the Cluster Quiz which is highly reccommended.

This may be your lucky day.
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #3 - Nov 3rd, 2013 at 1:28pm
 
NHS...just WOW! I think you hit the nail on the head, how the heck did you know about that? Shocked

To DNLGY, the important thing is you don't hurt anymore, pain free time can only truly be appreciated by those who have really hurt. Cluster Headache is a very specific disorder, which historically does not respond well to acupuncture, massages, pressure points, as far as "curing" the malady. I appreciate your willingness to share what helped you achieve a pain free state. I hope you are fortunate enough to remain pain free!

Joe
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Linda_Howell
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #4 - Nov 3rd, 2013 at 4:55pm
 
Joe has just set the tone for future posts.  I hope everyone gets it.  Good on you Joe.

   I,  too am very happy you are pain free DNLGY, but please do not say the word "CURE" around cluster headache sufferers.  There is no cure but we all DO have ways to cope and get the cycles under control to a good degree.  Please DO take the cluster quiz, et. on the links to the left of here.   Smiley
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Bob P
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #5 - Nov 4th, 2013 at 7:02am
 
Familiar person  Cheesy
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #6 - Nov 4th, 2013 at 4:35pm
 
Lips Sealed Smiley Smiley
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dnlgy
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #7 - Aug 7th, 2014 at 10:20am
 
Wow. I didn't know I had so many replies. Thanks everyone for your active comments. I assumed that I'd return to this forum sooner than today. Much has happened since I last wrote what I wrote back then, stating it as a "cure". I've been very busy since, and I guess I lost track.

Well, I returned, because of curiosity, to check and see if anyone else tried 30 minutes of hard pressure on the 2 tips of their lower skull and neck vertebrate, and if it may have worked for anyone. I guess the result is that people don't believe I had cluster headaches, let alone try it..  Huh

Specifically, to nhs who mentioned "Sternocleidomastoid", it does appear that it could have been something like that, since I cannot say for certainty that it was cluster headaches, for I was never diagnosed by a medical doctor.

I can explain what I felt, however, when I used to have attacks. It was usually my right eye area, although not necessarily. Somewhere deep inside my eye ball, in the back of it, I felt severe acute pain. Would end up with tears on that eye, and my eye lids would close up half way. Also, when I placed my finger on my head's right side temple, assuming the pain was on the right, I could feel through my fingers blood pumping through my veins on my temple area, near my right eye. I had it since I was in my early 20s. But since then, I didn't get it as often as I did in my 30s. 

Back then, I was able to "feel" it coming some times. Before "it" arrived, or even while I had it, I would try to stay calm and go somewhere dark and stay there for a while, until it would go away. This would work some times. But often times it would not. Light made it worse and other random things would trigger it, such as cigarette smoke, alcohol, even just thinking about a prior attack, among others.

I really started doing heavy personal research, and ended up treating it with alternative treatment since around early 2013, if I remember correctly. I don't remember how many different places I ended up getting treatment from. The pain was getting in the way of my job, at the time, and I didn't want to keep using up leaves for this, or hide in a dark room for an hour, then afterwards, biting down the bullet and sit and act like I was being productive for the next few hours with tears on one eye, halfway closed.

So, I don't know with 100% confidence if what I had were in fact cluster headaches.

As for those who asked me to take the test, I had '1/8' yes between 1-8, and '5/8' yes between 9-16. But this test was taken based on memory, since I haven't had my attacks in a while. Hence, I don't know if taking the test now would be valid.

Whatever it was, it is pretty much gone now. Since my alternative "treatment", I purchased a wooden ball pillow stuffer, and I would wiggle my head a little until I get 2 wooden balls pressuring exactly those two spots on the back of my head. Now I plan to switch to a straight wooden pillow, since I have now become quite accustomed to these Korean wooden pillows.

Whatever it may have been, what I believed to have been 'cluster headaches', were incredibly painful, and felt obliged to share what I discovered back then. Nonetheless, I sincerely do hope all of you find a treatment to your pain, or at least some method of avoiding your suffering.

Cheers
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« Last Edit: Aug 7th, 2014 at 10:24am by dnlgy »  
 
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Bob Johnson
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #8 - Aug 7th, 2014 at 12:45pm
 
I'm with Linda and Joe: success is our goal and not demanding orthodoxy in how we gain it.

If you had been around here years ago when this site first appeared--the pre-med days--much of what we were sharing and trying would fit into the "desperate" category and likely sound a bit odd by today's standard.

The only reservation I have for you is that we recognize a range of disorders, some rather serious, which mimic Cluster. If a good doc doesn'st rule these possibilities out it's possible that something rather serious is being missed.

See: 
Link to: cluster-LIKE headache:

IN: "Medications, Treatments, Therapies --> "Important Topics" --> "Cluster-LIKE headache"
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Bob Johnson
 
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dnlgy
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #9 - Aug 8th, 2014 at 1:25am
 
I want to add, I placed the word "cure" in the title, because when I searched in forums for cluster headaches, I was searching for the word "cure". It was a quick way to search, and I wanted to read about what people had to say. I do recollect that most of those who stated a 'cure' on forums didn't seem to have the same thing I was having. However, I read as much as I could under the search term "cure".

I ignored most of the other posts because forums do tend to clutter up with a lot of information that side stepped away. And I was specifically searching for "other methods" of getting rid of the headaches. "There is no cure" was simply not acceptable for me.

I tried going to a medical doctor for diagnosis. Whenever they were asked if I may have cluster headaches, I was told that they didn't see any issues. And I was recommended to go to a larger hospital, and get a scan.

I tried getting a scan. Again no issues. And I tried getting massages as much as possible, and acupuncture as often as possible. Nothing worked. I even tried folk remedy usually used for indigestion, which required puncturing my finger tips to spill out blood. But I did this as often as possible as well. I even tried a chiropractor.

The only thing I didn't do was search for a headache specialist medical doctor. Well, one, I couldn't effectively find one. And two, I was loosing trust in medical doctors after a while, as my personal observation with most doctors had been that they didn't really care enough to help me properly diagnose my problem. Also, I ruled out pure oxygen (although I wanted it) because it seemed like it would only work while on it, and I couldn't be walking around with an oxygen mask at work.

Looking back, I just lived with it in my 20s. Then in my 30s, I initially approached it through traditional medicine, then later, alternative medicine. And finally holistically, just getting my hands on anything I could find that I "felt" could help (intelligently and practically, of course, and not just based on mere feelings). It was a bodily issue after all, and pain is something I could sense and feel for my own. So I researched, and tried different things, and spoke with alternative medicine doctors, and listened to people's opinions.

Again, I do not know for sure if it were in fact CH. Whatever it was, it was incredibly painful, and appeared to be 'eventually built up' after periods of stress, both mentally and physically. After the build up period, I get attacks. Sometimes it reoccurred on the same days, sometimes on random days, and sometimes it came back any time it wanted. There was really no getting rid of it. The only time I can think of when it didn't really come to me as often was when I was in school and during vacation. But I don't really know why sometimes it was less active then other times.

So if you believe you have something else, or you are certain that I did not have CH, but you do, then I truly hope the cure will arrive soon, or at least you find a good remedy soon.
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« Last Edit: Aug 8th, 2014 at 2:02am by dnlgy »  
 
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #10 - Aug 8th, 2014 at 5:28am
 
power to you dnlgy, the main thing is that your pain free !

I have always had huge neck issues, probably from my rugby days.  but during an attack, my neck, same side as my cluster pain, goes on the attack ! sometimes while in cycle and not actually during an attack, my neck will start playing up.  My belief and my physio's belief, when I periodically go to her for some relief, is that when im going thru an attack, ( currently)  with the pain being so excruciating, I find myself pacing around or propped up against the kitchen bench with a cooler pack against my head, I seem to twist my head on an angle and downwards, as I flinch with the pain, because of the angle, it sets my neck into a sort of cramp !  I have two cooler packs, one for the head and one for my neck, its my routine. My physio taught me about relieving the pressure in the neck by burying two fingers just below the scull during an attack or when ever it plays up.  For me, its the cluster attack which brings on my neck issues. I remember once that I was going to lie down during an attack and stay lying down on my back until it finished, the end result, I didn't contort my neck, hence no neck cramps, but holy sh@te I'll not be doing that again, I have to pace or stand during an attack.  some people blame the route cause of clusters on there teeth and immediately go to the dentist, again, I believe its a pain by product caused by the cluster headache it self.  My physio also practises in the pressure point pain relief, she's great for an ex rugby players aches and pains of years of an abused body, But she cant find a pressure point to in any way relieve the actual pain from a cluster h/a.
but as I said, all that matters is that YOU are pain free, thanks for sharing your experience....
regards
colin
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #11 - Aug 8th, 2014 at 10:02pm
 
dnlgy wrote on Aug 8th, 2014 at 1:25am:
Also, I ruled out pure oxygen (although I wanted it) because it seemed like it would only work while on it, and I couldn't be walking around with an oxygen mask at work.


Have you read the page about how to use oxygen effectively - Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to Login or Register ?

Using this method you should be able to quickly kill off your CH and have no need to walk around with an O2 mask on at all. Please read it and give it a go as oxygen is a game changer.
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dnlgy
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Re: I think I found a cure for cluster headaches.
Reply #12 - Aug 5th, 2017 at 8:18am
 
Okay. So it's been what? 3 years exactly since I last posted and claimed I found a cure! I came back from a trip from Indonesia and my sinuses were flairing up with lots of flem and coughing. My teeth hurt also so I went to the dentist to remove a tooth.

But before and after the tooth removal my sinus area beneath right eye and upper right teeth started throbbing with pain. It's been 3 years since I had a full blown cluster headache attack that I forgot what it was all about!

So I went to get my sinuses checked and they said I had chronic sinusitis but thought I should have my nerves checked as well for the headache.

So my new neurologist tells me, and for the first time in nearly 20 years, that I may have cluster headaches! Never have i heard a doctor tell me this outright.

I still use the wooden pillow. I have to be more creative with it now as the prongs sometimes only hurt me, and not get rid of the headache. I use the blade of the wooden pillow to pressure the lower right side of my head to lessen the headache or place other pressures on the back of my head. But, recently, the wooden pillow method hasn't been as effective as before.

So apparently my "cure" was short lived. The last 3 years weren't completely painless, however. Just that a few days on the wooden pillow and my headaches would be gone. And it sure beat the fact of being completely helpless when the headaches came. That is, before I found the wooden pillow method.

I just got back from the hospital with a bunch of steroids for the clusterheadaches. Hopefully I get by this wave of attacks soon enough. And hopefully I find new methods of relieving myself of this pain.
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