Hi Everyone!

I'm a fellow CH sufferer and lurker of this board for about 4 years.  I'm a wife and mother of one and will be going on 30 later this year.  Yay!

About 4 years ago I diagnosed myself after finding this board.  Around Sept 2008 I got off a plane and couldn't shake the pressure head.  After about 3 days the worst headaches imaginable started.  After about a 2 weeks of that I headed to doctors.  I was diagnosed with sinus headaches, allergies (never bothered me in my life) and chronic migraines.  I have been a migraine sufferer since my early teens but so I knew these were different.  Migraines don't make me stuffy or my left side droopy or burrow into my eye.

I went to Texas Neurology and they hit me with every med they had.  It did nothing but make them worse.  At that point I was 12 weeks into a cycle.  I stopped the meds with the comfort that even though I had them more frequently they were 6/7 vs 9/10.

That same week I was sleeping in my war room.  A spare room upstairs where I can have peace and quiet and not disturb my hubby downstairs in the master when they are minor.  My move not his; he is VERY supportive.  For some reason the thermostat was set to 60 degrees.  I woke up with the standard 3AM headache yet I was in so much pain I couldn't move to turn the upstairs thermostat down.  I then began to shiver and yawn when I got from under the blankets and started to pace and the headache was gone in 2 minutes flat just like that.  I went to google.  The next day I found someone who posted on this board about cold air getting rid of their headache.  I continued reading ... this is ME!!  I printed everything I could find on CH.  Went to the doc and got my diagnosis.

I'm currently in week 8 of my 3rd cycle since being diagnosed.  They consistently last 9 -10 weeks tops.  So I'm praying this one is no different.  I choose to be med free.  Personally, I think they make cycles last longer.  I still use the war room since my attacks are generally at night.  Set it as cold as possible at night and have been able to keep the last two cycles mainly to 5/6 KIP levels with just 2 9/10 KIP by just hopping out of bed and breathing the cold air and doing yoga.  I supplement with melatonin (10mg time release ... 1 two hours prior the second 30 minutes prior to bed) and vitamin D in the AM.  I haven't been to a doctor since being diagnosed but I am currently reading up on the oxygen therapy on here and on the hunt for a good doctor in the Dallas area that won't put me through the med ringer prior to prescribing oxygen.

I want to thank everyone on this board for their contributions.  Additionally, my hat goes off to those with loved ones who sufferer from CH.  You have no idea how valuable your support is.

Hi Maz!

I will check out the oxygen tab in my research.  I'm just beginning the learning process and any help is valuable.  Good luck on your journey!

IF a good medical groups hasn't been able to help you and you have used everything on their list of meds--then it's time to consider that you don't have Cluster.

Print the following and mait it to your doc. Ask him to consider a fresh look at your situation.
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Link to: cluster-LIKE headache:

IN: "Medications, Treatments, Therapies --> "Important Topics" --> "Cluster-LIKE headache"