But this is no picnic. The timing of the headaches this cycle is less predictable. Once he had to pull over during an attack at the end of his work day. We went to a New Order concert and he had an attack there - complete with vomiting in the bathroom due to the pain. He seems to be getting a shadow in the early evening, then a full attack wakes him up after he goes to sleep. I don't know if the early evening attacks are actually full headaches that are getting staved off by oxygen.

He is tired and demoralized. He has a high stress job that doesn't let up. I am trying to get him to the doctor again for a referral to a headache doctor and he won't give me a time window that works for an appointment. He is embarrassed about using oxygen and would never take tanks with him in his car or at work.

I am concerned about the change in pattern. The cycle is lasting a long time, the attacks are long, and often more than one per time - atypical for him.

I have children (8 and 10) and this whole situation is hard on our family. I've cancelled a camping trip and feel like we're going through an "invisible" crisis with this. I feel like I can't ask my husband for anything, or expect anything.

I've started my husband on the vitamins - still tweaking and setting it up but I got the ball rolling on the main ones. Fortunately he is not resisting that.

This is just another sucky thing in my complicated life. My son has ADHD, learning disabilities, and other issues, we're homeschooling, and I share custody with my children's father, which constantly wreaks havoc on my life. Sorry to whine.

We hear you feisty,

Although we are all different, your husbands attacks are pretty typical. But be warned it shifts and changes all the time so you never know what to expect.

As your doctor was agreeable to the oxygen (some are not) I would go to see him again. Ask for imitrex  auto injections. It may be called sumatriptan or imigran where you live. It comes in tablet form and nasal spray too, but the tablets take too long to get into your system to be of much help. I have not tried the spray, but I can tell you the injections are like a miracle. They will completely stop the worst cluster in less than 10 minutes. You can only take 2 per day, so I save mine for when I'm out (I never ever leave home without them) and use the 02 at home. 

They are easy to use and small enough to go in your pocket, so he won't have any embarrassment with them. They don't hurt (much) just a pin prick, but compared to a CH it's a walk in the park. The 02 can be used at home where there is no one to see. I don't know what your medical system is like, or if you have to have insurance etc, but I warn you they are expensive. You should try to get hold of a few when he's not in cycle and that helps to spread the cost. Some people get rebound headaches from it, but any headache that lingers after the pain has gone (he will know the difference) is usually the kind that can be taken care of with over the counter stuff. Knowing you have pain relief that actually works relieves the constant fear too.

Please encourage him not to be embarrassed. It's just an illness that needs to be treated and it's not worth suffering through hours of endless pain  when the help is right there. When mine starts I'm straight on to the 02  and I don't care who sees me. And if he can stand a full blown CH then we know he's no sissy.

Also get some Red bull energy drinks. At the very first sign of pain - don't wait till it ramps up - slug down a cold one as fast as he can. It's the combination of caffiene and taurine in a sudden hit that does the trick, so any energy drink with those ingredients will do. It doesn't work for every one but lots of us get relief from it so it's always worth a try.

Thank you for caring. One thing we all have in common is how much we need our supporters. Bully him if you have to, to get him back to the doctors. Once he has spared the time to get this sorted out his life will be so much easier in every way. It might help too, if you explain it to the children because it can be quite scary if they witness an attack. I know some one with a 6 year old who sets up the 02, plumps up the cushions and administers the injections. It will make them feel good if they think they can help.

Stay strong because he needs you and know that you are not alone.Let us know how you progress.
Maz.

I just posted in another thread about the vitD-allergy-cluster links. I'm really interested in this because dh's cycle seemed to have been triggered by pollen allergy at an atypical time of year. It's interesting to read via Batch that allergy bouts can deplete vit D - I just read confirmation of that by a local allergist in a news article. Makes sense! So the allergy triggers massive inflammation, which causes swelling of the arteries/nerves, which causes CH. If you can boost the immune system to prevent allergies, then you can theoretically prevent the whole cycle?

more pollen due to climate warming -> allergy bout -> DEPLETION OF VIT D -> allergies worse -> inflammation -> cluster headache cycle initiated

Very helpful Maz.

If we got the injection he could use it in the bathroom on the boat. But if he had a vomiting, sweating bullets, writhing attack like he did at the concert...that would be really awkward for him.

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Thanks for the tips Maz. You make it sound less intimidating

It can't be easy being a supporter never mind when the person with CH is cautious about being helped. Thank you for trying though as those with CH know how it equally can't always be easy having it either.

When reading warnings on any medication it is essential to not just look at what can go wrong but the frequency at which it happens to get a real understanding of the risk involved. Can you imagine what the warning label on a car, helicopter or even a bed would be given that people die in them every year?

I'd work on the vitamin D3 route though as that has worked very well for a lot of people. My oxygen rig is gathering more dust and my imitrex injections only ever get used for migraines, so hopefully he gets similar results.

Last night was really rough. When I got home around 9:30 PM, dh was in a really good mood because he hadn't had the shadow headache he has been getting in the early evenings lately. Unfortunately I annoyed him by talking about CH stuff when he just wanted to not think about it. Then he got a full blown CH at midnight (woke him up), and then another full blown CH at 2 AM. Both went on for a while. He got up and went to work today...sooo exhausted. I wish he had a job where he could "lay low" sometimes. His week is full of clients meetings, site visits, etc. - no reprieve.

Thanks Maz. I think you are right.

Mike NZ wrote on Jul 22^nd, 2014 at 6:48pm:
So true. Generally I really try not to get involved in dh's business, unless he asks for my help. This has been a rare exception...hence me walking a fine line .

I pleased with myself. I ordered the final remaining supplements that we needed, and I ordered the home blood test. So it's full steam ahead on the supplement regimen at least.

feisty wrote on Jul 24^th, 2014 at 2:26am:

This may be a false economy as many folk get little relief until 15-25 lpm.

Consider cranking up the volume and using less O2 for a greater effect

I've two regulators, one which goes to 15lpm and one to 25lpm. The 25lpm will kill a CH off in almost a third of the time of the 15lpm so it uses a lot less oxygen to do so.