What a relief to have found this site, and O2.  I’ve had what I thought were headaches caused by a pinched occipital nerve for at least 15 years.  They would occur 3-5 times a day for 2-3 weeks.  I’d keep going to the Chiropractor until they stopped, thinking my back was finally back in place.  They were not very regular in time of day or season.  This last group was/is different.

It started about 6 weeks ago and I can set my clock by them.  Go to sleep + 60 minutes = headache.  After a month of about (3) total hours of sleep a day and (3) headaches plus the odd daytime one, I went to the emergency room.  After MRI, CAT scan, & Contrast, and then an Occipital nerve block, I thankfully went to sleep waiting on the neurologist to come.  I woke 60 minutes later with a headache just as he was walking in.

He gave me O2 while he questioned me and told me that I had cluster headaches and O2 was a treatment.  And it sure does work well most times.  I am so very grateful for the pain relief I can’t begin to describe it, but I suppose those reading this know very well.  So now my remaining problem is total exhaustion.  One hour of sleep at a time followed by 15-30 minutes of O2 to stop the pain is better, but I’m still feeling way below average .

I don’t know why the sudden change in cycle.  Not only is this one very regular (1 hr. after going to sleep), but it’s also gone on 6 weeks now rather than 2-3 as in the past.  Additionally, prior to this cycle, I went a record (for me) 8 months without a headache.  I read that a typical cycle lasts more like 3 months.  Did I just become "normal".  Did I go chronic?  I guess time will tell.

Any suggestions for extending my sleep time beyond 60 minutes?  Thanks for any suggestions, and THANK YOU for this site!!!
Ed

I've had GREAT success with Imitrex.  The Auto Injector works best, but good luck getting your Insurance company to approve more than 2 doses per month.  The nasal isn't as quick, but has been working very well for me as well.  The Nasal tastes like crap, but that's a small price to pay.

As you begin to learn about the various treatments we use for Cluster you find that there are pros and cons associated with each treatmen.

As effective as O2 is a an abortive, it disadantage is it short period of effectiveness. You're experiencing this trying to use it at the same as trying to sleep. Quck action aboorting an attack but short effective life span  leading to you waking up with the attack renewed.

Good sleep requires an abortive with a long, effective life which will carry you through a good period of sound sleep.

Folks have their own favorites which will meet this requirement: relief and long action. I'm sure you'll get some guidance from others.

My personal favorite;

Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):813-6 

Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.


Rozen TD.
Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. THE INITIAL OLANZAPINE DOSE WAS 5 MG, AND THE DOSE WAS INCREASED TO 10 MG IF THERE WAS NO PAIN RELIEF. THE DOSAGE WAS DECREASED TO 2.5 MG IF THE 5-MG DOSE WAS EFFECTIVE BUT CAUSED ADVERSE EFFECTS. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and TWO PATIENTS BECAME HEADACHE-FREE AFTER TAKING THE DRUG. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. IT ALLEVIATES PAIN QUICKLY AND HAS A CONSISTENT RESPONSE ACROSS MULTIPLE TREATED ATTACKS. IT APPEARS TO WORK IN BOTH EPISODIC AND CHRONIC CLUSTER HEADACHE.

PMID 11576207 PubMed
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P.S. I experienced 100% relief, contrary to the limitation noted in the report.

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Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.
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Don't only ask for the med by name. Print  my message for him so that he can see the medical source of your reqquest.

If you find a way of manipulating the oxygen dose and gain some longer sleep periods, this doesn't solve the problem.

We never discuss this issue here but---

Our brain uses good, solid, long periods of sleep to work at reorganizing itself from the times we are wake. When awake the brain is actively engaged in conscious processes--all those activities which we keep our bain active/alert. During sleep, it doesn't stop working--but does change functions. It's busy organizing the experiences of the wake time, reworking the "filing" system, and other functions which can't be done when we are conscious. Bottom line: people with chronic insomnia, for example, will, over time, experience emotional problems and problems around their conscious thinking skills.

Point being, we need good solid, consistent sleep patterns for our overall well being. So, increasing sleep into somewhat longer periods may feel good the next day is not the whold picture.

Really urge you work work with a skill headache doc who undersands these issues.

I have one of these demand valves. Works great. No better way to use O2. The mask or mouthpiece from a cluster mask will fit this.
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