Hello everybody.

For the past two or three decades I've had ongoing episodic sinus infections.
At least that's what I thought.

A few days ago, I left a clinic with a bag of sumatriptan and a tentative diagnosis of cluster headache, rather than the usual antibiotics to treat sinusitis.

I've scurried about online and the diagnosis seems apt.  I don't have noise and/or light sensitivity, but I can put check marks next to the other symptoms.

Historically, my frame of reference was limited to migraine and sinus headaches.  My wife has migraines and my headaches are a lot different, ergo: sinusitis


I'd like to thank everyone for the information here.  It's oddly relieving to have a name that fits my stuff.


One small quibble, I don't like Devil and Demon to describe pain.  They seem far too bleak and foreboding, even when identifying knife thrust in the eye pain levels.

I'm going to go with Tribble.

It seems apropos in that the trouble with Tribbles- there are far too many of 'em, and they're near impossible to banish or control.

Hi Zardac and welcome

I'll echo Hoppy's question about seeing a headache specialist. Correctly diagnosing complex headache types is not simple and it requires someone with extensive skills and experience as part of the diagnosis is ruling out all possible other causes, of which there are many.

Have you been given sumatriptan tablets or the nasal spray / injections? The tablets work well for migraine, but not for CH as they take 20 min or so to take effect, as opposed to just a few min for the other forms.

Have you been given a preventive to cut down how many CHs you get? Normally you are given a combination of a preventive plus abortive(s).

You're looking for Verapamil....sweet spot around 480 mg/dy divided doses...some get by with less.... clusterheads can tolerate more...I used 1040 at one time...

Don't let 'em give you Inderal (propranolol)...that's better for migraine...

Best

Jon