Hello all- I am so thankful to have found this site.  My 8-yr old daughter has been having headaches for years that come around every 3-6 months and last 2-4 months.  At the beginning of a cycle they are less frequent & severe, ~4x daily mainly at night and are level 4 pain.  However, after the first month they rise to 6-8 a day with pain levels of 8-10.    She holds her head (right eye) & screams & cries for the 30-60 mins they last.  It is excruciating to watch your child be in this much pain, as you all know.  This last round, which began in December, has been the worst & has her barely able to participate in life.  She goes to school, but spends 1/2 the day in the nurse, with the nurse asking me to pick her up 1-2x per week.  1 day a week she doesn't go at all because the headache she wakes up with is the worst.  She misses all school parties, birthday parties, etc.  We save up our 2x a week Motrin for school test days or a fun activity to try to keep her spirits (& hope) up.  Our pediatrician has insisted that these are migraines for years, so we have tried 5 migraine medicines- none of which helped with headaches & 2 of which altered her personality and ability to think. 

But, I am so thankful to share that the pediatrician eventually acknowledged the need for a neurologist, so this week she was diagnosed with cluster headaches.  I am torn on how to feel because on the one hand it is not a condition I would wish on anyone, but on the other hand we are thankful to have a diagnosis & treatment plan.

At this time the treatment plan is all medication, so I am wondering if other parents have tried non-medicine methods of treatment in a young child?  So far we have tried oils (peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus), massages of back & neck (but just by me), ice on the affected eye and back of neck, relaxation techniques that I thought up like showering, taking a slow assisted walk outside (she gets very very weak during an episode), and we had her first chiropractic appointment this week.  She has a very high water intake level already due to other health conditions.  We find calming her & slowing her breathing helps, but I am about out of ideas on how to calm her.

Being honest though, each method only works for a day or two because they seem to be more mind over matter than cures.  It seems like if she believes there's hope & that a new home method can work than it "does", but only until she realizes it actually does not help.

So I was wondering if anyone thinks it's appropriate (or works) to use acupuncture?  Has anyone used CBT and seen it as helpful?  Are there other things we should be doing or looking in to?  At this point we are desperate for relief!

Thanks so much for listening.  I am sorry that others share this horrible affliction, but glad to have people to talk to, so thanks.

Thank you for the oxygen recommendation.  Her neurologist ordered a tank for her & we are waiting for a call from the oxygen co.  I appreciate the response.

I meant to add that I tried Acupuncture and it was of no benefit at all.

Peter.

Peter, thank you so much for sending the link!  I am finding it a great source of information, and plan on touching base with the neurologist.  Thank you also for your experience with acupuncture, as the closest pediatric is over an hour away & very expensive!  I think I will hold on getting an appointment and work on D3.

Mike, thank you for responding.  She was in fact put on the medications you indicated: verapamil daily (just started days ago) & maxalt (seems to have no effect) at the on-set of a headache.  She tried Topiramate with bad results, but I have not heard of Lithium so I will look it up.  She should receive her oxygen tank Monday, so hopefully that will prove effective.  Thanks too for your thoughts on chiropractic and acupuncture, as we don't need to put her through treatments that aren't effective for CH sufferers.  I am so happy you have been pain-free from D3!  It sounds like this is something I need to follow up on immediately with her neurologist!  Thank you, and I will keep you updated!

Please contact me for radical new approach to CH, No pharmaceuticals are used and it stopped my chronic CH immediately. The protocol is simple and easy but the info for you to assess is some 18 pages long.
Dave Cooper
cooper@butterflies.co.za

I have all those details to hand, Mike, and will happily forward them to anyone who sends me an email address.

It may even warrant further discussion but I'm not sure Kiddies' Corner is the place for it.

Hello,
Apologies if this was posted in the wrong place. I am new to CH forum and am battling to navigate site. The 8 year old struck a cord and hence I posted Radical Approach. The treatment consists of 3 naturopathic ingredients. The article is long because it takes one through the process by which the conclusions were reached and contains the referenced articles and product details so that one can make a proper decision as to how to use the protocol. The items used may not be easily available in different countries hence it was important that a CH sufferer may consider the various alternatives.
This is not a scam.
Please contact me on cooper@butterlies.co.za for the full document.
I have personally had virtually every pharmaceutical product on the market. All with varying and limited success.
The protocol I am suggesting will cost less than $2.00 a day for maintenance dosage and will only enhance your health.
Should you find that it works for your CH it is particularly suitable for a child as none of the ingredients are distasteful nor are there adverse side effects.
Dave Cooper