Click this link to read a post I like on the clusterheadaches.com message board...

bcsanders

CH.com Junior

Offline

I Love CH.com!

Posts: 49

CH and anesthesia
Apr 22^nd, 2019 at 1:19pm

Hi all. I am 50 years old. Have been episodic about 30 years. I am not in cycle right now. But my question is this. I may need a medical procedure that required a general anesthesia. Never had general anesthesia in my life. Has anyone had any incidence that anasthesia could trigger a cycle. Nervous enough about the whole anasthesia thing let alone if it could bring on headaches. Been on the vitamin D therapy. Seems to be very helpful. A few years since an episode.

Thanks all.

Brett C

Back to top

IP Logged

Click Here to visit the CH.com Facebook page!

Peter510 CH.com Alumnus Offline Don't give out... But don't give in. Posts: 966 Wexford. Ireland Gender:	Re: CH and anesthesia Reply #1 - Apr 22^nd, 2019 at 2:53pm Brett, I am a chronic sufferer and had a general anaesthetic last year with no problems at all. I also am on the D3 Regimen with significant success. Peter.
Back to top	« Last Edit: Apr 22^nd, 2019 at 2:54pm by Peter510 » You don't stop laughing because you grow old....You grow old because you stop laughing. IP Logged

austindh CH.com Newbie Offline I Love CH.com! Posts: 3	Re: CH and anesthesia Reply #2 - Apr 22^nd, 2019 at 3:28pm As I understand it most general anesthesia these days is intravenous, and during the procedure one is given pure oxygen via nasal canules. The administration of the O2 might actually prevent CH during the procedure and after. Does anyone have a comment on these ideas?
Back to top	IP Logged

Mike NZ

CH.com Hall of Famer

Offline

Oxygen rocks! D3 too!

Posts: 3785
Auckland, New Zealand
Gender: male

Re: CH and anesthesia
Reply #3 - Apr 22^nd, 2019 at 6:28pm

Hi Brett

I've not seen anyone post about anasthesia triggering a cycle or have read about it in research publications. However with CH being rare plus anasthesia not exactly being uncommon it isn't too surprising that there isn't much linking the two.

However surgery is almost certain to result in inflammation, especially if it is a non-minor operation where it is expected that there will be inflammation, e.g. hip replacement or similar.

From reading posts that Batch has made, surgery is highly likely to result in D3 related levels in your body dropping significantly, which increases the chance of CHs.

You may wish to discuss this with your surgeon and ask about taking some additional D3 before the surgery and afterwards.

Since O2 is readily available at hospitals, I'd discuss beforehand with the nurses / doctors about your CH and how it can be aborted using high flow rate oxygen with a non-rebreather mask. This is a lot easier to do prior to being hit by a CH than trying to explain mid-CH why the mask type matters and you need more than a couple of litres per minute as the flow rate.

Hi Austindh

Welcome to the forums!

Oxygen doesn't really work as a preventive and at the flow rates provided via nasal cannula it is unlikely to be able to abort CHs.

Tell us more about yourself and any CH questions you have.

Back to top

IP Logged

Batch

CH.com Alumnus

Offline

Control The Beast With
O2 & D3 You Must

Posts: 3704
Bremerton, WA
Gender: male

Re: CH and anesthesia
Reply #4 - Apr 23^rd, 2019 at 4:01am

Hey Bret,

I've researched anesthesia as a CH trigger and results are mixed. Much of the confusion centers around the difference between local and general anesthesia. Under local anesthesia or spinal blockade, the incidence of CH attacks is about the same as usual. In simple terms, as long as you're semi alert during local anesthesia and the local anesthesia occurs coincident with the usual time the CH beast jumps ugly, you'll get zapped! Otherwise, it's a crap shoot with the CH beast jumping ugly as usual.

Under general anesthesia, we're as close to death as we'll ever be with the transmission of pain totally blocked, so the CH beast could jump real ugly under general anesthesia and we would be off in La La land and never know it... You might have a puffy eyelid as a clue the CH beast made a call while you were out, but other than that, you're home free under general anesthesia... until it wears off... After that, you've faced with the same old crap shoot.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Back to top

« Last Edit: Apr 23^rd, 2019 at 4:01am by Batch »

You love lots of things if you live around them. But there isn't any woman and there isn't any horse, that’s as lovely as a great airplane. If it's a beautiful fighter, your heart will be ever there

IP Logged

bcsanders CH.com Junior Offline I Love CH.com! Posts: 49	Re: CH and anesthesia Reply #5 - Apr 23^rd, 2019 at 11:39am Thank you all. Appreciate the time and advice. Will let you know how it works out.
Back to top	IP Logged

pattik

CH.com Alumnus

Offline

Posts: 2631
Wisconsin, USA
Gender: female

Re: CH and anesthesia
Reply #6 - Apr 23^rd, 2019 at 3:46pm

Hi Brett,

I underwent general anesthesia for cataract surgery 18 months ago, and I'm also on the D3 regimen. They don't take you as far under with that procedure as some other procedures, but I had no CH issues from it.

Depending on what your upcoming procedure involves, there could be a fair amount of an inflammatory response, which could trigger CH. There have been other threads on this forum regarding surgery and CH, and you might want to do some research on this. I may be heading for knee surgery, and I'm going to see if preemptive D3 dosing might not only help with recovery, but also avoid a CH recurrence. Food for thought anyway. Good luck with the procedure if it happens!

Take care,
Patti

Back to top

IP Logged

maz CH.com Hall of Famer Offline I Love CH.com! Posts: 1071 Hampshire, England Gender:	Re: CH and anesthesia Reply #7 - Apr 24^th, 2019 at 4:06am I had a procedure to treat my CH and I had a general aneasthetic for that. It didn't trigger a CH, nor had any effect on it at all.
Back to top	IP Logged

Falcon

CH.com Newbie

Offline

I'll sleep when I'm dead...

Posts: 16
Malverne, NY
Gender: female

Re: CH and anesthesia
Reply #8 - May 14^th, 2019 at 11:19pm

I’ve had a lithotripsy to get rid of a kidney stone & a colonoscopy done under anesthesia. Both times I told the anesthesiologists about my monster.

The first surgery, the lithotripsy was done as emergency surgery & I just happened to get lucky that my neurologist was on call in the ER & I got to speak to him. He told my surgical team what to watch for & what to do.

When I went for the colonoscopy I asked for oxygen on standby. I also brought a letter from my neurologist for my surgical file before my procedure. And I made sure I had my Maxalt with me.

Additionally request from your surgeon that you have both a triptan & high-flow oxygen on you list of Rx that you can request as needed. They can write an order for it while you are in the hospital or at recovery.

Hope that help!

Back to top

« Last Edit: May 14^th, 2019 at 11:20pm by Falcon »

IP Logged

Click Here to visit the CH.com Facebook page!

Traveller

CH.com Veteran

Offline

Posts: 148
Tampa, FL
Gender: male

Re: CH and anesthesia
Reply #9 - May 18^th, 2019 at 8:08pm

I had general anesthesia for shoulder surgery a few years ago while I was in cycle. What was a shock is that the night after surgery I was completely comatose on oxycontin and had a CH blow right through the narcotics like they weren't even there. Couldn't feel a damn thing in my shoulder but my pal the CH was there in full force. Direct evidence that narcotic pain relievers are useless for CH.

Back to top

IP Logged

	Welcome, Guest. Please Login or Register
	Search box updated Dec 3, 2011... Search ch.com with Google!