Posted by same old taleteller (209.187.112.1) on September 11, 1999 at 13:33:35:
In Reply to: A GOOD DEBATE posted by GRAHAM on September 11, 1999 at 09:27:50:
I've spent nearly 20 years dealing with people who have a drinking problem, or have quit drinking because of one, and believe me this is a classic:
Graham said:
"Ive now missed my usual Saturday morning run and workout in the gym because of you Bob and Hub "
FOR SURE:
anybody who gives up a constructive activity because they feel compelled to spend the time defending their excessive drinking,to two strangers,on an internet bulletin board, is in BIG BIG trouble, far worse than CH in the long run
(spending every Friday and Saturday night drinking for 9 years (which he previously reported) IS excessive drinking - severe, abusive, dependent drinking, big time, by any standard.......and the fact that lots of people do it means absolutely nothing)
this IS VERY IMPORTANT re: Cluster Headache, because it is a major component of a lot of people's CH problems
As far as drinking & CH goes, in general -
1. anybody can obviously say anything on a forum like this and it doesn't mean a damned thing but:
2. the OVERWHELMING response over time is that alcohol will almost certainly provoke a very severe CH attack (for newbies): this discussion comes up about every 2 months - invariably a couple people get absolutely rabid defending their drinking, and dozens of others report the horrible result of drinking while in cluster, and say that even though they like a pop now and again, they would NEVER try it during a cluster cycle
3. Drs were telling folks (including me) 20 years ago:
"drinking doesn't cause cluster headache as a disease, but if you have cluster headache, and are in a cluster cycle, and drink - the alcohol will most certainly cause individual attacks, or make existing ones worse
still seems like the straight stuff-
re: the guy who claimed nobody ever had their CH improve by going abstinent -
he may be fooling himself & his family BUT -
he's quite simply full of shit
many of us have reported a reduction in the overall severity of our CH headache problem, over time, after quitting drinking
this ISN'T a moral, good or bad issue folks
it's straight forward friggin' biochemistry