Posted by GERHARD STEENKAMP (JERRY) on October 12, 1998 at 09:44:37:
I am a clinical psychologist. Two years ago, I had my first cluster ever, at the time neither my neurologist, GP, or Specialist Physician knew what is was. A locum GP eventually diagnosed it a year ago. I have the chronic variety, and in two years I never had a break (or breather) as I call it. The pattern shifted somewhat, but on the whole, the picture remains the same.
I am still not on any medication, as everything we tried, failed dismally. With the wonderful help of the cluster web page, I am now returning to the above GP with recommendations of treatment options which I found on the web.
Three tips, I do not know if it is new to all of you:
1)Totally quit smoking and alcohol (this you would certainly know).
2)Drink water on the half hour in daytime (or hourly), but lots of it, minimum a large class at a time. At night, if you happen to wake up without a cluster, drink a large class of water everytime. Over a 24 hour period, a minimum of 10 to 12 glasses of water. Within less than a week, your pain pattern stands to be broken, and when you do get an attack, it disappears prior to really peaking on any significant level. Maintain the water habit forever.
3) The most fascinating one (for me anyhow):
If this advice would come from a non-sufferer, I would simply laugh, but coming from this sufferer to you, try it with dedication:
Because I am a psychologist, I am always tremendously conscious of my inner consciousness/awareness, especially when I have a severe cluster pain. I discovered that the more I have an inner focus, and/or a pain awareness focus (during an attack), the more I suffer. It almost is as if I "feed" the attack by doing so. In this context, the moment my attack (or aura to the attack)starts, I drink two to three large glasses of water, and move towards a room or area with lots of fresh air. NOW: Engage in (focus on) either thoughts of a constructive nature (non-pain related), or with an external reality(seriously and continuously), such as a magazine with lots of pictures, or get involved with simple tasks. I have even over time managed to keep on talking with someone! (You would know how impossible this normally is during an attack!)
This, in a way, has to do with "ignoring" the build-up of the pain. It almost is an indirect way of "taking the pain to task".
I postulate that a significant percentage of our pain intensity during an attack, results from our attempts to survive it, or to fight it head-on, etc. Such attempts cause more tension in our bodies, especially in the shoulder and neck muscles, which cause blood pressur to build up, the heart to work harder, and the carotids and other arteries are subjected to even more pressure, increasing the very problem which we are trying to fight!
I have been searching a topic for a PhD. and now I have one! If you want to, kindly send me your attempts (non-chemical) as well as chemical (or even herbal).
Let us see what we can design from a psychological angel to free people from this terror experience.
Regards. I look forward to hearing from you.
Jerry