Posted by Trent Tuggle (216.53.134.61) on December 20, 2000 at 16:49:31:
Hello,
I have cluster headaches, and I am in the midst of a nice fat cluster, and upon reading that they could relate to circadian rhythems (have you read http://www.sleeptalk.com/paul/cluster.htm yet?) He wrote the following:
(begin quote)
"In the Fall of 1995 I became interested in melatonin because of it's relationship to circadian rhythms. I wondered if melatonin might be used to prevent my headaches. Melatonin is a hormone that is released by the pineal gland when the sun sets. Taking a dose of melatonin at a time other than evening alters the body's circadian rhythms, and is used by jet travelers to overcome jet lag. The one time I took melatonin it was a 3mg time-released dose taken at 8:30 pm. I awoke the next morning with the dull ache I get before a cluster headache. The headache never happened, but it increased my suspicion that there is a relationship between melatonin and my headaches. "
(end quote)
The reason I write this is that I didn't have my usual morning headache. (my headaches are right in the morning about an hour before I'd naturally wake) Last night, I took 3mg melatonin and this morning I did awake with a up-and-coming headache (like usual) but this time instead of running for the stadol (which doesn't really do much, but can help) I jumped up and ran out to the living room and stared at the rising sun as it came up.
My headache just faded away into the morning! It was so great! I have had a few shadows through the day, but nothing even really bad! (I don't often get more than one headache a day, but sometimes I do, and sometimes I get quite heavy shadows, like a 5-6 level headache)
I know my headaches are not as bad as most of you here: only every few mornings do I get one as bad as a 10++, some days I am lucky and only get a 7 or so.
I don't know if this is coincidental, maybe my cluster just ended very early, I don't know; but I thought I'd ask if anyone else thinks that it could be that I jump-started my circadian rhythems into working again and maybe that's related to the headaches.
Anyway, thanks for your consideration, and I hope there's something here, if only because I don't want to have a headache tomorrow morning at 7:00!!!
-Trent Tuggle