Posted by Eric Martz (66.30.58.226) on April 30, 2001 at 15:32:49:
I was in my second cluster, after a 1.5 year gap since
my first cluster. I was traveling from the USA to Spain.
Air France wanted $400 to make oxygen available to me
during the flight, and if traveling alone, for me to
pay for an extra seat for the tank, so I declined. I was having
two or three onsets per night, aborted by oxygen. The night before my departure, I had 2, plus a 3rd in the AM, each stopped with about 15 min 100% oxygen. I
began by transatlantic flight with much worry and narcotic
pills (marginally effective) in hand. MIRACLE: 12 hours awake traveling and no onsets! So I thought about what
could have been different. I concluded it was my neck
posture. Often before bed, I sit in a nearly horizontal recliner.
When sleeping, I mostly lie on my side, but sometimes
on my back. During my travels in Spain, I noticed that
whenever I lay on my back with a thin pillow or no pillow, I began having
pre-cluster twinges. I immediately sat up or turned on
my side and the twinges abated. I never had a serious
onset during my 2-week trip. I have been aware that I had
arthritis and pinched nerves in my neck (I am 61) for years, and been careful,
but I never realized that neck posture was responsible
for triggering CH. Now I use a thick pillow to keep my
head high off the bed, so my neck is curved forward, when
lying on my back -- so far, so good. Hope this can
help someone else.