An Introduction to Cluster Headache Treatment
Published July 13, 2009 | 
Cluster headaches cause some of the most debilitating pain of any health problem a person can suffer from. Not only is the pain excruciating but it can stretch on for hours without relief leaving the sufferer completely incapacitated until it subsides. Many sufferers of cluster headaches reach for things like aspirin and Tylenol in their desperation to ease the pain, but these prove to be ineffective. The sad truth is that there is no over-the-counter cluster headache treatment currently available. For most people only a prescription drug can effectively deal with their cluster headaches.
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Posted in Cluster headache treatment | 
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Aint this the truth. Been suffering with this condition for 17years and tried I don’t know how many types of medication and spent thousands of pounds seeing specialists. The last comment from my doctor (4years ago) was “learn to live with it” – Well, it’s back with a vengeance for the past 6 weeks sometimes up to three times a day so I intend to establish if there is any better medication than I am on presently.
Your first paragraph hits the nail on the head, I have even contemplated suicide or drilling a hole into my head but for my wife who keeps an eye on me.
i was diagnosed with cluster headache syndrome in 2008 and so far the two different doctors i have visited have prescribed different medications one of the doctors prescribed me tramadol 50mg tablets and migraine medication this is my current treatment and it doesnt work my last doctor had me on amitriptyline to prevent and percocet to relieve once they have started this worked much better then my current treatment my current doctor however will not listen to me and continues giving me the treatment which does not work i think i will go back to my previous doctor she is much more personable and doesnt seem to be trying to catch a commission from the pharmaceutical companies
I have suffered cluster headaches for over 20 years. In my experience only two types of treatment work consistently. Oxygen treatment and 6mg Imigran injections. Sometimes the Imigran pills and nasal spray can give you a certain level of relief if taken early enough during an attack.
I am suffering from CH for last 13 years..I am doing breathing yoga which seems to be working out better..sometimes just boiling hotwater vapor inhaling also works out ..nothing else seems to be working ..I was in Verapamil for sometime( but above 2 methods will work, only if i start immediately when i get a signal thats its going to come…once its started..no help..I need to go through the labor pain
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I suffered from clusters from the age of 15. I am 29 this year. There is a remedy for clusters. Cortisone. I know many people is against it but if the pain is so severe that you rather die than live, you will give it a try.
When I was 18 I went to a Neurologist. He said to me there was one way of curing the clusters for at least a year. By injecting Cortisone at the back of your head. After the first treatment the clusters dissappeared for one Year. After the second treatment the clusters dissappeared for two years and after the third treatment the clusters dissappeared for seven years. Today for the first time in seven years the clusters came back and I already made an appointment with the Neurologist for this weekend. Hopefully the clusters will go away for 20 years this time.
I am 53 now and have not had a cluster headache in 8 years thank God. I had the worst ones i think a human being could stand. I tried every treatment known to man from accupuncture to oxygen. All drugs from A to Z. Well the z was the trick. Zomig was the ticket. I mean it took me from excruiciating pain to complete relief in 15 mins. Try it and you will see.
Zomig is more for regular migraines, my husband used it too, but it never worked for him. But I’m glad to hear you got some relief from it.
I had no history of headaches until suddenly one night in November 2009 when i awoke to severe right-temple pain, watering right eye, etc.. these continued each night at about the same time and lasting 45-75 minutes. i went through several “specialist” over a period of several weeks and was initially prescribed prednisone and later sumatripitan. as i was preparing for a visit to the Dean Mcgee eye institute one day, my left arm suddenly went numb and started turning grey. I had emergency surgery to remove a clot from inside my left elbow. I spent 4 days in the hospital while they ran every test imaginable to determine the cause of the blood clot. It was to no avail, all test showed normal results and I was repeatedly told that the two issues were completely unrelated but never had another episode… until the last 3 nights (20 months later).. ugh! sounds like I may be a new member of the “cluster club”…
There are NO pain pills that will effectively treat Cluster headaches. If you believe that, then you are misdiagnose and do NOT suffer from Clusters. I do agree with one other poster here, O2 and Imitrex are effective treatments for Clusters. Also, high doses of steroids can be helpful, but the side effects will kill you in the long run.
I sufferED from Cluster headaches for almost 30 years. I used Imitrex and a 5-day course of Predisone would generally abort the cluster and then I took Verapamil daily for a while. My last Cluster went on for 6 months and the Predisone only slightly stalled it. Finally, I went to the Chiropractor who adjusted my neck. My headache cycle stopped within 2 days. In the last couple of years, I have felt that maybe I was beginning a cluster and went straight to the Chiropractor for an adjustment. I have been headache free for almost 8 years now. I have my life back.
I have been suffering from clusters since 13 years old, i am currently 29 and have tried just about everything under the sun to treat them. the only thing i have found that works 100% of the time (although its just temporary) is sumatriptan 6mg injections.
I am 44yo. I have suffered cluster headaches for over twenty years. I was missed diagnosed for 12 years. Prednisone has worked for the last 8 years until now. Nothing seems to work and my headaches are happening 4 to 5 times a day, 1.5 to 2 hours in duration, with a dull pain in the right side of my head that wont go away. I recently moved and the doctors in my area want to send me to a neurologist. No insurance. Can’t afford it. I am going through this without any treatment and it is the worst I have ever had them. If anyone knows of a doctor in the Puget sound area, please let me know. edgordon67@yahoo.com. Thanks.
I am 43yo HAVE HAD CLUSTERS ON AND OFF SINCE I WAS 20.HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING AND SEEN EVERYONE.5000 DOLLAR TMJ PIECE ,HAD ALL WISDOMS TAKEN OUT,CIROPRACTERS ,ACCUPUNCTURE,4 DIFFERENT NEUROS,EYE SPECIALISTS NOTHING WORKS AND THE OLDER I GET THEY GET WORSE.WAS ON TOPOMAX(stupidmax)verapamile countless steriod cycles pain meds that dont work.Imitrex in jections do get rid of the pain for about 3-4 hours but you will get rebound headaches from these .Oxygen does work but comes right back half the time when off.even when im not in a bad cluster headache my brain feels like it is on a frying pan /eye feels like ive been punched neck sore and teeth hurt, i pray they come up with a cure pain is unbearable.
I’m 44 years old & suffered from Clusters for 18 years. Early treatment was poor as i was mis-diagnosed. Only things that have worked for me are the Sumatripan injections & Oxygen therapy. Last year my neurologist offered me a new treatment – thermocoagulation for trigeminal neuralia. A needle is inserted at the side of your mouth & guided up to the Gasserian ganglion under general anaesthetic & you then waken to check positioning before been put back to sleep. He had found that in some cluster patients the treatment worked. I have now been pain free for 18 months, only side effect is some numbness in the right side of my face/head , which is a very small price to pay after years of pain & hell.
I’m 63 and was diagnosed last year after 20 years of misdiagnoses. Sumatripan pills work for me but in the midst of a series of clusters I grossly exceed the recommended frequency/useage duration. The prescriptipn says I should’nt take more than 2 a day and not more than 8 in thirty days. I may use more than that in the midst of a cluster. My doctor doesn’t seem too concerned about “over use”. I’m in a period of daily headaches for about two months now. I’m concerned about Seritonin syndrome although I don’t seem to notice any adverse side affects. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated.
I had cluster headaches for 30 years, Imitrex injections were finally the ticket. But I have a dilemma now….I had a heart attack and bypass surgery 4 years ago, and hadn’t had another cluster headache….until today. Now my doctor says I can’t have the Imitrex anymore….what am I going to do???
i am goin through these cluster headaches(CH) for 7 yrs. i never went to a neurologist as i am a doctor myself (ofcourse not specialised in neurology). drugs like sumatriptan n steroids would work on relieving an acute attack of CH but wont cure the problem forever. so, u gotta go through their adverse-effects if u depend on them on a longterm basis. the best way one can deal with CH is ” to learn to live with it “. also 100 % oxygen is proved to relieve an acute attack of CH.so, try to do some breathing exercises like PRANAYAMA while goin through an attack, IT WORKED FOR ME. you wont experience the immediate relief with this but surely reduces your headache span by atleast half the time as before…
Just started having CH…primary care Dr. thought it was an eye problem. Outcome the antibiotics…no good. Go to eye Dr….you have side efects of some Rosacea..out comes ointment…no luck. Severe bouts now happening for up to 3hrs. Unbearable…Controled breathing and hotpacks to side of head. These things have sesverly affected my sinuses. Hot packs loosens the mucus and out it comes..finally short term relief. Bad ch, go to walk in clinic…maybe if I cry, they will give me a cat scan and bill me. No luck. Dr. tells me I have CH. …NOW WHAT?..Gives me predisone, suma and some other combo drug and amoxicillan. I take as directed. Pills run out, pain is back…not as bad, but still having bouts that are borderline unbearable. Someone told me that Dr. Oz had a cluster haedache portion of his show. A nerve in the neck maybe the problem. Now confirmed by my primary care,I’m off to a chiropractor. Not sure if related, but during attacks..neck ( base where it attaches to head) and sholder area tight light a very painful drum. I can’t imagine ” just have to live with it”…
I’m a CH sufferer,actually going through a cycle at this present moment,2 months and counting.has anyone had the nerve block injection?how effective is it aswell?