Comments on: An Introduction to Cluster Headache Treatment

By: david hickson

david hickson — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:41:39 +0000

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?

By: terry anderson

terry anderson — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:32:23 +0000

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”…

By: gautam

gautam — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 07:12:15 +0000

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…

By: Rette Barrett

Rette Barrett — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:42:40 +0000

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???

By: Dave Hanson

Dave Hanson — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:45:32 +0000

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.

By: darran wilkinson

darran wilkinson — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:19:32 +0000

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.

By: tom

tom — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:14:50 +0000

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.

By: EWG

EWG — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 15:55:55 +0000

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.

By: cluster buster

cluster buster — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:35:38 +0000

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.

By: LMW

LMW — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:04:23 +0000

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.

By: Mr_CH_Himself!

Mr_CH_Himself! — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 02:32:20 +0000

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.

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 02:13:58 +0000

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”…

By: admin

admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:16:05 +0000

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.

By: mike

mike — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:37:24 +0000

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.

By: Hannes

Hannes — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:59:59 +0000

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.