Cluster Headaches – Why Are They Called Suicide Headaches?
Published April 7, 2009 | 
Why are cluster headaches also known as suicide headaches? Many people are surprised to find that this nickname has been applied to what they regard as an unpleasant, but minor and occasional, fact of life. After all, doesn’t everyone get a headache from time to time? Sure, it’s no fun, but you take some aspirin or Tylenol and lie down until it goes away, maybe putting a cool wash cloth over your head to soothe the pain. In a few hours you’re back to normal. What’s the big deal? Well, the big deal is that cluster headaches are nothing like regular ones. The pain is so intense that it has driven not a few victims to attempt or commit suicide to escape their torment.
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No. while your information on cluster headaches is close to accurate, they are referred to as ‘suicide headaches’ for a completely different reason. In 1939 Dr. BT Hutton performed a clinical study on these types of headaches that were actually initially referred to as ‘Hortons Cephalagia’. His patients were disabled by the disorder and suffered from bouts of pain from two to twenty times a week. They had found no relief from the usual methods of treatment. Their pain was so severe that several of them had to be constantly watched for fear of suicide. Most of them were willing to submit to any operation which might bring relief. Thus the terms ‘Hortons syndrome’ and ‘suicide headaches’ became popular.
I agree with both of you.
I’ve read the story about dr. Horton describing it as suicide watch. However, the first discription describes very well what I and many others go through every day in the time we have them.
I see many people who actually doesn’t believe me when I try to describe the pain. Have you met that too? They look at me like I’m a hypocondriac, even my doctor did because she didn’t know it before I got it.
I feel alone with my periodic headaches, people just don’t understand the fear of going out and risc a public attack.
I’m going to go with the idea that both are genuine reasons of why cluster headaches are called “suicide headaches”. Now, I see where my article might have been interpreted wrong. when I say “Many sufferers can’t, and when they can’t find any relief, they see suicide as the only way out. ” I don’t mean that it’s common that people commit suicide, but more that it’s common that people will think about it. Believe me, knowing a few cluster headache patients myself, and after discussing this with our specialist, I’m quite sure that I’m right in that idea.
“Truth”, what’s the “No.” for? I’m a sufferer of chronic cluster headaches, and I can tell you that the article is completely correct. I get no relief from any medication or treatment I’ve had prescribed, the pain is crippling, and the knowledge that the agony I’m going through is going to come back, several more times that night, and then the next, and the next, every day, for the rest of my life, is during a cluster attack nigh-unbearable. Suicide is a very real option many sufferers consider, and some choose. I have 8-12 attacks every single night. It’s destroyed my life. I can’t sleep during the night, and I can’t go out for fear a sudden attack during the day(they happen depressingly often) will leave me a writhing, moaning, rocking back and forth wreck in some public location. I can’t work, I can’t function socially.
Hello,
Nice to see I’m not the only one.
I was diagnosed only 4 days ago with Chronic Cluster Headache.
It’s been going on for 4 f**king weeks now and even spent a week in hospital.
I am fighting the pain and do not think of suicide, though I did once the other day. It feels like someone is wanting me to stay in once place and when Imovemy head up, he is smashing it back down with a hammer.
I am new to this, so don’t know what to expect
Hi Chris,
i’m sorry to hear you’re going through this. One thing I’d like to say is that, they can’t diagnose you with Chronic CH after 4 days. As you can see here: http://ouchuk.org/html/clusters_bout.asp Chronic cluster headaches are diagnosed after a year of no pain-free remission periods. I hope you’ll end up to “luck” out and only have episodic CH.
The link I gave you is the official CH site, you’ll find the most common treatments listed there. If you didn’t get one of the treatment combination described there, talk to your doctor.
Leslie
hi im suffering fron cluster headache from the past four years keep me informed about new ways to relieve the pain please it would be a huge favour
I’m 60 yrs old and have suffered through suicide head aches for almost 20 yrs now.I know why they are called suicide headaches.I thought about the ultimate relief many many times.Originally they were once a day but soon increased to several times a day every day for as long as a year and then a short break before resuming.I suffer all the symptoms that have been mentioned plus a thick saliva that seems to form in my mouth and the molars on the affected side feel like they’re going to explode.I’ve tried a couple of drugs prescribed by my quack neurologist but found that extra strength tylenol and ibuprophin work best.I start by taking 2 tylenol,wait 15 min.then 2 ibuprophin,wait 15 min 2more tylenol etc. I’ve taken as many as 15 tylenol per episode.I know,NOT GOOD,rot your stomach,kill your liver,and so on.But when I get hit with one of these head aches I don’t care I just want the pain gone!I do not recommend this treatment to anyone,it’s just my story.The last 5 yrs or more my bouts haven’t been as bad or as often,but this week they started again,they’re bad and I’m getting very tired of it.Wrecks your life.I think I’ll look into the oxygen treatment and see how that works.
I’m so so sorry to hear that your another victim to ch Chris.Wish I could give you some good advice but I can’t.Except try what is recommended on this site.
Maybe the oxygen treatment.Hang in there,you to clusterhead.
I do know why they are called The Suicide Headache; I had one on Dec. 22 nd, I know the Solstice weird right, well it lasted for over 16 hours, and I felt every fraction of every second of it. I thought I had already been traumatized before, I definetely have PTSD now, and I don’t want to die, but if I would of had a gun on the 22nd I would have gladly-HAPPILY BLOWN MY BRAINS OUT! I am seriously thinking about it. I have a little boy and do not want to leave him, but I can’t do this anymore. I’m going to U of M after New Years to see an M.D., Ph.D. at the medical school research center, and if they can’t help me I hope that God will forgive me and understand, as I know he has been there with me while I’ve suffered though these.
Christopher Blair