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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Forget everything you know about headaches, and throw it out the window. Cluster headaches are a whole different kettle of fish. Imagine that you’re just sitting at your desk, or you’re on the couch enjoying your favorite TV show, or you’re laying in bed reading before you fall asleep. When, out of the blue, you begin feeling a burning sensation in the lower part of your face. It begins moving higher and higher, and as it does, the sensation of heat is replaced by the feeling that you’re being stabbed over and over again right through one of your eyes, all the way into your brain. Now, imagine that feeling lasting for up to 90 minutes. Then, imagine what it must be like to know, even after the attack has ended, that you’re probably going to suffer several more of these over the next few days, weeks or months.
Even more unimaginable, what would it be like to know that you’ve going to suffer several of these attacks every day, day in and day out? That’s what people who have the chronic form of this condition have to deal with. Could you live with that pain? Could you face life day after day knowing that you’re going to be spending much of it praying for your own death to escape the torture? Many sufferers can’t, and when they can’t find any relief, they see suicide as the only way out. That’s why cluster headaches are also known as suicide headaches.
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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
My God!!! I knew there were many more people out there suffering from a wrecked life like I am but this is CRAZY!!! Christopher (and the rest of you) I feel each and every bit of your pain. I didn’t know a person could go through this kind of pain and continue to exist. I dont believe in suicide…or at least I didnt at 1 point but My LORD something has got to give. I’m 42 yrs old and living in my mother’s basement. A once great career has been derailed because employers tend to frown on employees that have to take 2 or 3 months off every year to year and a half because sunlight sets off a complete meltdown. Listening to you fellow suffers I consider myself one of the luckest people on the planet. If mine were chronic I really dont think I’d be here anymore. I couldnt take it. When I felt the 1st one this year I just wanted to cry for a week straight because I knew what the next 3 months were going to be like. I dont have insurance but I swear that I am going to try that oxygen treatment on the next episode if I have to sell azz to get it. Imitrex and everything else I’ve tried is useless. Sometimes an ice pack helps on the side of my head…Sometimes regulating my sleep with sleeping pills and alcohol helps and (this is disgusting but I’m being REAL) sometimes straining to take a BM helps…But you cant just take a dump…you have to act like your constipated and trying to push out food you ate last week. For real…try to push like you are taking a dump right now…see how you feel presure in your head…Well I have done that while having a CH and it made it less intense or even go away. I’m just trying 2 share…I have been having these since I was 19 and I’m 42 now. The only think I havent tried was oxygen…And I assure you…thats next!
i have had cluster headaches since i was 6 yr old and the pain, i asked my ophthalmologist i worked for “take my left eye out ” they won’t do it. I tried suicide 2 months ago and i guess it wasn’t my time!I ju
st can’t handle the pain any more and i have a dr. and it’s not helping my pain!
hi my nane is darrin and i have suffered from cluster migrains since i was 9 and it only took 12 years for doctors to believe me and thought i was seeking drugs .in fact i had doctor laugh at me at the emergency room well they have comeback just recently and i am fighting them right now and if it wasnt for my two beautiful children i would have taking my life they need me after death of there mother do to cancer its not only the pain its the stuff that comes with them most of all beiing able to work and provide for them during this terrible time and who knows how long they will be here and to matters worse they took the only drug that some what helped of the market which was called stadol ns off the market because of drug attacks abusing it its been almost 4 years since my last attacks i guess i should be thankful for that godbless anybody that has this problem be strong and it will go away always remeber that thanks darrin