Yes, there has been extensive documentation of the suicides and suicidal thoughts; one survey I saw said that more than half of people with cluster headaches had at least considered suicide.

Well, it sounds like yours are a lot closer to clusters than migraines - although from what I understand, the long-lasting ones (3+ hours) aren't that common; mine are usually about 30 minutes which I understand is fairly usual. But the pain part of it....

is from my experience a pretty exact description of the pain from a cluster. At least my wife doesn't freak out anymore when she wakes up and sees me in the bedroom corner like that with my face glued to the window (breathing cold air definitely helps me). Until she got used to it, I went into the bathroom in order to rock, bang the wall and breathe cold air so I wouldn't scare her too much lol.

But the other real defining feature of cluster headaches is that they usually occur at just about *exactly* the same times of day, every day, when you're in a cluster. Ever since I started the verapamil and I was down to (usually) one headache a day, it's 1 1/2 hours after I go to bed, give or take 15 minutes....and it makes you dread going to sleep. And when I get a shadow (which from my understanding is the term that's used for cluster patients rather than aura, which is used for migraine patients - I'm not sure if they really are different or not, but I *think* aura comes with light of some sort, while the shadow is more of a flicker of a headache along with a sense of dread, similar to the sense of dread people supposedly get before a heart attack) - percocets or anything else don't help me, it's just a matter of waiting for it to come. Not sure if the *exact* time thing is part of your headache or not...but I think it makes things even worse, since it's not a matter of hoping you won't get one for a while, you *know* exactly when it's going to come.

That's why the cafergot was such a god-send. Once I started taking it at night before bed (when I was in a cluster) I knew I wouldn't get the headache - and I don't live in a constant state of panic and dread when I'm in a cluster anymore. The only thing I have to be careful of is not being stupid lol --- last year I was in a cluster, but without thinking went out to dinner with my wife for our anniversary. And within 10 minutes of having half a glass of champagne --- bang. (Drinking when you're in a cluster will bring on a headache 99 times out 100 :( )

If it helps at all, there's a support group where you can get a lot more information:
http://www.clusterheadaches.com/[/URL"]http://www.clusterheadaches.com/

I'll try that one next time :thumbsup

I wouldn't. The rush of blood to the head during orgasm would be excruciating if you have a real migraine. :2 cents:

Spend less time staring at the the screen and take a walk outside.

I finally realized
 

That it was my stomach that was upset and my body was interpreting the pain as a headache.

So now I take a cocktail of tylenol and antacid and that seems to take care of it.

Funny enough, glasses stopped mine. Evidently one eye is off just enough that the bit of strain I had when looking at the computer screen triggered an almost 3 week episode.

Now I can control them with a mix of sumatriptan, advil, Paracetamol, and a little pill that keeps me from throwing it all up.

I've had migraines for a long time.

The best thing I've found for it was called "Duract", but they took it off the market because it caused liver problems. I also used to have the morphene nose spray, but they stopped making it because dumbasses kept killing themselves with it. :(

After duract the next best thing that has worked for me is Excedrin Migraine, but it tears up my stomach and now I've got ulcers so I guess Execdrin works but depending on how often you get mirgraines prolly not a good long term solution.

A friend of mine takes Nuproxin Sodium (sp?) so I try using that sometimes. I didn't get the script for it, I just take a few aleive. It works, but it takes a while to make it start to ease up, like over mins.

BC Powders can help if you're stuck in a jam and just need something to help you drive home, but they don't chase my migraine much. They wanted to put me on Topomax as a daily preventative, but I am always skittish about taking something daily as a preventative.

The worst thing I've taken was Maxalt. Neurologist gave me some samples and I tried it and almost called an ambulence the pain got so bad.

There's also a shot that they've had to give me a few times, it's not imitrex though. I've had a few migraines that were so bad they went on for days / caused numbness in half my body, that's when I get the shot. Next time they give it to me I'll try to remember what it is. It's something they have to inject deep into tissue and it burns afterwards, but it works.

ibuprofen

medical Marijuana, Purple Kush!!

Those are what I get, I haven't had an aura one for a while because I can usually tell them coming before that point and take somethnig and get somewhere dark before it gets to that point.

Auras are so hard to describe to people too. It's like a flash went off and you loose a spot in your vision. Man, sucks to hear you are in the same boat.

Some tips that have helped me- try not to read w/o glasses, avoid bright lights, only go to see movies that let out in the evening when the sun is down, and always wear sunglasses outside in the daytime. :thumbsup

I usually take 2 Motrin tabs, works for me much of the time.

soluble aspirin plus coffee in 20-30 minutes after
BUT your doc knows better

Yep. I also use ActivOn on my shoulder muscles where my tension migraines start

If you catch it in time, this'll do the trick cheap and easy

If not, Maxxalt ? let it dissolve under your tongue and in 20mins you're good to go :thumbsup

I get them bad! sometimes I dong come out of a dark room for days if they flair up!

#1 thing that made them go away, I started seeing a chiropractor weekly since doing that I haven't had one.

#2 Extra strength Tyleno Migraine formual

#3 Alieve gelcaps

#4 if all these dont work I go to the hospital and get a shot of demerol in my left ass cheek and pass out for a while.


when I was in the U.S. Marines and Army I got them while out in the field. I found that sleeping on something solid caused them more. so sleeping on the top of an M1A1/2 Tanker didn't help keep them at bay.

imitrex is the only thing I ever found that worked on mine once they are full swing...

thc steadily keeps them from surfacing to critical levels.

I had an Imitrex shot once! haha someone was like here this is what I take and stuck it in my shoulder LOL didn't know it was coming.

Ellisa said I laid down on the couch and fell asleep drooling on myself I woke up 30 minutes later headache gone

Green Advil. No problems after 10-15 minutes.

as a kid i had migraines, is much different than a regular headache.. you really really in pain.
somehow luckily i grew out of it and never had one after age 12 but i remember what worked really well was a weekly massage of the back and neck as a preventative measure so to say..

Newbs, I have cured my migraines via negative ion therapy.

I remember the imitrex injections ... swore I would never ever do that again.

Now you can get imitrex (i do 100mg) in a handy pill form. As soon as you feel the first inkling of it, pop one back and enjoy the rest of your day.

They have a new one out, treximet, which is alright too, but hella expensive, and for some reason, my bullshit personal insurance wont cover it.

twinkley