Cluster headaches

[DitoDupe]

Hello,

My boyfriend gets crippling Cluster headaches. He has never taken anything that has actually helped any. It will last for a few days and then afterwards he feels 'funny' for a week afterwards.

Sometimes he has symptoms before getting them.
Numbness of his limbs
Slurred speach or mispronouncing words
Loss of hearing

He also has weird triggers such as smells or change in seasons.

Any thoughts on what he can take to keep them at bay?

I myself get Migraine headaches but I have developed a very successful technique when I get one but he can't figure anything out that will actually work.

[zach016]

Hi D.D.,

Cluster headaches or 'suicide headaches' are really awful. I've had migraines for about 30 years and started getting cluster headaches about 7 years ago. NOT FUN!!

Many times I gave myself black eyes by banging one side of my head against the door frame in the hope that I would transfer some of the pain to another part of my body - and possibly release some endorphins to take the pain level down. They definately caused me to reevaluate my pain scale!!

Surprisingly, at least to me, giving the patient oxygen has abated these headaches in some people. I don't know the percentage, but anything greater than a snowballs chance in heck is worth trying IMO!! Here I needed to get my Dr. to write a Rx but it wasn't a big deal and was inexpensive. It didn't work for me unfortunately.

Can you give us some more information about them? How long has he had them? How long do they last? What types of treatment has he tried? What meds. has he tried? What Dr.'s / specialists has he seen and what did they say? Who gave him his Dx of 'cluster headaches'?

Zach016

[DitoDupe]

Well I am not really sure what kind of med it is that he takes but it is supposed to act as a 'preventative'. He has had them for about 20 years and does not get them as often anymore, but when he does they can be as short as a day to as long as a week and a half. He said that no doctor has ever told him of any treatment he can take that will guarantee results. So he generally just suffers through them until he feels better. It is horrible seeing him that way it's like he is is absolutely useless to himself when this is going on and I have to help him with the smallest tasks.

[zach016]

Wow, the longest ones I have had where the pain is coming and going reg. has been 4 days, which is long for cluster headaches from what I've read.

You won't ever get a guarantee that something will work. If you do, run from the person that is giving it!! LOL.

If he isn't getting them reg. then he is right to not be on a 'preventative' medication. I'm sure you know that is a med. taken to stop them from coming.

Mismanagement from Dr.s when it comes to cluster headaches is really high!

For acute attacks oxygen, like I mentioned in a prev. thread, works for a high enough percentage of people to try.

Has he tried any of the triptan medications? They have been a godsend for a pretty good percentage of migraineurs AND cluster headache sufferers.

The treatment that seems to have the best results is a subq. sumatriptan injection. They come pre-loaded and are very easy to administer at home and they might be the answer for him!!

The end of the line therapy, of course are pain meds.. After 20 years of trying everything under the sun that is what I rely on now and while they don't take my pain totally away, they take it from a 9.9 (gotta save that 10) down to a 4 or 5 which is heaven.

Zach016


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[DitoDupe]

I talked to him last night about it and he said he has done the oxygen thing which like you had no effect on him. I will ask him today to see if he has tried the other options you suggested.

I myself have tried triptan meds since I ge horrible migraines and that didn't work for me at all but maybe he should give that a try if he hasn't already.

Thank You so much for your suggestions.