Cluster Headache

[imaged]

My 28 year old daughter has had a debilitating headache since last Friday (29th).  The pain is so severe she is reduced to tears, unable to function without increasing the pain level, and now nausea is constantly present.  She initially thought it might be meningitis (sp) and went to the emergency room, both because of this thought and because the pain was so severe she could no longer cope.  The performed CT scan and spinal tap, all tests came up negative.  Fluid on her brain was slightly elevated - 26 - so the gave her a diuretic and sent her home.  She had an injection for pain while in the hospital.  Two days later, diuretic not providing any relief she went to a primary health clinic thinking maybe a different opinion would offer some suggestions.  They prescribed Norco and said it was a tension headache, it would pass.  Yesterday, she saw a chiropractor, and a GP.  Neither were able to provide any immediate relief or suggestion and the GP sent her back to the hospital.  The hospital gave her another pain injection, and increased the dosage on the diuretic.  Still no relief.  She is unable to work, and completely unable to take care of her children or participate in daily activities.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Please help, it's tearing me apart to have to watch this and feel so helpless.  She is under extreme stress - they are in dire straits financially and losing their home.  Not being able to actively participate in work to provide income, or take care of her family is only increasing her stress level.  There has to be something that can be done??

[spoilher101]

UNBELEIVABLE! MY , what i thought were cluster headaches, were strokes!! I imagine, maybe the first few years, maybe they were cluster headaches? I did not start to get them, until i left ALASKA, back in the late 70's. What happen was i was working strenuously in a mans garage buffing out his car in his garage. He did not tell me he had his truck running for 2 hours before i got there, & started buffing his car! Finally after the 4th time getting really weak, & dizzy, i crawled into his house, & apologized for my weakness? He then told me he had his truck running for 2 hours just before i got there.(his door was shut. That was my 1st experience with carbon monoxide poisoning! I got baCK TO THE LOWER 48, about a year later(plus i was working with toxic fumes for some years. WELL, 1 EVENING, I was sleeping, & this most tremendous ever headache started up in my sleep, & it woke me up! Think i went to the ER, & THEY WERE FLASHING LITES IN MY EYES, which made it worse, & finally they gave me a shot of morefine in my butt, & it made me puke, & no more headache, but i was dizzy for 2 days more. Next day, same thing, same time, 7 bang, another came on. This time, i had a gun next to me, & i wanted to blow my brains out, but didnt have the courage. This went on for years, & more i worked with these car chemicles, & just the smell of exhaust would get me sick. Finally after another 15-20 years, i moved, & found a good neurolist, who diagonosed me with severe chronic cluster headaches. By now, the national headache foundation had started finding different sorta cures. He determined if i didnt find a new profession, i might get a brain anuerism. OF course i did not want to give up my paint auto business, plus i was painting trains for a large outfit. He got the state involved, & state got OSHA involved. If i stopped painting headaches would stop. Eventually ihe passed away, & i stopped painting. Then back 4 years ago, another attack started up the cycle again. I only painted a few cars(like 20-30 maybe, & they came back. Did nerve blocks everything. I stopped painting, & went another 4 years, 7 just 1.5 years ago, they came back? I already had suffered a massive heart attack. It ws as painful as my cluster attacks in my brain. Well went to hospital, & instead of trying to fix me, they DNR ME?! Turned out it was a cerebral arterry occlusion with cerebral infaract! Still suffering, but i discovered oxygen therapy, but i have massive swelling in my ankles, n now have cateracts, glacoma, droopy eyelids, 7 i think massive clots. I go for new stress test next week, but i need a neuro-surgeon, but think it is to late now? All these years, to think it was from toxic poisoning, & i thought i ws invincable! I am now close to a vegatable. I also now have vascular dimentia. I always wanted to retire when i hit 50, and i ws able to. I never realized, now at 60, i wonder if i am goin to see 61. What a waste of a good life. I have had a wonderful life, & overworked my whole life, & was able to acheive whatever i wanted, BUT, i NEVER REALIZED there ws a price to pay, 7 it is called the end of my life?! No-one told me this, until my last optomaligts moved on, & left me my records, & sure enough, the last 10 years, were not cluster headaches. They were my brain exploding, or in doctor talk, unspecified cerebral artery occlusions with cerebral infaract! Talk about pain! Well, not only did i endure the pain, but i had vasculitis, epiglitis, acoustic neuromy, neuromy, swelling of the ankles(think mottled veins) OUCH!, VASCULAR DIMENTIA NOW, & PROGRESSING!, & OCCULAR EYE OPTIC NERVE PERM. DAMAGE, & I'M SURE I LEFT SOMETHING OUT?!! I'M shocked im still alive, but i can see why the last hospital DNR me, without my permission, & i still woke up, from the coma?!! Just want everyone out there to be careful, especially with just even household chemicles. Wear protective gear! gloves, masks, sleep proper, because if i could get this ill, means anyone can!, & i have, or had a high tolerance for all of these notious fumes! DO BE CAREFUL!! You are never to old to learn something new, even the doctors out there! Steven

[spoilher101]

I have suffered from cronic cluster headaches all my life, a good 32 years. I am now close to 60 years old. I am a man(usually just a certyain type of man will get a real cluster headache, 5ft-8 inches,or taller. dark brown hair. smokers, drinkers, car painters(me) The first n best thing to do is get on a predizone treatment, with a verapamil med, which is a preventative. Never has my first dose worked. Always have had to up dose of predizone. Note, i will never get rid of these headackes, unless u can go headacke free for at least 2 weeks. I use to get them seasonally twice a year, & last up to 8 hours a day! My neurolist never saw anyone as bad off as me. Ive been on every medicine out there, Well, i told him, i had my own cure, along with his, & that way, i could at least control the time of day i would get them, & actually get rid of them. He asked me what it was , & i told him ritalin. This was over 20 years ago. He was stunned, & told me they were now doing test on that in Boston. It does work, but it is for ADD. I also just moved from another area, where a doctor shut me off of all my older medicines for back pain. Fortunately a doctor from NY, called me saying he ws taking paitients for suboxine.(that is for addicts, but i didnt care, cas now i was bedbound, & suffered a few heart attacks) My other heart doctor took me off of verapamil, & my cluster headackes came back! WELL, I also had my very own cure(secret), but i figured try the suboxine, since u put it under ur tonge, like zomag. Suboxine DOES WORK , along with ritalin, & is the fastest acting, for the upmost painful cluster headacke, & usually in 1 hour or less, verses Imetrex, witch caused my heart attack. My headackes were so bad, i had to become my own doctor! Anyway, ritalin, is now listed on the internet, also as it has helped others. Iam sure Suboxine will be added soon. I expect soon, that these headackes will kill me, cas u also have to run them off, no lights, & a lot of screaming. I do have 1 instant cure-all, that works in less than 2 miniutes, but it is not legal, & i told myself someday in my bed death, i would tell someone. It is a shame, because all of these meds, & my instant cure, could be made at any drug company. I wish everyone the best. No-one can know how much a REAL CLUSTER HEADACKE suffer suffers. I have to go without sleep for 23 hours a day, n will still end up with one. Sancert, also cures them, but not sure if it is still on the market, plus it takes a good 20 days to work, & first few days, is like taking LSD, til u get use to it. REGARDS! SW.

[sunflower4586]

sorry for the pain your daughter is feeling.  I also started suffering with cluster migraines at the age of 22, I sill on occasion have them.. the only thing that ever really helped me was PREDNISONE, check spelling.  I hope she feels better soon.

regards,
Debby

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

How are you?
Sphenoid sinusitis take a long time to heal mainly because the antibiotics are already cleared by the liver by the time they reach the tiny recesses of the sphenoid sinus. So the antibiotics have to given for prolonged period of time to clear the deep lying infection.
Please be patient and let her continue antibiotics for some more time and then see.
Do let us know how she is doing.

[imaged]

My daughter is 28.  She doesn't have high BP.  A recent MRI that was completed showed she had sphenoid sinusitis - deeply involved??  She was finally prescribed antibiotics for the infection, a "headache" pain reliever instead of a narcotic, and steriods to reduce the inflamation.  If, after the course of antibiotics has completed she is still experiencing the headache, she is to revisit the neurologist to discuss alternative methods of relief.  Is surgery the only other option if antibiotics don't help?

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

How are you?
Raised fluid in the brain can lead to increased intracranial pressure, which can cause headache.
If this is the case then the cause of raised ICP needs to be found out and then accordingly treatment can be planned.
Does she suffer from high BP?
Diuretics are usually prescribed for high BP. Please elaborate.