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Cluster Headaches..?

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Posted 10/4/2007 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

My name is Tynna and I am new to this...But I've done everything I can and now I am going to ask for your advice. I am 23 years old and relatively healthy.

about a month ago, I came home from a trip with my mom and son. I went to feed him and suddenly my whole body lost strength and my neck and chest got really cold inside. I sat on the couch and after about two minutes I realized I had been drooling and didn't even notice it. My mom called an ambulance and I was rushed to hospital. Once there, the doctor told me "there was nothing he could do because he didn't know me". SOOO a week goes by and I have this terrible headache and sever panic attacks (I have a history of depression and anxiety). So I go back to hospital and this time the doctor diagnoses me with "Cluster Headaches" and I am put on a migraine drip for an hour along with a dose of prednisone. He gave me a prescrpition for two more days worth of the prednisone. It didn't help. Another week goes by and I wake up at 6:30 am with severe backpain and chest/neck/shoulder pain when I breathed in. (It felt as though I had smoked 6 packs of cigarettes and ran in the freezing cold). Again, I went down to hospital and the doctor THIS time told me that it sounds like a virus escaping from my body...Again, they did NOTHING for my head. Another week and I finally get into see MY doctor. He tells me I have depression (Which I knew, and was getting a new prescription for ANYWAYS!). I was stern about him doing something about my head because it was becoming numb around the back and my left ear is really plugged. It's also making me feel very "OFF"..almost like my perception of reality is strange. I haven't been able to drive for about a week or take care of my son for 3 days. Also, about 2 years ago I had an MRI done on my head because again I was having severe headaches with nothing working for the pain. It came back clear except for polyps on my sinuses. Is it possible for those to be causing any of this? I phoned my doctor this morning to demand something be done about my head, be it an MRI or CT Scan. I dont want to think that there's any sort of tumor or anything, but I would feel at ease KNOWING that there is nothing wrong with my head.

Any help would be lovely..

Posted 10/4/2007 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tynna,

Welcome to Healing Well. Sorry to hear you are going through this. I do voluntary work on a Helpline here in the uk for Clusterheadaches, I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions to enable me to get a clearer picture of a way forward.

Can you describe to me the symptoms you get and the type of pain i.e. throbbing, stabbing, burning or sharp? How long do your attacks last? How often do you get them?  Do you get them during the night? Do you know what was in the 'migraine drip'? This seems an odd way to treat Clusterheadaches, especially the dose of Prednisalone you were given!!! Prednisalone for CH should be given in a very high dose for 5 days and then tapered down gradually whilst bring a preventative in slowly! Or, on its own as a pain break!!!

You need to see a Neurologist, if possible one that is a Headache Specialist!!! They should do an MRI to rule out the nasties - I would expect an MRI to come up clear as CH does not show up in any test!!

I am not surprised you are depressed, living with this kind of pain is depressing!!

Although you have been told you have Clusterheadache, from your description of your first attack it does sound like a Hemiplegic Migraine, so any info you can give me will help. Having said all that I am not medically qualified to make a diagnosis, I can only suggest what it may be for you to discuss with your Doctor!!

Polyps in the sinuses can produce awful headaches too, but some of your symptoms so far do not indicate a sinus problem!

take care

Ann
Posted 10/4/2007 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Ann,

Um, firstly the type of pain I have is a dull constant ache that turns into a burning in the back of my head (almost like the feeling when you get water up your nose) that moves upward to the top of my head and then has stabbing (as quick as lightning) behind my eyes.  It has been a constant since almost a month ago now. It will be four weeks this coming Monday. Last time I had this headache was about 1 and a half to 2 years ago. The only time I have some sort of relief is whilst I sleep, and even then I wake up in the middle of the night feeling very "off".

Next, the doctors in my city are quite lazy. They do not want to do any work if they can find an easier solution. My doctor is blaming ALL of my symptoms on depression, because its the easy way out. However, I know my body and I have been through depression for years..and NEVER has my head felt like this. I can also hear a "whooshing throb" noise in my right ear and my left is very plugged. My head ALWAYS has so much pressure it feels like my brain is trying to push out!

This is quite annoying, as I have an 8 month old to be caring for and its making it difficult!!

Posted 10/4/2007 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tynna,

Thank you for the info on your headache. What you are experiencing does not seem to be typical Clusterheadache, although the stabbing behind your eye would suggest CH, but CH is a much shorter lasting headache usually! Although CH can be seasonal, for instance you have the headaches for a few months and then they disappear for up to 1 to 4 years. Do you have any other symptoms with the headache such as a red and watery eye that droops, blocked nose on the affected side?

You may have more than one kind of headache going on here, so it is important that you see a Neurologist who is a Headache Specialist.

The throbbing in the ear is typical of migraine, but only a Headache Specialist will be able to decypher what is happening to you!

I know how hard it is to care for a baby with a constant headache as I am a single mum myself - my son is now 18!!!!

Are you taking any medication for this now? If not ask if you can try any of the triptan drugs as they can help, Imitrex (Sumatriptan) injections are the first choice of treatment to abort Clusterheadache, - they are expensive - the nasal spray can also help together with another one called Zomig!

If you can take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen which is stronger you may find you will get better relief! But as always please discuss these treatments with your Doctor, try to avoid the meds that have codeine in them as in the long term they can make your headache worse!!

Hope this helps, take care

Ann
Posted 10/9/2007 12:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, I am a episonic cluster headaches sufferer for the past 10 years (32 now) but I have had a 2 year gap until now, im currently in my 4th week, but something strange happened again that happened 4 years ago, I was at work and I became totally blank, staring into space, I was pale in my face, shaking, tears in my eyes and totally weak all over resulting in my legs to give way and couldn't find the energy to even talk and I could really feel my heart beating. An ambulance was called but by the time I came to hospital I was feeling a bit better, BUT the headache started an hour AFTER this but was mild as I was on oxygen. They did a blood test and blood presure test and a ECG everything was ok, the presure was a bit low as I work out. 

Can anyone explain why I nearly colapsed? is it just the force of this illness? or is it a side effect of imigran -palpitations? or did this lead to some kind of panic disorder? ( I have no history of depression or panic disorder)

With cluster headaches its sometimes hard to get answers as its fairly rare, so I have to surf around a bit to get answers unless someone here can help!?

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