Cluster headaches?

TRoglodyte wrote: Dr. Hess, Could you please define "Aura Description" in your sample log. My son in law has Head aches constantly, He thought it was normal and everyone had them. I told him it was definetely NOT normal. My brother suffers from Migraines, he finds regular Chiropractic adjustments helpful.

Aura Description: What is the Aura like? A migraine associated Aura is typically a visual change or event. Do lights show up before the migraine? Does everything look fuzzy on one side? Do you feel something funny anywhere else? Like a funny feeling in an arm, face, scalp, etc.?

The log will help your doctor correctly diagnose your headaches and may show you what some triggers are. For example, I, personally, found that Subway sandwiches were giving me migraines. This sucks because I really like Subway sandwiches. I wouldn't get a migraine after every Subway sandwich, but I noticed that one year 3 out of the 4 I had were after eating one. No more of those.

Dr.Linda is a chiropractor. When I am having one start up, my trapezius and levator scapula muscles will spasm. I think it is a chicken and egg thing: Which comes first? Anyway, working the knots out right then helps a lot.

Sorry about the spelling errors. I blame GHS. And dyslexia. And bed time. Bad combination.

Dr. Hess wrote: The log will help your doctor correctly diagnose your headaches and may show you what some triggers are. For example, I, personally, found that Subway sandwiches were giving me migraines. This sucks because I really like Subway sandwiches. I wouldn't get a migraine after every Subway sandwich, but I noticed that one year 3 out of the 4 I had were after eating one. No more of those.

Could be the nitrites in the cold cuts, a known migraine trigger. Mine come from bad sleep, bad diet, and stress. Just had one a couple of days ago.

Woke up after a four-hour sleep the day after a five-hour sleep. Started painting a floor with oil-based paint. The combination of no sleep, dehydration, and the paint fumes gave me a bad one. I was nauseated from the headache and the fumes put me on the verge of puking.

After finishing, I got in the shower and let the hot water run on the back of my neck. I was out of Maxalt so I was taking Tylenol. Crawled into bed and slept about 14 hours. Woke up fresh as a daisy. I knew what was coming the minute the fumes hit me.

Vegetarian. No cold cuts. However, uncooked cheese seems to aggravate them for me, which sucks, as being Dutch that is (was) like a huge part of my diet. To me, like your observations, Jerry, it is like additive factors: Eat a bunch of raw cheese. High stress or physical activity like a day at the track. Have a couple of American beers. BAM. That's gonna hurt.

Mine were high blood pressure, like 180/100 high. They always happened in the morning while showering and would last the rest of the day. Sudden onset and excruciatingly painful. I guess a spike in BP due to getting started in the morning. Getting the BP under control got rid of the headaches. I've kicked the smokes, now I just need to loose 70 pounds and I can probably kick the BP meds.

congrats … been meaning to ask how the "quitting smoking" was going .. glad to here it's still "quitting" AND that your headaches have stopped

Dr. Hess wrote: For the benefit of the rest of the universe (and for eternity here in teh intr4w3bz, y0), here is a log format. I use a database because that's what pays for Lotus parts. That is, if your only tool is SQL Server, all the world looks like a database problem. A spreadsheet would probably work easier for most, but even "paper" logs would be fine.

First time I've seen someone use a database where they should use a spreadsheet!

Naw, it really needs to be a database. Mine is mostly normalized. Not quite complete 3rd normal form, but close enough. User interface is non-existent, and I need better and more reports (I hate Crystal Reports.) Kinda like never buy a car from a mechanic, as it will be held together with bailing wire and chewing gum.

My wife has been through the migraines with visual auras in the last couple years, and has recently been having issues that match pretty well with the cluster headaches symptoms. After being rushed in for stat CT work by the GP, and being tested by the allergist to no avail she went back to her neurologist. She was prescribed one pain med and one GABA blocker. One of the two had a side use as anti-anxiety medicine, and she found that when the anti-anxiety effect kicked in all her physical symptoms - including a bunch of non-headache stuff - went away. She has since done a lot of work to reduce her anxiety levels and stress-manage a little better and is feeling much better.

I'm going to look into this for my gf. She gets headaches and other sinus issues on a regular basis.

wbjones wrote: congrats … been meaning to ask how the "quitting smoking" was going .. glad to here it's still "quitting" AND that your headaches have stopped

Thanks.

I'm done with them. Every time I get the urge I just think $400 a month. That's a lot of toys.

Double post.

Toyman01 wrote:

wbjones wrote: congrats … been meaning to ask how the "quitting smoking" was going .. glad to here it's still "quitting" AND that your headaches have stopped

Thanks. I'm done with them. Every time I get the urge I just think $400 a month. That's a lot of toys.

they weren't that expensive when I quit … but I used a hypnotist (one on one session) and it cost something like $250 … every time I thought of lighting up I remembered the hole in my wallet that left

still CONGRATS … hope the BP and the weight continue to come down