Vascular Cluster Headaches

RE: Vascular Cluster Headaches

Submitted by Gretchen on Mon, 2005-01-24 - 05:13

I'll tell you what was told to me by a neurologist some years ago who specialized in migraines. Please keep in mind you're getting this now third hand. BTW he had this specialization because his wife's life was trashed by chronic migraines. Before I had a total hysterectomy (meaning with ovarian removal - I think the key for me and many women) I had a lot of problems with migraines from the age of 7. My epileptic son's migraines started at the age of 4. Before I had my 3rd or maybe it was 4th child I start out in the morning with a mild migraine that built all day long. By the evening I'd vomit and that would end it. But after the birth of what ever child it was, my headaches changed and I could have a migraine for days. I stopped vomiting with them and couldn't seem to find anything that helped. In fact what my family doctor was giving me had a codeine derivative in it and codeine for me, most or many others gives rebound headaches. So that medicine made it worse. Something to watch out for. So I went to a specialist. He told me the following and I am only quoting him:--Migraines are in the brain lining, not the brain. The cause is the blood's ability to travel up the arteries to the brain lining, but a spasming of the emptying vessels keeps the brain lining engorged, thus causing a headache. The brain itself doesn't have nerve endings. Brain surgery is often done for instance with the patient awake. Now that is a VERY broad synopsis of what he told me is causality of migraine.--Using relaxation techniques are effective because it can quiet the spasming vessels and allow the brain lining to empty or become disengorged. I have taken extensive biofeedback, twice, one on one with a doctor who specialized in relaxation and if I could get away quick enough from light and stimulation, use the biofeedback, it often did help a lot.--cluster headaches are the most severe form of migraine. Severe in pain and length of time of the clustering.--clusters migraines normally occur in men.--taking more than 30 pain pills of any kind in one month will tend to cause or exacerbate migraines.--severe migraine headaches can cause a post ictal type state that can last up to 24 hours after the headache resolves.--migraines and epilepsy are recognized to go hand in hand with many and he said something about causality being common, maybe, in both. That I can't remember well. But there is some kind of commonality between migraines and epilepsy. I don't remember what it is but I can tell you not after every migraine but for sure after a doozy the next day my mind is very slow, my reflexes are slow and I'm very sleepy.Thankfully my occurrence since my total hysterectomy (which I know is no help to him) has slowed way way down and severe headaches are not common for me now. Now just several a year.Strangely after I had the hysterectomy I started getting "ocular migraines". I thought the first time I was having a stroke. I've never had pain with any of them. I loose all my vision though for the longest up to an hour. I think I've only had about 5 in 6 years. The onset is very abrupt.I have noticed that most of the newer migraine remedies don't have codeine in them. I finally did find a drug that works very well for me that comes with or without codeine. If I can get a script without the codeine, use it quickly enough and then usually have to continue for several days? I can abort getting a bad migraine. My problem is there is a barbiturate in this medicine which is the active ingredient and it's like pulling teeth for this 56 year old woman with a gaggle of children, who appears about as street wise as a duck crossing the road - to get this mild, low dose, controlled substance. It is VERY unlikely I'm ever going to become an addict on this medication. I already take a bucket of pills and certainly wouldn't want to add to that. I'm extremely medication sensitive so I'm very careeful about what and how much I take of anything. I AM an adult aware of my health history too. For another thing the minute one of these pills hits my mouth it starts dissolving and the taste is acrid, bitter, and never leaves. I'd have to be one determined addict to get addicted to those but it is beyond irritating to me to have a migraine after a sz, ask for the ONE thing that helps, and be denied and given nothing or codeine instead. That is the usual. It is equally likely I'll have a run away headache without that appropriate medication. I have also found I can order it on the internet. About twice a year I do. I'm out now and the out of country pharmacy I've used for several years, that carries US pharmaceuticals though, just went out of business. I'm a little freaked. There are others I'm sure but it takes a lot of research to find a reputable out of country pharmacy, and from what I've heard while it's legal to order it's also a gamble of what you'll get, if the out of country pharmacy carries US drugs, and it does cost quite a bit more. It's expensive to order over the internet and I would have never done so if it hadn't already been evaluated by a physician I saw, and scripted it to me already, then RETIRED! I really feel for your husband. This neuro was very kind, worked hard until he found something that did help me. He showed me a film clip about all kinds of migraines, I have one of the forms of "generalized", but I watched a man with cluster migraines and have not one time felt as sorry for myself when I have a migraine since watching the agony that man was going through with cluster headaches. I pray your husband can find some relief. I'd recommend looking for a neurologist who specializes in migraines.Good luck!