what is the best medicine or cure for a cluster headache? if there is a natural way, that would be best?
my husband is complaining the pain, i wished i could help him. he already consulted a doctor and had a tablet being taken to avoid the attack of that headache. i just wanted that type of headache, could be treated naturally as medicines over the counter has a lot of side effects as my self prefer to cure any illnesses through natural medication. i dont want to be like a living drug store.:-)
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Oily fish and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like flaxseed, walnuts (which contain alpha-linolenic acid, an important omega-3 fatty acid), and fish, into your diet, as these foods are natural anti-inflammatory, should be a part of your diet.
A hot compress on the neck and a cold one on the forehead give some relief. Avoid hot one on the neck if it creates more trouble.
Stay away from the four ‘Cs’ of food – caffeine, chocolate, citrus fruits and cheese are the major dietary culprits behind migraine.
Herbal and homeopathic remedies can offer an effective natural solution and can be of assistance in alleviating the painful and discomforting symptoms of a migraine. Herbs such as Silybum marianus (Milk Thistle), Passiflora Incarnata and Hypericum perforatum (also known as St. John’s Wort) can be extremely beneficial in helping to soothe the recurrence of pounding headaches. In addition, studies have suggested that the herb Feverfew, when used regularly, can help to eliminate or greatly reduce the frequency and severity of headaches and migraines.
In taking a holistic view of your health, you can address many factors that contribute to optimal physical, mental and emotional well-being. Natural and herbal remedies can be used to help address the root causes of the ailment and not just the symptoms.
The best option in my opinion is using herbal supplements, but from a reputable company which strictly adheres to GMP (Good manufacturing practices), has an FDA approved manufacturing facility, and which uses the Full Spectrum method of extracting the ingredients from the respective herbs.
Read this interesting and intriguing articlee on cluster headaches and migraine (along with natural remedies suggested) (
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Could a reaction to nasal decongestant spray mimic symptoms of cluster headache?
I have all the symptoms of a cluster headache only I don't have a history of them, and it just started today. I used a nasal decongestant because my allergies were acting up. I am thinking it is a reaction to the spray but a PA thought it was a cluster headache
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Ask a pharmacist. They are experts on side effects.You can also go to the library and look in a PDR (physician's desk reference ) for side effects. (
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Does anyone know what a cluster headache is?
what causes them but more importantly is there anything that helps?
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In most cases headache pain, even severe headache pain, isn't the result of any underlying disease. In fact, the vast majority of headaches are primary headaches — headaches that aren't caused by a specific medical condition. These include migraines, tension-type headaches and cluster headaches.
Cluster headache is distinctive in ways other than the severity of the pain. A striking feature of cluster headache is that the attacks occur in cyclical patterns, or clusters — which gives the condition its name. Bouts of frequent attacks, in what's known as cluster periods, may last from weeks to months, followed by remission periods when the headache attacks stop completely. Although the pattern varies from one person to another, most people have one or two cluster periods a year. During remission, no headaches occur for months, and sometimes even years.
Cluster headache is one of the most painful types of headache. Fortunately, cluster headache is rare, affecting less than 1 percent of the U.S. population. The condition is more common in men. Cluster headache can affect people at any age but is most common between adolescence and middle age.
Although cluster headache attacks are extremely painful, they're not life-threatening. Several treatments are available to help make the attacks shorter and less severe. In addition, preventive medications can help reduce the number of headaches.
There's no cure for cluster headaches. The goal of treatment is to help decrease the severity of pain and shorten the headache period.
Acute medication
The purpose of acute treatment is to stop or reduce pain after a cluster headache starts. Because the headache peaks quickly, acute medications must be fast-acting and delivered quickly, using an injection or inhaler rather than oral tablets. You must be ready to take the medication as soon as an attack starts. And you may want to teach family members about your medications so that they'll be able to help you when you have an attack.
Because the cause of cluster headache is unknown, you can't prevent a first occurrence. However, a preventive strategy is crucial for managing cluster headache because trying to treat it only with acute drugs can seem hopeless. Prevention can help reduce the frequency and severity of the attacks and the risk of rebound headaches. Preventive medications can also increase the effectiveness of acute medications.
Preventive medications for cluster headache are generally used for either a short-term (transitional) strategy or a long-term (maintenance) strategy. The short-term medications work quickly but may have undesirable side effects. Long-term medications take effect more slowly but can be used safely throughout the cluster period.
Whenever a cluster period starts, you'll likely start taking a long-term medication, many times accompanied by a short-term medication. After a couple of weeks, you'll discontinue use of the short-term medication but continue with the long-term drug.
Short-term prevention
Short-term medications can prevent headache attacks during the period of time it takes for one of the long-term drugs to become effective. The main short-term preventive medications are corticosteroids and ergotamine. A nerve block may also be effective, particularly for some people who can't tolerate the other medications.
Corticosteroids. Inflammation-suppressing drugs called corticosteroids, such as prednisone (Deltasone, Sterapred, others) and dexamethasone (Decadron), are fast-acting preventive medications. They belong to a general family of medicines called steroids. Corticosteroids may be prescribed if your cluster headache condition has only recently started or if you have a pattern of brief cluster periods and long remissions. While corticosteroids are an excellent treatment for several days, serious side effects make them inappropriate for long-term use.
Ergotamine. Ergotamine (Ergomar), available as a tablet that you place under your tongue or rectal suppository, can be taken before bed to prevent nighttime attacks. Ergot medications are effective for short periods but shouldn't be used for more than two to three weeks.
Nerve block. Injecting an anesthetic (numbing agent) into the fibers around the occipital nerve, located at the back of the head, can prevent pain messages from traveling along that nerve pathway. The occipital nerve converges with the trigeminal nerve, which connects to all the pain-sensitive structures in the skull. An occipital nerve block can be useful for temporary relief until long-term preventive medications take effect.
Long-term prevention
Long-term medications are taken during the entire cluster period. Some of people with chronic cluster headache don't respond well to the use of one long-term medication. In this situation, your doctor may recommend that you take two or more long-term medications simultaneously.
Calcium channel blockers. The calcium channel blocking agent verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin) is often the first choice for preventing cluster headache, although the way verapamil works with cluster headache isn't well understood. The medication may be used from the start of a cluster period until three to four weeks after the last headache. Then its use is gradually tapered and discontinued under your doctor's direction. Occasionally longer term use is needed to manage chronic headache. Constipation is a common side effect of this medication, as well as dizziness, nausea, fatigue, swelling of the ankles and low blood pressure.
Lithium carbonate. Lithium (Lithobid), which is used to treat bipolar disorder, is also effective in preventing chronic cluster headache. Side effects include tremor, increased thirst, diarrhea and drowsiness. Your doctor can adjust the dosage to minimize side effects. While you're taking this medication, your blood will be drawn at regular intervals to check for the development of more serious side effects, such as liver or kidney damage.
Preventive medications under evaluation
Promising preventive medications for cluster headache include the hormone melatonin, capsaicin (Zostrix) — a cream that affects nerves near the skin — and anti-seizure medications such as divalproex (Depakote), gabapentin (Neurontin) and topiramate (Topamax). Injections of botulinum toxin type A (Botox), a wrinkle-smoothing drug, may provide relief for some people with cluster headache who don't respond to conventional medication. (
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Cluster headache and remedies?
This is question is for my father. He get's cluster headaches every year, around the same time of the year for about 2 - 3 months. He gets the severe kind that send him to the hospital. It's pretty bad, and everybody feels bad for him. His veins protrude out of his head, his sinuses start going crazy. Anyway, the doctor ends up just having to give him a morphine shot. That's the only thing that even minimalizes the pain. (Not even fully.) People have committed suicide from the headaches they are so painful. Have there been any medical advances for these yet? Nothing seems to work, not oxygen therapy, or anything (for him). Any home remedies that may have worked for other people? They have to have something for these people...
Thanks Sharrona! It would have been nice if his doctors would have suggested that in the first place. We'll definitley be sending him to both.
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I agree, he needs to see a neurologist and an allergist. Complete labwork, including evaluation for thyroid disorders, wouldn't hurt either.
I had cluster headaches for a while, and I used Topamax (an anticonvulsant drug) as a preventative as well as oxygen for acute attacks. The oxygen didn't really work, but I did have a lot fewer headaches when taking the Topamax. It was wonderful. I will say, though, that my neurologist put me on a brief course of corticosteroids to help me get out of them and THEN put me on Topamax as a preventative. This may help your dad, to have a course of steroids first.
What also may help is drinking lots and lots of water. Hydration is key and I, along with a lot of other sufferers, have noticed that I'm better off when I've been drinking enough water than when I haven't.
Also, he should take steps to reduce stress in his life in general. These headaches, while not technically stress headaches, increase in frequency and pain during stressful times because of the inflammatory processes involved. For the same reason (inflammation), these headaches may be related to allergies, which is why he might benefit from seeing an allergist.
Also, as a last resort, your family could consider moving closer to the equator. Though it's not yet known why, people who live closer to the equator have a lower prevalence of cluster headaches. It supposedly has something to do with circadian rhythms, which is why it can be seasonal in some sufferers, which seems to be the case for your dad.
These headaches are incredibly painful and, as you accurately describe, inspire suicide occasionally. Therefore, they're dangerous and should be treated aggressively. His doctor should already have referred him to a neurologist, but a lot of times, your standard family doctor does not really realize what he or she is dealing with.
Try OUCH (the Organization for Understanding Cluster Headaches) for further support. Please understand that your dad is not faking and he is really, really in pain more intense than you can imagine. The OUCH site is http://www.ouch-us.org/index.shtml. It has lots of advice and a really good forum if I recall correctly.
Which brings me to the reason I don't recall. I'm in remission. I haven't had a cluster headache in over a year of being off my preventative medication. I believe that this is due to my thyroid levels being normal again. I developed cluster headaches at the same time that I developed Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis (most common cause of hypothyroidism in the modernized world), and I no longer have them now that my thyroid has evened out. I'm not the first person to experience this kind of turnaround. Thyroid disorders don't necessarily cause any or all cluster headaches. However, can't hurt to have it checked out.
Best of luck to you and your dad! I'll be thinking of you! (
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What's a quick fix for a terrible migraine/cluster headache?
I've already taken to Excedrin migraine... still nothing. About to take a Maxalt, but wondering if there's anything else I could take.
Please help!
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Ice pack on your head and drink plenty of water (
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Who suffer with cluster headache?What can I do to stop my suffering?
Here's a lot of helpful information about headaches: symptoms, when to worry, causes, etc.
The most common types of headaches usually are not serious but may occur again and again.
--Tension headaches -- the most common type of headache and are episodes of constant aching, tightness, pressure, and pain around the forehead, temples, or back of the head and neck. Symptoms usually occur on both sides of the head rather than just one side.
Tension headaches usually do not stop a person from doing his or her regular activities. These headaches usually do not cause nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light or noise. A tension headache can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several days. Some people experience chronic tension headaches, which means they get a headache on 15 or more days a month.
Tension headaches are related to muscles tightening in the back of the neck or head because of stress, anxiety, fatigue, hunger, anger, poor posture, or overexertion.
Treatment for tension headaches usually includes aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonprescription pain relievers. Aspirin should not be given to anyone age 20 years or younger because it has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but serious disease that most often affects children. Prescription medications, such as antidepressants, may be needed to treat tension headaches. Additional therapies, including stress management or biofeedback, may reduce or prevent tension headaches
--Cluster headaches -- these are recurring headaches that occur in groups or cycles. The headaches appear suddenly and cause severe, debilitating pain on one side of the head, along with a watery eye and nasal congestion on the affected side of the head. The cause of cluster headaches is unknown. Although there is no cure for cluster headaches, medications can reduce the frequency and duration of the painful headaches.
--Migraine headaches -- Approximately one-third of people who have migraine headaches first began having them as teenagers. are painful, sometimes disabling headaches that are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, noise, and smell. These throbbing headaches usually occur on only one side of the head, although the pain can shift from one side of the head to the other, or can occur on both sides at the same time. Migraines involve changes in chemicals and blood vessels in the brain, which trigger pain signals leading to headache and other symptoms.
Migraine headaches tend to recur. A migraine headache typically lasts 4 to 24 hours but in some cases can last up to 3 days. Some people have symptoms, such as visual disturbances, that occur before a headache starts. These symptoms are called a migraine aura.
Some people have several headaches per month; others have headaches much less often. Treatment usually includes medications to prevent a migraine from occurring or to stop a migraine once it begins. In some people, migraines may be triggered by certain foods or smells. Eliminating exposure to these triggers may stop the headaches.
Here's a list of common causes of headaches include:
--Alcohol, caffeine, or other drug use or withdrawal.
--Changes in the levels of chemicals in the body (neurotransmitters).
--Coughing or sneezing.
--Dehydration.
--Dental problems or procedures, such as pain from grinding the teeth or from a root canal.
--Eating or drinking cold foods and fluids.
--Emotional stress.
--Exposure to smoke or fumes from chemicals, including carbon monoxide.
--Eyestrain.
--Fever.
--High altitude. Lower oxygen levels at high altitudes can cause headaches.
--Medical procedures, such as the aftereffects of a lumbar puncture (spinal tap).
--Medications. Many medications can cause headaches.
--Muscle strain in the neck, upper back, or shoulder muscles.
--Upper respiratory infections.
If you have headaches, with these serious symptoms, definitely consult a doc!
Although rare, a headache may be a sign of a serious illness. Other symptoms, such as vomiting, dizziness, or changes in vision, may also be present. The following serious illnesses or injuries can cause headaches.
--A head injury:
--Injury to the brain
--Fracture of the skull
--Bleeding in or around the brain
--Brain tumor, which causes swelling within the brain.
--Infection in the brain (encephalitis) or of the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).
--Stroke, a problem that occurs when a blood vessel (artery) that supplies blood to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot.
--A rupture of a blood vessel with bleeding in or around the brain (aneurysm)
Other health conditions that can cause or contribute to headaches include:
--Alcohol, caffeine, or drug abuse, overuse, or withdrawal.
--Fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread muscle and soft tissue pain and tenderness.
--Glaucoma, an eye disease that damages the nerves at the back of the eye.
--High blood pressure (hypertension).
--High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
--Infection in the sinuses, such as sinusitis or an abscess.
--Inflammatory problems , such as arthritis, lupus, or temporal arteritis.
--Kidney disease, which causes wastes to build up in the blood.
--Low calcium levels in the blood (hypocalcemia) or overactivity of the gland that helps control the release of calcium into the blood (hyperparathyroidism).
--Lyme disease, a bacterial infection spread by certain types of ticks.
--Mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression.
--Problems with pregnancy, such as severe high blood pressure (preeclampsia).
--Sleep problems, such as insomnia or sleep apnea.
--Thyroid problems, such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism (if you want to learn more about thyroid, please contact me...I have seceral best answers for thyroid problems)
**PLEASE NOTE**
Headache with signs of serious illness!!
When a headache, vomiting, fever, or a seizure occurs along with another serious illness, immediate medical care is needed. Signs of serious illness include:
--A sudden, severe headache.
--Confusion or extreme irritability.
--Extreme sleepiness.
--New and different skin rash or severe bruises.
--New double vision, blurred vision, or blind spots.
--Persistent nausea or vomiting.
--Rapid, difficult breathing.
--Severe neck stiffness or pain.
--Severe sensitivity to light (photophobia).
--Severe pain.
--Unsteadiness that prevents standing or walking (ataxia or vertigo).
Although uncommon, a headache with signs of a serious illness may be a sign of:
--An infection in or around the brain, such as encephalitis, meningitis, or a brain abscess.
--A momentary blockage of a blood vessel (transient ischemic attack, or TIA) in the brain.
--Rupture of a blood vessel in the brain. (
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the mechanism alcohol trigger the cluster headache?
Why alcohol can trigger cluster headache? I mean the mechanism.
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I know wine has histamines in it. If you take an antihistamine before drinking wine it helps.(I know probably spelled it wrong,but you get my meaning.)
Another thing that helps is not to drink the whole bottle yourself! lol (
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Is there such a thing as a cluster headache? And how does it feel like?
Cluster headaches are very real and very painful. Here is what the Mayo Clinic says about cluster headaches: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cluster-headache/DS00487
For loads of info, just check google:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS336US336&q=cluster+headaches (
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What exactly is a cluster headache?
As Paul said, cluster headaches mean the the headaches come in a series, then go away for awhile before returning in another series. Women sometimes get them in association with their menstrual cycle. There seems to be a correlation between hormone levels and when you get the headaches.
Besides being a nurse, I used to get them for many years... until I had a hysterectomy... and then they totally went away. (
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what is the medical reasons for a headache, migraine, cluster etc.?
not counting hypertension, Hyper or hypoglysimic, stroke, exsposure to noxious substance. I want a reason for a healthy, non-obese, no patho reason for pain in the frontal, etc
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Pain in the frontal can be due to cough or sinus problem. In general H/A and Migraine have cause of acidity, excessive heat in the body or outside, excessive cold and BLOCKAGE of Vital Energy which can't be treated with any medicine. But acupuncture treats it! Our success in treaeting them is 100% which confirms it.
Many times this blockage disappears naturally; therefore H/A too disappears, but you take pain killers and the credit goes to meds unnecessarily. (
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