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Diet?....good discussion topic. And actually... there have been reams of study and multiple publications and books re diet... which show successful management of migraine.. for some...based on diet modification....either minimal or drastic. Talk to a bunch of clusterheads and you will hear about 'triggers" from certain foods and food groups....for myself: alcohol, aspartame, msg, and other high glutamic acid containing foods have all been problematic. Over 35 years I've learned what to avoid...depending on where I was in cycle. Alas, massive changes in diet proved fruitless...YMMV........... There is some correlation between migraine and CH....most if not all of the meds used for CH were actually developed for migraine. (excepting oxygen...which seems only beneficial for clusterheads v migraineurs. Have you tried?) Though one must be FULLY cognizant that they are completely different ailments...coincidental...partly... to the head. There isn't a single person on this list...or other lists... that don't yearn for more research on ALL aspects of CH. So far our relatively small numbers and therefore minimal economic incentive impact have stunted that. It seems to be getting better...based in no small part by the founders of this here site we are on! Best Jon

No....sigh...you're not...so please allow me to "fix" that fur ya: ABSOLUTELY! "I'm probably not going to be the first to tell you that I have found something that works for ME...it's diet...it's this diet....whadda ya think?"

"Carotid artery dissection" is not dissecting the carotid artery; it's a medical condition in which layers of the wall of the carotid artery are torn or otherwise separated. I find this interested in part because it might possibly explain some rare situations we see here, and because there is a doctor at UCLA who has found that repairing a certain type of hole in the heart cures migraines in people who have that hole. So there might be some cardiovascular connection emerging. Or not. http://www.docguide.com/carotid-dissection-presenting-prolonged-cluster-headache-patient-episodic-cluster-headache?tsid=5 We present a patient with known episodic cluster headache, who presented with cluster-like headache in the course of internal carotid artery dissection (ICAD) and discuss possible pathophysiological links between the two diseases. It is well known that cluster-like headache could be the presenting symptom of ICAD. However, ICAD occurring in a patient with a known episodic cluster headache was only once previously described. In the end of the manuscript, we propose red flags to help clinicians differentiate between primary cluster headache and cluster-like attacks masking underlying ICAD. Finally, we raise the question whether at least some proportion of those patients with cluster headache and Horner syndrome previously classified as a primary headache disorder might have been secondary cases to ICAD.

I have to agree that getting hot is a trigger for many, I think that a sow stretching form of yoga would be ok. We all want to maintain some feeling of control with this mess and that could help you do that. I hope that you have a mouth guard for your bruxism! I would not think that all the grinding would be a good thing. As in you don't want to aggravate any of the Trigeminal Nerves. My mouth guard has to be replaced fairly often. O2 should be your best friend!! You need to have 15 to 25plm and a non-rebreather mask. 100% O2, not a concentrator. You don't mention a doctor, so do you have one who could prescribe the O2 for you? Have you had a scan to rule out any abnormalities upstairs that could be an issue? Usually that scan is a MRI. And are you on any preventatives? While I have not heard of heat 'triggering' a cycle, a negative response to getting hot can be the signal that a cycle has begun. Sort of like having a beer and getting hit right away. The beer signaled the beginning and is a trigger in cycle.I have had several cycles announce their presence by getting 'triggered' by something that I had no problem with the day before. It can certainly trigger a hit when in cycle! And, just when we think that we 'know' the beast, it can change. Pretty sneaky it is.

Hey Batch! I did not take the loading dose because I read that if you do that, being under a doctors care (and getting a blood test) were recommended to keep an eye on levels. I don't have a regular doctor and all the headache clinics in my area were full for months. So I just played it safe and took the regiment. It did seem to take two weeks but after that my attacks decreased in intensity slowly. I'm happy to say that I've been headache free for 11 days and counting! Pretty sure I am done with that cycle. I will continue with the Vitamin regiment and see what it does to my next cycle. I also stopped taking Melatonin and haven't had any flare-ups from that. I am still having slight shadows but I just chew a big piece of ginger (as recommended on here) and it leaves. I'm almost euphoric as I go through my day without an attack looming over me!