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My advice would be to get your vitamin d checked. Mine was slightly low for normal 22 and since I started taking it and brought it up into the 70s I've been almost pain free. It's worked better than the drugs I've found that worked and no side effects. As many on here will tell you everyone is different so it's hard to have a %100 diagnosis. Since your pain and frequency seem low I'd advise to avoid imitrex, it made my situation worse imo. Most on here will tell you to start with o2 but I know it can be a pain to try and use on a job site. If there's torches on site try em, Ive just set up a garbage bag to fill with my torches.

Yes. Mine started out mild too. In 1972. They lasted 20 minutes and were not agony. Pain? Yes. Agony? Nope. Well, fast forward and they morphed. Ch is really good at that. I was days and went nocturnal. I was CCH and went to ECH. And into hell. I had a very nice break for 10 years. And was shocked when they returned in a different fashion. So, my advice is to see a Neuro. and get a relationship going. You will benefit if he/she is worth their salt. Anyone keeping you on Pred for extended periods is not paying attention. Sorry. I love Pred too!!!! I save my Dose Packs for special situations - travel, etc. That way I have a plan for emergencies and no side affects. And I stick to 4 a year. Some people get the pain mainly in the eye, others get the hot poker thru the temple. Not out of the ordinary. Don't let the dentist pull your teeth! The nerve to your entire face on that side covers a whole 1/4 of your head. So, that means your teeth and sinuses are afflicted with pain. But you don't need surgery. Many of us have had it to no avail. Many have lost teeth with no reduction in pain. Your lower level of symptoms and pain is not an indication it is not CH. Just that it is new CH I suppose you could call it. Some get slammed hard from the first and others take a different route. Who knows why. ATB

Vitamin D is a good thing to check, also your testosterone levels. Low T can be a cause of headaches (I believe). From what you describe, it doesn't sound like a typical, by the book, cluster headache. But, I'd recommend seeing a neurologist for a formal diagnosis. A 'by the book' cluster headache will last between 1-3 hours, be 1 sided, usually be in or behind the eye, but not always, and the pain is beyond belief. It's not a case of stopping work for a bit to deal with it, but rather stopping work and slamming your head into the wall for an hour, or rolling on the ground holding your head, pacing across the room crying out in agony, level of pain. I've described it as having a gang of men break into your house, pin you down and saw off a leg without anaesthetic while using a dull, rusty saw - every day. It is that level of pain. There are other types of headaches that happen regularly as well as clusters, so worth getting checked out by a professional who understands headaches. MG

Hey Big J, Benadryl works best to block the histamin H1 receptor when it's vacant. If histamine molecules have already occupied available H1 receptors, usually characterized by a CH... the Diphenhydramine will be useless. Moreover, the histamine triggers the expression of CGRP and SP, both of which are responsible for neurogenic inflammation and the pain we know as CH. The only way around this is to take 25 mg Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCL) every 4 hours during the day and hopefully during a CH pain free period. This allows the Diphenhydramine to pass through the blood brain barrier to block vacant histamine H1 receptors before the histamine arrives. You need to make a Redneck oxygen reservoir bag our of a clean kitchen trash bag, plastic Coke bottle with cap and the bottom cut off, some electrician's tape and some duck tape. Use the search tool at the top of this page and key in Redneck Reservoir to find the "How To" DIY instructions... Take care and please keep us posted. V/R, Batch