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Steroids in high enough doses can quell a cycle but likely not break one. Then you have to deal with the potential side effects of steroids. They can be helpful but like most interventions its a two sided sword. Mobic is just a fancy non steroidal like indomethacin or motrin. It is a COX 2 inhibitor but a doubt very much it will help clusters. It has a role in treating acute post operative pain but not much of a track record in cluster headaches. Was the sumatriptan injection, nasal or oral? Oral is useless in acute attacks. A good test to see if this individual offered oxygen, discussed CGRP meds an has a stepwise plan. Anyone who understands cluster headaches from a treatment perspective should offer O2 up front to abort. If they don't their knowledge is suspect.

Don't dread it - prepare for it. Beat it to the punch! Being prepared has been the biggest help for me in terms of 'dread'.

hey all I’m hoping everyone is doing okay during the last few weeks I know the fall is a rough time for many of you with the cycle beginning around that time. I just wanted to report that I am 2 weeks pain free not even shaddows really. So it seems my cycle lasted from July-November. Sounds about right. Oddly enough I find myself more depressed and nervous while I am out of the cycle? Does anyone else experience this? I hope I’m not alone. I find myself dreading next summer and it sucks. Pain free wishes kat

For clusters the underlying cause(s) remain a mystery. There are a few credible theories and tons of speculation but understanding what exactly predisposes one to clusters and the mechanism of action remains elusive. Any of the treatments that work (with the possible exception of busting) are like a band-aid. They relieve the suffering but don't address the underlying cause. Whether by vascular constriction, reduced inflammation or tempered immune response the intervention is still focused on symptom relief rather than the underlying cause. Investigations such as imaging (CT, MRI), by definition, are to rule out other causes for the pain not to identify the cause of cluster headaches.

@spiny yes that’s definitely the way I’m trying to look at it. @Brain on fire I am religiously taking the vitamin d regimen, and I was going to begin dosing starting in January to give me a few months to be prepared. I also have my O2 script and a place to get tanks so I hope I’m good to go @jon019 glad to hear I’m not alone. I agree I think during the cycle I was just trying to get through every day I didn’t have time to be sad. Thanks for the info! Kat

...typed before I saw Pebbles post...don't have the energy to revise...1000% right , as usual...the first thing out of her mouth should have been OXYGEN! (yes?)....headache docs divided on verapamil...many have been helped tremendously but high doses usually required, which can lead to unpleasant and/or dangerous side effects (me, none).... .....don't it feel good to have headache specialist doc?....for CH most regular docs (and most neuros) are only good for the scripts we need (VERY important as it's hard to get into specialists)...that is, if they are willing to LISTEN to what we need... ...methylprednisolone explained to me as prednisone on steroids...did an IV plus a taper twice...miraculously (it seemed) the first time it actually broke a cycle MID cycle...the next time nada....moved on to safer alternatives afterwards... ...Meloxicam a strong NSAID...those help some with shadows, but rarely help for 'regular" hits....perhaps the combo more effective (I'm doubtful)...the makers of Imitrex combined it with naproxen (another NSAID) to make a "new" product.... and delay generic competition for Trex..."lovely" folks, those.....