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My cluster eye always has issues but that is because I am always rubbing it, pressing an ice pack to it or digging my thumb into it. My wife will ask me if everything is ok with it sometime because it is a little swollen or red but I think that is just the way it is going to be until I stop abusing the hell out of it.

This sounds awful! I'm so sorry you are dealing with this.. oxygen dosent work for you? Do you have access to it? Have you see a neurologist or headache specialist? You sound like a veteran at this? I'm not only 3 years in and um I hate it. Not a helpful response but any respons helps get more attention..

There might be some thoughts in here that you might want to try. This is copied from this file: https://clusterbusters.org/forums/topic/6213-basic-non-busting-information/ “Treatments” without O2 or other meds (or as supplements to other treatments) A lot of people arrive here with nothing effective to treat their CH, either because they have crappy doctors or because they just got diagnosed (or self-diagnosed) or because they have come to believe that they have “tried everything” and “nothing works.” That latter might in fact sometimes be the case, but most often we find that (a) they haven’t actually “tried everything” (such as busting, or D3, or other methods), and/or (b) what they did try was prescribed or delivered ineffectively, as I described above. Here are some strategies that help some people abort or prevent attacks (again, I’m not addressing busting here, though of course it must be seriously considered since it’s a highly-effective, low-side-effect method for ending cycles and possibly preventing them). Some people get relief from bodywork (massage, chiropractic, craniosacral, etc.) and some from other “alternative” methods such as acupuncture. Most people don’t. 1. Preventive Batch has observed that allergies (even if they aren’t causing allergy symptoms) can cause or ramp up CH, so he recommends Benadryl at 25mg four times a day, including one at bedtime. Other anti-allergy medicines, such as Claritin, seem to help some people. Most people with CH have learned that alcohol is a trigger. But there are many other triggers that are not so obvious. See this thread: https://clusterbusters.org/forums/topic/4568-triggers/ Drinking lots and lots of water seems to help prevent or lessen attacks. A ketogenic diet seems to help prevent or lessen attacks. Magnesium helps some, taken at 400mg daily, started about a month or so before an anticipated cycle. If taking magnesium for a relatively long time, calcium should be added. It also can help with a typical side effect of verapamil, constipation. A licorice root protocol has been helpful for some. You can read about that here: https://clusterbusters.org/forums/topic/941-licorice-root-summary/ Kudzu root has helped some. Dosages are not clear to me. Caution is recommended with all supplements! Know what you’re doing. Some have said that deeply massaging the “cluster knot” in their neck helps them. 2. Abortive Caffeine/taurine. For some people, caffeine alone can help to stop an attack or lessen the severity of the attack. Some folks keep strong coffee on hand for that purpose. Some folks use caffeine pills, and some people take taurine pills along with caffeine pills. They take those pills at the first hint of an attack, or a couple of hours before a predictable attack time. Many use energy beverages. Because some ingredient in energy beverages in addition to caffeine is believed to help with attacks (believed to be taurine), many people use those. I recommend energy shots (such as 5-Hour Energy) at first sign of an attack. Shots are quick to drink down and they have more caffeine than energy drinks, such as RedBull, that are much larger. Many people say the shots work best for them when they are as cold as possible. For many people, energy shots/drinks don’t keep them up even if they drink them at night. In addition to all the “standard” energy beverages, some people like “V-8+Energy” drinks. “Brain freeze.” You can drink ice water through a straw aimed at the roof of your mouth, with the objective of creating “brain freeze,” or hold something cold, such as frozen juice concentrate, against the roof of your mouth. Some people find that taking melatonin at bedtime helps (not wise to take both melatonin and Benadryl at night.). Melatonin is depleted in people with CH during their cycles. Some people find that it helps to supplement it. You could start with about 10mg, and go up or down as appropriate. Some people get into the high 20mgs, or even low 30s, before they reach a level that helps. Needless to say, you have to find what works without making you dysfunctionally groggy. Several people have reported that DMT is an excellent abortive for them. You can read more about that here: https://clusterbusters.org/forums/topic/7444-dmt-first-time-finding-an-effective-abortive/ Feet in very hot bathtub. There’s a theory that this moves blood from your head to other parts of your body. Some people find that putting their hands in very hot water also has an effect on attacks. People have reported that going from feet in a hot bathtub to a cool room and back to the hot bathtub helps the effect. Some people don’t just stand in a very hot bath but will sit or lay in the hot water. Ice packs help some people. Cold air. One study showed that inhaling cold air was nearly as effective as using oxygen. Air conditioning vents in the home or the car are good for this. If it’s cold outside where you are, you could try that. Vigorous exercise. Some people find that vigorous exercise (running; doing jumping jacks, etc.) will stop or slow down a CH attack. Lime/baking soda. One fellow said that this helped his attacks: the juice of a lime or two along with a teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of filtered (non-tap) water. Sex. Some people have reported that sex stops their attacks. Other people have been amazed that it’s even possible to consider sex during an attack.

I've been with the same company for 31 years. I get hit I go home and come right back. I manage a grocery store with 200 employees. It sucks when I'm in cycle but I just have to power thru. Thank God for this place. It has made it alot more bearable. Freud I read most of your posts hang in there.

Saturday I got a filled, 40 cu ft. tank from Home Depot. They keep them in the outdoor cage outside of any store that has a "Pro Desk", and they are serviced by Thoroughbred industrial gas. They also had 80 and 125 cylinders. Thoroughbred appears to be the default standard around these parts, and it looks like I can get an exchange refill from HD, Tractor Supply and several other places. It costs a lot to take home the first tank, but refills are $34.99. I'm about to order a regulator so I can test this thing out. Also, good news...the beast is down to a low roar after the 4th busting dose. Some low-grade attacks at night, but nothing compared to 2 weeks ago. Felt good enough to take the motorcycle out yesterday for the first time in a long time.

@Icantdance So sorry to hear this, and the way CH has affected you and your life. What an accomplishment that you kept working at a job that I am sure is very demanding and even stressful for so long (probably you were in other education jobs before your current one -- they're all demanding and stressful, from what I've seen)!! May busting and/or D3 be an answer for you, as they have been for so many. (You don't have to answer this. I'm just wondering whether any of your doctors ever tried octreotide, which is described in several places as a useful possible abortive for folks who don't tolerate triptans. Not as good as triptans, but seemingly more effective than nothing to help abort attacks. I have no idea whether octreotide would block busting. It's a completely different thing from triptans.) I hope you'll stay here and get help from the folks with experience. I would like to suggest that you start a new thread in the "Theory and Implementation" section, since we generally refrain from posting about busting in this part of the board.