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Yeah absolutely. So I got prescribed the device by my neurology. I didn't have to pay anything and have had three top ups so far. You get a 93day card with the device and it will run for the 93 days and then stop working. I just email my neurologists secretary and she sends a prescription form to GammaCore and they send out another 93 day card and lubricant. I haven't had to pay anything for this which is something I'm grateful for. So you can use it in two ways - as an abortive (3 x two-minute stims, 3 minute wait and then 3 x two minute stims) and as a preventative (3 x two-minute stims in the morning and 3 x two-minute stims in the evening). I was mainly using it as a preventative and I think it might have reduced the intensity or attacks but didn't get rid of them. There was some residual nerve pain / sensations afterwards for about 5-10 mins I guess I could liken to shadows in intensity but running up the nerve in the neck and head. It's difficult to say how benificial it was as it's something I'm still experimenting with. In terms of using it as an abortive I stopped using it for nocturnal attacks as they were always so well developed and I found it didn't really help with the pain and if anything agitated them more so. I use as an abortive for some attacks I get during times I'm awake and again although it doesn't get rid of them I almost got the sensation that it was spreading the pain out over a larger area and so it almost didn't hurt as much as the pain was spread over a larger area and so hurt less even thought the pain didn't really dope. I hope that made sense but I always find my CH feels like a nuclear bomb has gone off inside a single cell. In summary I'd say I'm sceptical about it's effectiveness but it's definitely something I'm gonna continue with as I really haven't used it enough so say either way. I hope that helps, let me know if you want to know anything else.

I allowed my husband to pour cold water over my head. Then almost killed him with the exquisite pain that bloomed from that cold bucket of water. Bosco,some people find that nitrites/nitrates cause them to get hit and avoid bacon and all smoked meats along with blue cheese and its' kin along with a lot of other foods. But only in cycle!! Not all the time. I too tried the 'don't lean over thing for a long time!!! I would squat down with my chin up to pick up stuff cause to lean forward would give me a horrid shadow for hours after!! But I did 'test drive' this method my looking down on occasion. Yep, shadows. Once out of cycle, not an issue. For me it is not the leaning that does it, but when I straighten back up, that sets it off! 'Oh, barometric is higher down there than up here? REALLY???????????' LOL

Thank you again, Adam', and thanks, B'P'. So, GammaCore, which works on the vagus nerve (as Adam said), is an approved treatment for CH. Here in the US, it is something like $600/month after the first month, which is free. Somehow, despite FDA approval, I haven't heard of insurance covering it, although maybe it does for some people. Cefaly, which works on the trigeminal nerve (as Adam' also said), is not FDA approved for CH, but just for migraine (I'm pretty sure). Think I have all that right. ClusterBusters was, at least at one time, very supportive of the development of GammaCore, and some heroic people actually did clinical trials where they could get a placebo device, which would presumably have no effect for aborting attacks (although, as I recall it, as is so often the case, the placebo devices actually did have some effect for shortening attacks). It was always hard for me to understand any broad appeal for GC as a CH abortive, since it generally takes at least as long as oxygen to work, at least according to the clinical trials. But I could see the appeal because of portability, allowing you to potentially stop an attack while out someplace, and because of the possible preventive effect. If it wasn't so expensive, I could see saying "Why not?" and using it for that purpose.

This is interesting as I bought the cfaley (I am assuming they are similar devices) when this debacle started and tried it as an abortive. The device never aborted any CH attacks but was sort of a good distraction after you got used to the sensation. You are supposed to use it daily on prevention mode but I never followed through after it failing to abort. Now I am curious if I should give it a go for prevention. Anyway you have to have a script here in CA to purchase and the device costs about $500.00 after shipping and taxes but there is no subscription or monthly fee after that. My true thoughts however are that it's more of a welcome distraction than anything else.. I could definitely be wrong!

I went through a stage of using Chinese acupressure points at the base of my skull and by squeezing the skin between my thumb and index finger. This led to one night try self-administered Reiki and I thought maybe if I wished hard enough it might just work. I can tell you it didn't but I was annoyed with myself for thinking it would for sometime afterwards.

Hey all, I try to relax to music when I can. It does help and there was a forum member here a while ago that claimed they were beating CH with just a music regimen! I forget who that was.... Anyway, post your picks here of the stuff you like that may be fairly obscure so we can try out some new stuff. I'll start with one artist. Lorn is pretty good. I have many.

This guy puts up mixes of really chilled out listening. My go to when I want to relax

Knowing I'm going to be collecting thunder eggs here pretty quick I thought it may be nice to have something to laugh about (even if it means laughing at myself). Wondering, what's the most ridiculous or silly thing you ever started or stopped doing in an effort to avoid cluster? For myself the stupidest thing I recall doing was avoiding leaning over! Silly as it sounds, when I was a bit newer to this show I got a ch attack directly after leaning over so I then spent a few months trying to not lean over/down! I'm not sure if you have ever tried this but it was ridiculous I struggled to put shoes on undies 2! I allowed myself to be so discombobulated for a time that I truly believed it may save me .... How silly is that! Would love to hear what you did or didn't do!

I am guilty of using this site for tips on the psilocybin prevention. And it has worked so far for me, I am headache free for TWO YEARS!!. But when it started working i stopped coming here dailey, i am gonna change that.

Really good to know! Thank you for sharing this!

I'd not heard of cfaley but just did a quick search on google. I think both devices work on similar principles but the cfaley seems to target the trigeminal nerve from the nerve endings. The gamma core plays with the vagal nerves. I seem to remember the packing note having a price of £3500 or there abouts which would make it a more expensive option. Not sure how much they go stateside or if you need the popup cards. It looks like you end up paying out for the electrode packs on the cfaley as opposed to popup cards and lubricant. I agree with you about being a distraction and one thing I do remember was getting a sense of calm about me after having used it as a preventative. The reason I'm keen to continue with it is it non-invasive and isn't some kind of drug or substance I'm putting in my body along with everything else. Be interested to see how you get on maybe after some regular use.

Burning cooking oil used to trigger me instantly but the strange thing is that it stopped being a trigger a couple years ago.

As far as I know the cost in UK for gammacore is first 3 mouths free then it works out around £2250 a year , but being in the UK it's all covered by the NHS ,but not all areas in UK will cover the cost .so it depends where you live in the UK if you get offered this treatment

That's a nice post, Adam'. Thank you. Can you tell us how the GammaCore has been for you? It has been worth the cost, I take it (or maybe the "UK" means you are in a system where the cost is not exorbitant).

I do find I get significant changes in my appetite when in cycle. I find that my hunger levels become low or disappear completely and also the thought of eating makes me feel sick. On occasions when I am hungry or want to eat I inevitably find that once I start to eat I feel sick again and this results in a partially eaten meal, even though it was likely something I enjoy and was looking forward to having. I would not class this an eating disorder though. I think it is just another symptom of the condition. I appreciate some clusterheads will have issues relating to food though and my thought are with them having to manage in addition to CH. As a general rule apart from food related nausea I don't suffer with nausea and vomiting when in cycle or during an attack, although I have had a couple of cycles when nausea and vomiting has been a constant issue which I've required antiemetics. I remember once dealing with an attack in the night and decided to use my GammaCore at the same time which caused me to projectile vomit into a high-flow mask. Lets just say there were several opposing forces of physics involved and with electrode lubricant at play also it was rather a messy night and one I'm not keen to repeat. I tend to be mindful of nutrition now when in cycle as I want to make sure my body is getting some nourishment and have found I tend to have small meals / snacks rather than a full meal which I struggle with. A protein shake I find helps and I do love avocados. My diet won't be as good as when in cycle but I guess it's better to have something you will eat and in a more manageable portion that wasting food or going without. I do find I loose some weight but just surviving a cycle reduces my worries about food as sometimes just staying alive is a real struggle and the overriding priority for me. I try to be kind to myself and beating myself up for not eating well isn't helpful and an area that I can try and give myself a break on.

just wanted to say. I had two days now with light shadows and have been pain-free since that's good 2 weeks. Without the intake of proton pump inhibitors, I would certainly have more attacks. The steam helps me to minimize my tobacco consumption very well. I wish you pain-free days

....this is unfortunately obscure to far too many folks younger than many of us.... a full side (another obscurity) with Duane and Boz plus God's studio band, cranked at midnight, in a dark room, when i'm feeling thrashed.... improves my whole outlook on life. it starts out slow and mournful, but golly, then it just.kicks.ass! ...thanks for the intro to Lorn xB