Jimmy Martinez

Thank you Bejeeber. Chat GPT said Melatonin might help reduce or prevent my midnight CH attacks. I'd love to meet with you guys or have a phone conference because the typing and emails are nice but seeing and hearing is much more powerful. I'm sure everyone wants their privacy but I'd love to one day talk to someone in the CB community so I can get more clarity on things. It sounds like the busting is a miracle for many in the CB community. I assume some have perfected it to the point where they barely even get an attack and they have the beast fully contained so to speak. I wonder if there is any long term mental damage that can occur from busting. How are you Beejeber? are you pain free right now and have you mastered the CH monster? I can only imagine what people did back a hundred years ago when they were getting attacks, they must have just jumped off a cliff. The levels of pain are various for me. But even the weakest level is enough to keep me awake and uncomfortable. The highest level makes me wish I were in heaven. The oxygen works but only temporarily. it will quickly kill the pain but once I go back to bed, within an hour the pain comes back. The good news is that in this current cycle, I have been able to fully kill the pain a few times without the Maxalt. I hear people chug a 5 hour energy drink to abort an attack but if the attacks happens at 1am, I guess I'd be up all night wide awake and then suffer from sleep deprivation. are you on any other CH forum or website and have those sites helped you in any way? Thank you, Jimmy

Hi CH Father, Denny, BJeeber and Bosco, I hope this message reaches all of you. Thank you all so much for your care and concern. I've been meaning to see how you were all doing during my recent pain free period which lasted over a year! I'm going to do the FULL Vitamin D regimen, the blood draw thing isn't easy because seeing a doctor here in LA takes months with the insurance I have. I'll ask my doctor about the Naratriptan. He gave it to me and told me to take it an hour before bedtime so that my super punctual Midnight attacks would be prevented or lessened. I guess Naratriptan is not effective and no longer used. It's funny because this doctor is supposed to be THE headache guy in LA. I have the non-breather mask and I usually get the proper oxygen tanks. I'm awaiting on the oxygen, it usually takes some pulling teeth to get it all because of the insurance company. I'm tempted to go back on the verapamil (I stopped it about a week ago because it just makes me feel lousy and I thought I was coming to the end of my cycle). It sounds like FULL Vitamin D regimen, oxygen, and verapamil are the way to go for now. I'll bust (tried it once about 2 years ago and I couldn't tell if it ended my cycle or helped my cycle) if I continue to get these midnight attacks. Getting help like this is so incredible. Thank you. I wish there was a way to do all of this by phone or with a CH specialist here in LA who knows all of the things you guys are talking about. I'm guessing none of you are 100% pain free at this time or that your attacks have permanently ended. If this is the case, I will put you all in my my sincere and strongest prayers so that the switch turns OFF forever and the only reason why you would ever visit this site is to help people in pain and to encourage and guide them. When this affliction ends for me permanently, I will always be a part of CH community so I can help people and hopefully deliver them from pain permanently. Thank you!!!!

Hi friends, I hope everyone is well and not in a cycle. If you are in a cycle, my prayers are with you for a quick (and permanent end) to the the cycle. I'm in a cycle right now and hopefully at the end of it. I've been taking verapamil (3 times a day) and maxalt (to abort an attack when all else fails). I'm getting a prescription for Oxygen and Naratripan today. My attacks occur 95% of the time about 1 hour after I fall asleep. I have had some light success taking 3 Advils, applying an ice pack to my head/temple, and deep breathing to abort the attack. But lately I've had to take the Maxalt in order the fully abort the attack and end the pain. The pain has had me literally in tears. My question is this: is it too late to "bust"? If I do bust, do I abstain from the verapamil during the bust? Looking back I think I should have done an "emgality" dose at the beginning of the cycle which began over a month ago. Is anyone have success with or "wins" they can share? I'm also doing a version of the Vitamin D regimen but it is an abbreviated regimen with vitamin D and Fish Oil only. Hopefully there are some things that are working very well for you all. My doctor who is a headache specialist told me he has had several patients who stopped having cycle altogether for several years. They just stopped one day and never came back. My cycles have happened at different times of the year but typically happen every 12-18 months. It would be great to find out why they are happening but also how to prevent them and better extinguish them. Thank you! Jimmy Martinez

Happy Holidays friends, I've been having CH since age 37, I'm now 52. They happen annually lasting for about 2-6 weeks. I've tried many many things (Vitamin D, oxygen, Verapamil, MM, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Maxalt, etc.). What works best for me is: * Oxygen to stop an attack but not KILL an attack. * Maxalt: is my "go to" when I need to KILL an attack and extinguish for good. In terms of dealing with this affliction and having it under control, I'd give myself a 2 out 10 rating. I feel I could be doing a much better job preventing cluster cycles, reducing the pain and frequency of attacks when I'm in a cycle, and curing myself completely. I've read some stories about how some people have completely cured themselves of CH and they no longer have them at all. That is incredible and what I'm praying for. I've read stories from people who seem to have a normal life and are able to successfully deal with and thwart their cycles/attacks. They still get CH but they seem to have it fully under control and mastered in terms of keeping it manageable so they can live a normal life. And I've read stories like mine where people are not yet able to beat CH or manage it and they are in the throes of suffering (as I am now in my current cycle). I'm basically a novice at dealing with CH so I was hoping some of you who have mastered either beating this demon or taming it very well can share some of their tried and true success stories. Based on scanning the cluster buster site, it seems like MM is the most prevalent device used to successfully combat CH. My problem with MM is that I don't know when my cycle is going to happen and I believe if you "bust" you cannot be on Verapamil or Maxalt which is impossible for me when I'm in a cycle. So I guess the answer is to "BUST" when you are not in a cycle and hope that during the busting session a cycle doesn't occur. I really need more info on Busting if anyone can start a thread with me I would be so grateful. I vow to never leave anyone behind and that even if I find myself CH-Free one day, I will always donate, support, and be a part of the CH community because no one should ever experience pain like a CH attack. Also Gamma core, anyone have sustained positive experiences using it? For the people that rate themselves a 7 or higher in terms of managing this horrible affliction (and having a normal life), please share your success stories and formulas and remedies as people like myself need help and hope. I wish we could speak on the phone and have more FaceTime together. By the way, I'm a healthy guy who doesn't smoke or drink/use drugs. I'm more stressed than your average bear and have always wondered if stress is the real cause of my CH. Thank you! Jimmy M in Los Angeles.

Wow thank you so much Spiny. I am grateful to you and all of the information/guidance you have shared with me. I have a terrible mask. I have a to get the non-rebreather. What is a "PRED TAPER"? is that prednisone? I wish one day I could talk to you on the phone because I understand easier verbally instead of reading text. Right now I am still in my cycle but it is far less frequent and far less severe. I've had like 3 nights straight of no attacks but then I get some "pings" of pain like an attack is coming and then I hit the oxygen and take 2 advil and I'm okay. I think the mushrooms helped me decrease the power of the cycle. I did the mushrooms about 2 and a half weeks ago. My hope is to learn more and more hope to not only manage a cycle but ultimately to prevent a cycle. If you are ever up for a phone call, just a few minutes, I'd love to talk to you since you have lots of experience. But mostly, I wanted to let you know I am praying for you, me, and all of the people who are dealing with this insidious affliction. I hope right now you are pain free and I hope and pray that you never even get a mild headache ever again in your whole life. Like gone forever and that you can be one of the lucky one that are 100% rid of any type of headache. I pray every day and I pray for you, CH Father's daughter, and all of us in this forum and around the world who battle this demon. Thank you so much for helping me fight and hopefully win against this enemy. I feel like the answer or cure is out there and it's fairly simple. I think all of us get them for different reasons and if we can just prep our systems in advance of when we know a cycle is coming, we can avoid the cycle entirely. Take good care and please tell me how you are doing. Thank you, Jimmy

Thank you BoscoPiko for your help and great info. My prayer is that you never have a CH attack again and that is disappears forever.

Hi friends, I hope this is the right place to post this question. I am in the midst of a cycle right now. My doctor told me that Verapamil is mostly used to help prevent daytime attacks. 85% of my attacks occur late at night about an hour or 2 after I fall asleep, so like 11pm or 12am, I get hit. With this said, should I take the verapamil in the early evening (one 80MG pill) in the hopes of preventing the night time attacks or should I just take 3 pills a day with the hopes that the verapamil with be in my system strong enough to prevent an attack whether it happens at night, day, or whenever? I really don't like taking verapamil because it makes me feel lousy but I would rather take it and have a good chance of preventing a nighttime CH attack. I'm also doing the vitamin D regimen. Last Sunday I busted but I did it with maxalt in my system so I don't know if it was entirely effective. I'm working on getting oxygen and should have it on Monday. I also have maxalt and naratriptan which I use to kill a painful attack when nothing else (like advil) works. Verapamil in the past has helped me manage a cycle. I wish it could help shorten a cycle. I sincerely appreciate all of the help and support and kindness I have received from everyone on this forum. I will do my best to help people as i learn more about how deal with this condition. if there is anyone if los angeles, please let me know. Thank you, Jimmy

Thank you Michael for sharing your amazing experience! It gives people so much hope. To your continued excellent health, Jimmy

Hi Friends, I didn't think I would be back here after going almost 2 years without an attack but in the last few weeks, I got hit. It must be either stress or the hot weather or a combination of both. I'd be curious to hear what other people think causes their attacks. I have a very renowned headache specialist doctor and I asked him if he ever head of anyone "beating CH for good" and this was his response: Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone who has “beat” cluster headache. I know a lot of patients in whom it went away and never came back and in whom it got milder over time. To answer one of your prior questions. Fortunately, we have some pretty good medications to control the attacks and reduce frequency. If this is old news to many of you I apologize. When he told me this it gave me some hope and I hope it gives you some too. As I tell my wife, I would give every penny I have, every possession I own, to have this dreadful condition disappear forever. Wishing you all zero pain and deep restful night's sleep forever. Praying for us all, Jimmy M.

HI everyone, nothing much to say except that I hope everyone is feeling substantially less or zero pain. I pray every day for myself to CH free and for all of you. What's works for me is chanting NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO. And Verapamil! I certainly don't want to push religion on anyone but I wanted to tell you all what works for me. We can and will defeat this. To your health and happiness always, Jimmy Martinez-

I've been able to get tremendous help and support from the people on this forum. Thank you. Please know that for the rest of my life, I'll be praying earnestly for everyone to be healthy and pain free. And for there to be a cure. Season's Greeting to all, Jimmy-

Thank you for spearheading this! what can we do to help you get this off the ground?

Thank you Batch and spiny for your replies. You guys have been so strong and have endured so much pain. I'm guessing you guys don't "bust" at all. I promise every day for the rest of my life to chant and pray for you guys to be pain free and for there to be a cure. There has to be a rhyme or reason to this. There has to be a cause to this effect. I wonder what constitutes a barometric pressure drop? higher elevations, rain coming, windy weather.. Tonight I took so CBD oil (no THC) and I'm praying for a good night's sleep. Take good care and we will beat this together! Jimmy-

HI Akiva, I hope you were able to get the verapamil and that it has worked perfectly for you and that you are not in any pain. you will beat this! Take good care, Jimmy-

HI Batch, I hope you are 100% pain free and your family is very well. I am taking the calcium, boron, Zinc, Vitamin A, B, C, and D3 (6 pills at 10,000 IU each pill). I'm also taking fish oil, magnesium, and a multi-vitamin. I ran out of the Vitamin K2. I've asked my doctor about the serum levels but haven't heard back. Hopefully the regime I'm on now is the correct one. I'll try the Bio Tech stuff once me current VD3 supply runs out. Thanks for all you do sir, Jimmy-