FunTimes

This is a great start! now just like CHfather said, work on getting bigger tanks. M60 and M tanks are good home use tanks and E is the travel size for me. Take care of your delivery driver when you can, bottle of water/cup of coffee. Maybe a snack from time to time? Whatever it takes to have them pulling for you. I have had drivers call me before they leave the building saying they did not have my tank size and adjusted from one M60 tank to 3 e size tanks. Pay your bill on time every time and you should be good to go. Cluster mask will also make a big difference in your abort experience. After the O2 is all in place start stocking up on a few other abort techniques. Mix and match them and your on your way to a happy cluster life!

@Mordecai Give this place a try https://adapthealth.com/locations/ see if you can get to a guy named Ed Pucket. He is located in Northern Maryland and may be able to get you what you need. Best of luck to ya!

I have come across the same issues in the past. I am not sure what country you are in, Here in the US I keep on calling and climbing the latter going from one level a=of management to the next until I find someone who understands that money is money and it does not matter who is paying as long as they are getting paid for the services they are trying to provide. I also pay out of pocket and it is actually cheaper for me. I pay a monthly fee for the home delivery service and I pay that regardless if I get oxygen. That covers 4 M60 tanks. I can order more and pay a different rate depending on the size tank I order above the 4 M60's. Smaller Mom and Pop type shops I find get the same tanks from the larger distributers and usually only get one order a week so they don't like Clusterheads cleaning them out every week so go direct to the larger supply house and deal with them direct. Be extra nice to the delivery person bringing the tanks and you will be able to get extra tanks from them on occasion if they have them on the truck. Stock up on as many extra tanks as you can store for when something goes sideways. Don't accept the "we don't serve cluster headache people" What do they care what it is used for, they are selling it and we are paying for it. The Market down the street does not care how much milk you buy why would the oxygen people care how much O2 your getting as long as you pay the price they are asking. This makes me nuts how they think they can just say no because we use more oxygen at times than others. Your other option would be to get welding oxygen and use that, but do not tell that supplier you will be breathing it. We can help you get set up with that equipment if you do decide to give it a try.

I have done a DHE treatment but it was an infusion. # days long and about 6 hours each day. I feel that it did help the first time butt he second time I did it I don't think it was an effective.

I use the 5hr smaller size to help hold the cluster off until I can get to my oxygen tanks. it will sometimes abort a very mild one if I drink it soon enough in the onset of the cluster. Oxygen is the cleanest and best option for aborting a cluster as long as you get the o2 kit and a regulator that will allow you to maximize your intake.

I wish I had never started the Verapamil to begin with. I was put on it and was up to 1080 mg a day. Side effects sucked for me, not being able to feel from my knees down and swollen feet all the time. I took myself down to 120 twice a day without any change in my cluster frequency or pain level. I think the doctor I had at the time just had no clue and kept upping the dose. I finally was able to come off the verapamil after 10 years due to a newfound treatment. The D3 protocol is a cleaner option and I feel that I have benefited from that a little more that the Verapamil. @Crispo follow CHfather's post and links he will not disappoint!

I don't think you need to wait for the results before starting the Vit D. You can get started now and adjust when you find out what your levels are. I would be willing to put money on that you have low D levels. What do you use for aborting your attacks? Oxygen available?

Nice find!

Agreeing with everything stated above, I would still consult your neurologist or a headache specialist in your area and maybe get scanned to rule out any other issues going on in your head. If the scan shows a woodpecker holding a drill and pushing on the inside of your eye you pass the test and are now an official member of the Clusterbuster community. Read up on this site and ask all the questions you may have and we all will help you get into a manageable place to deal with this. It sucks but you are in a great place.

It was again an awesome time and great to se it growing over the few short years I have attended. Many more Doctors Authors and Vendors. Most of all a bunch of fun happy clusterheads from literally all over the world. Hope you all can make it next year.. Bring a friend and leave with 100 new ones.

See you all in a few days. Should be another good time with the rest of the headbangers from all over the world.

I keep them in the car, the office and any other place I might be going to. I even take them on vacation with me. I figure they do enough work for me they deserve a little vacation too.

Poke around, read up and ask questions. You will be amazed at how many people are willing to help and share experiences. Key in on Oxygen and Vitamin D, they are the most recommended treatments to get started with.

Agreeing with both above! I was put on Verapamil at the start of my cluster journey. Wish I never started it to be honest. I have had no issues with my heart or anything like that but it did mess with the feeling in my legs when I was up at around 1040 mg a day. I have slowly tried to take myself off of the stuff and am now down to 120 one time a day. They say that that does nothing for clusters but I can tell for sure that s not true. I have cut that last dose out and was clean of all verap for about 5 days before I started getting my ass handed to me in a big way and jumped back on it. And because I love to torcher myself I have done this a few times with the same results. When I was new to the cluster game I did not know anything about them at all and like everyone else dealt with it thinking it was a toothache or something. I would get hit ere and there but nothing consistent. I started the Verapamil and an now chronic. I am not saying that is what made me chronic (my wife may say different) but it has been no lookin back since. Oxygen will be your best friend! 5hr drinks are your side hustle go to that you will tend to keep in your pocket at all times, Vitamin D helps a bunch of people and I feel does bring the pain down a few notches on that kip scale. Busting is not for everyone but definitely read up on it and not in the micro feel good about my life types, you need the cluster type who are trying to achieve a pain free life. Triptans are handy to have around for when you get stuck in a bad place and need that quick relief, and injection is the way to go for that. Just my 2 cents, I am not a doctor, this is just my experience. We are all different and you will need to tweak it as you go but the people on this site are pro's.

https://youtu.be/A8bA8sUG2Ig Just a little YouTube link to share with others about a few doctors discussing how they go about treating cluster patients. Not sure it was supposed to be shared but it may help someone or give another option that was not tried yet.