Melissa30

The reasoning was for the headaches I've been getting, and my GP said 50 years ago it was used as an anti depressant but it is now used for the prevention of migraines. She said to start off taking 1 pill (10mg.) for the first 7 days, and then 2 a day after that until I get in to see the "specialist."

My GP has perscribed me Nortriptyline (Aventyl) for my cluster headaches, upon waiting for a specialist in a few weeks. Has anybody ever used/seen results from this? I researched it and learned it is a antidepressant, however, also used for migraines.

What are shadows? Is that when you can feel a CH coming on?

As I sit here, at the tail end of my second attack of the day, I can't help but to think about how I have taken for granted every single day of my life before these headaches so suddenly appeared. How the little things, that used to get me going, the "woe is me" moments that I would bestow upon myself, or the days I would think to myself, "my life is so hard," seem so insignificant I cant wrap my head around it now. Although I have lived with these headaches for only a little over three weeks now, I feel that everything I see or do now seems to be in a different light, every second of my day that I don't have to go through the pain that I indure during these attacks to the right side of my brain, feel like a gift, like a blessing that I hadn't seen in the past, that I had been blind to for thirty years. Just wanted to get that off my chest, knowing for certain, that everyone who suffers here would understand this....like nobody else around me can. Thanks for listening.

Like I previously said, my headaches have been happening for over 3 weeks now (every day, sometimes up to 3 times a day,) is there any way in knowing (or roughly guessing) how long this cycle will continue for? Also, I am nursing my 7 month old baby, so am currently unable to take five hour energy shots and most likely a lot of the other medication previously mentioned, it is likely that I will have to stop nursing to get some relief from these headaches with the methods suggested?

Thank you for your comments, its Comforting knowing I'm not alone but sad that so many other people have to go through this. It has literally taken over every aspect of my life, and I can't do a single thing without worry that another headache will come and take me over. I am scheduled to see my dr. again this Thursday (she believes I am suffering from migraines,) and am going to mention the possibility of Cluster Headaches to her, and hopefully she will refer me to the dr. In Toronto mentioned in the list of doctors on this site.

I get them first thing in the morning usually for only half an hour right after I wake up, I can feel it coming, then at around 9:30pm gthe night time ones are usually much more intense and last around 3 hours,) I sometimes get a third one a couple hours after I fall asleep at around 1 or 2 in the morning. The pain is only on the right side of my head, mostly behind my eye and in my forehead (right side only,) and radiates up from my neck. I can't explain the pain, my right eye waters during the worst part of it, and my right nostril gets clogged during the episode, then is clear after it passes. I try massaging my neck and hot showers and baths but nothing seems to help. Anyone who tries to help me I end up snapping on them, and then feeling terrible after but can't help it because I'm in so much pain. I can't lay dawn, I usually sit up and rock back and forth. I feel so hopeless and worry about when then next one will come, my mom doesn't understand what I am going through and thinks I'm crazy when I tell her they are so bad I've had suicidal thoughts or want to stab myself in the head with a pin to help release the pressure or, I don't know. But when I'm in it I can't help these thoughts, I know it sounds stupid but it's the truth. Thanks for listening, and responding. They are usually an hour of intense pain and then a dull pain, that stays until I fall asleep or sometimes all day just waiting for the next round to come.

I get them first thing in the morning usually for only half an hour right after I wake up, I can feel it coming, then at around 9:30pm gthe night time ones are usually much more intense and last around 3 hours,) I sometimes get a third one a couple hours after I fall asleep at around 1 or 2 in the morning. The pain is only on the right side of my head, mostly behind my eye and in my forehead (right side only,) and radiates up from my neck. I can't explain the pain, my right eye waters during the worst part of it, and my right nostril gets clogged during the episode, then is clear after it passes. I try massaging my neck and hot showers and baths but nothing seems to help. Anyone who tries to help me I end up snapping on them, and then feeling terrible after but can't help it because I'm in so much pain. I can't lay dawn, I usually sit up and rock back and forth. I feel so hopeless and worry about when then next one will come, my mom doesn't understand what I am going through and thinks I'm crazy when I tell her they are so bad I've had suicidal thoughts or want to stab myself in the head with a pin to help release the pressure or, I don't know. But when I'm in it I can't help these thoughts, I know it sounds stupid but it's the truth. Thanks for listening, and responding.

Hi, I am thirty years old, and for the past 3 weeks have been suffering from terrible headaches up to 3 times a day, they are so bad I am unable to take care of my baby when one comes on, and all I can do is grab half my face in pain and cry. I have been to doctors twice and to the hospital for CT scan and blood work with all the results coming back fine. This is the first time (the past three weeks) that I have ever suffered from this type of headache and when I was researching it I read about cluster headaches which then eventually brought me here.