mooch91

Fully recognize a forum can't substitute for a doctor's advice. I was just using it as an opportunity to see if my experiences matched with any others here, especially since I felt the same as what you had indicated - my symptoms are not fully consistent with CH. Thanks for your response, interesting to see the overlap in symptoms and treatments.

Also worth mentioning... I drink tons of water each day. I'm supplementing with 200 mg magnesium. I've tried supplementing D3, though only a single tablet (1000 IU?). I had D3 tested and it was in range but a little on the lower side. I also supplemented with B2 for a while. I've not noticed a benefit with supplementation. I've had my eyes checked - started religiously wearing glasses for eye strain as I have a focusing issue. No real change to frequency/intensity of my headaches. Warm showers are most helpful, but only temporarily - pain disappears while I'm in the shower, but returns within minutes of getting out.Heating pads have not been helpful as I don't think I've found the right "spot". Ice is never helpful. In many ways, my experiences feel very "opposite" of those who experience migraines and CH: caffeine worsens instead of helps, long duration/low intensity attacks, capable of sleeping, minimal nausea, etc.

All, I've been struggling over the last year and a half trying to get a diagnosis for my headaches. Some of the symptoms keep pointing me back to CH and related conditions, but the lower relative pain presentation is the one thing that keeps me (and doctors) from thinking it's CH. However, no other treatments have helped. Quick rewind: 45 yo, male, have dealt with headaches all my life. True migraine (pounding in the forehead, nausea, vomiting) a couple of times a year since I was little, recently I've had a couple of visual disturbances without pain as well. Other nominal headaches for years - always responsive to Tylenol and later Advil (400 mg) became my medicine of choice. Headaches usually surfaced during long days at school, or skipped meal. I've always tended to be a bit anxious and compulsive - chew fingernails, grind teeth (or so my dentist says based on flat appearance), etc. One-two cups of coffee per day, minimal alcohol, no smoking, not sedentary but not highly fit either. For the last 5-6 years, I've gotten a new type of headache - one that tends to start out on one side of my head above the temple and then settles around and behind the eye. The duration of attack is consistently 12-24 hours. Pain is usually a 2 to 4 (out of 10). Pain is on the right side 90% of the time, and left side the remainder. These headaches respond minimally or not at all to OTC medicines, though I keep taking them thinking they might be taking the edge off (and partly out of fear of not taking them, as my migraines would accelerate if I didn't carry Advil with me all the time), but I can't be sure. My eye does not tear, eyelid feels slightly "weaker" but does not droop, and I do notice a little stuffiness/pressure in my sinuses, but no drainage. Frequency is once per week, some times more or less frequent. I can sleep through them, though the best sleep I get with this type of headache is when I'm semi-upright (in a recliner), with my head tilted a particular way (seems to give temporary relief but the headache doesn't go away when I sleep). These headaches usually go away as gradually as they come on. I tend to be able to continue to function, though I wouldn't say "well" - I get testy and moody, like when I've dealt with low-level tooth pain. It's not bad enough to be debilitating, but it does change my mood. I kind of "check out" from interactions as much as possible, which isn't good on my family life. Triggers: There is nothing I've identified that will absolutely cause them to happen, but about 1/2 the time that I drink any alcohol (even 1 beer/wine), and 1/2 the time I'm feeling really stressed at work (particularly when I find myself getting 'frustrated' during long meetings), these headaches will start. Nothing else has been revealed from all the time I've been tracking the headaches. I notice the headaches much more frequently on work days, and much less frequently during vacations and at home (though they do still happen about 20% of the time on more relaxed days). When I feel the slightest bit of headache coming on, a cup of coffee seems to make it worse quickly. I have seen a neurologist about 4 times over the past year for this issue. At first, he prescribed two abortive treatments he wanted me to try: compazine (migraine) and indomethacin (CH-type headaches). I never took the compazine because of some of the side effects I read. I've only tried the indomethacin (25 mg) twice - once it seemed to help, the other I don't think I noticed anything more than if I had taken Advil. Based on other discussions with the doctor, he diagnosed me with chronic tension-type headache. He gave me thoughts on relieving stress and tension. Funny thing is, though I know I'm stressed and tense at times, I don't notice the physiological changes that might be occurring. I never really feel myself grinding my teeth, I never sense my jaw or shoulders are tight, or that my posture might be tense. So when I don't notice it, it's hard for me to control. I've tried stretching my neck, massaging my jaw, etc. when I start to feel any indication of pain, but it hasn't prevented anything. Surprisingly, on two occasions, I was able to completely relieve the headache (with no medication!) by massaging around the upper part of my right eye socket quite firmly for about 10 minutes. It might have been a fluke, but that's the means of relief I'm currently exploring when these headaches come on. The doctor also prescribed Zanaflex 4 mg (muscle relaxant) to be taken each night. I held off for months on trying it (as I did not want to be dependent on a preventive medicine long-term), but I just started these up about 4 days ago. I'm planning to try this for a while, but if it doesn't offer relief, I need to continue to pursue an accurate diagnosis. I'm convinced that I'll only see improvement if I can get to a better understanding of what I'm experiencing. Again, the low relative pain (2-4) and the long duration (12-24 hrs) of my headaches seem fairly inconsistent with what I've read of the sharp pain of CH, as well as the short intensity bursts that sufferers experience. Unless I have a high tolerance for pain and I'm under-rating the intensity, I don't believe these are as bad as some of what I've read others with CH experience. Does anyone have experience with a "mild" form of CH or associated condition that can share some experience? Is this even a possibility? Thanks in advance for reading through to this point and for any guidance you might provide!