CharleyN

I hear ya. When I was going through my cycle, thinking of that was making my head want to hurt. My medicine, Flurnarizine/Sibelium, is listed as a prophylactic. I can't seem to find any reports about this mixing the two is bad (other than that it may cause drowsiness). I'm no longer in a cluster cycle, just the aftermath of it. I'm supposed to take my meds for a total of 6 months before I stop. Kinda wanting a drink or two, haha.

Yea there is some earwax in my ear as well. Ear doctor (well, ear and nose doctor as the hospital here in Beijing doesn't have an actual audiologist) gave me some liquid to clean out my ear as there is hard buildup. So once I finish my ear cleansing if the tinnitus persists then to check back with her. On a side note, I forgot to add, that I was having tension headaches lasting me about a month during the daytime, but those have thankfully ceased.

Well, it's been about 2 1/2 months since I passed my first true cluster cycle (I'm still continuing my small dosing of Flunarizine, though) . During the cycle and shortly after it, I felt a bit dull, as if my mental capacity had been drained and I was being sluggish (past that). Small amount of tinnitus came shortly before halfway through my cycle, and it still continues on. Like a mosquito or bug with that high-pitch sound emanating from the center to the right side of my head (my clusters were on my right side). Now on my off days of taking Flunarizine (as you take 5 days then go off for 2 days), I sometimes feel like i experience minor shadows. Anyone else in the same ballpark as me? In particular, the annoyances of this tinnitus?

Yea, I would just feel drained and exhausted. And a small lingering headache afterward (coming from the side to the back of the head)... then I would feel a bit chilly so I would wrap myself in a blanket and fall asleep (since most of these came during the night). If I had a cluster in the day time, sometimes hunger, plus the exhausted feeling, and lingering head pain.

I was just wondering, do herbal cigarettes (i.e. tobacco-free) exacerbate or trigger any attacks? Just curious if anyone has tried anything

Yea I read the bit on how it can cause Parkson-like effects too ( do my homework first so I can ask the doc about diff treatments). They could've given me Lithium, but I'm skeptical of that. Luckily I found a chat group for expats to discuss doctors and dentists, so I will ask around. Already though, that one doc that gave me the Flunarizine recommended a list of other good neurologists from diff hospitals I can try and get ahold of. Luckily my cycle is over now ( I think since it's been 3 weeks, but who knows) so nothing is urgent.

So basically, I went to the hospital (*note: I live and work in China, and you go to the hospital to see a doc/specialist*). Saw one older doc - he only prescribed me Ibuprofen. Saw a somewhat young doc, and she prescribed me Flunarizine/Sibelium . The recommended dose of 2x 5mg capsules at night is what I took. I woke up the next morning with a CH (never had a morning one before). Lasted the usual 3 hours, then I had lingering head pain that knocked me on my keister the whole day. I thought maybe the meds were a rare side effect/cause, so I ceased taking it until I saw a doc again. He was also an older doc. He first said that flunarizine doesn't cause those headaches, but that "flunarizine was only for women and for their migraines" and NOT for CH, which I thought was weird as I had researched it and not once did i read that it was only for women. It also said that as a Calcium Channel Blocker, it was known to be used for CH treatment. Anyway, the same doc also prescribed me - you guessed it - Ibuprofen. So I took the flunarizine again on a weekend day, this time only 1 5mg capsule. Only side effects so far have been heartburn during the night and drowsiness the next day, which are going away. Still got some minor head pain throughout the day, but no CH coming back nor migraine. It's now been 2 weeks since the last CH attack. Not sure if it's due to the medicine being effective or if the cycle has ended (for now). Will take the full 10mg next time now that my body is better acclimated to the meds Anybody else have any experience with Flunarizine? Insights?

Hey, I'm getting the same way. I think my current cycle is done for now (been over two weeks since the last demon, but have had a bad migraine and a minor migraine) *knock on wood*... but almost daily ill have some minor head pain. Nothing severe, just an annoyance that causes anxiety as I'm wondering if it will evolve into a CH... and since this CH cycle and up to now (going on a month), I am having an annoying bout of tinnitus.

Greetings all. So glad I found this site. A bit about myself - I initially at first got cluster headaches (5 years ago) only from drinking a certain kind of beer as well as wine. Then that virtually progressed into most alcohol that was grain-based, so rum ad tequila became the only things I could consume with no problem. It seemed originally that I got the headaches from booze and during the summer-months (oh, I'm living and working in China, btw, which can get pretty hot summers). Then one time I had some soup which had river muscles, and I thought maybe that gave me the headache which occurred. Now, being sober for nearly a month, I got a cluster headache at night. A few days later, I got another one, but in the afternoon. Then just last night, a very bad one. Most recently from these bouts, I have had lingering pain afterward, as well as some slighting high-pitched ringing/buzzing in my head (feels like it's coming from the center of my head). I am going to see a doctor here again to see if they can prescribe me something that can ease everything, which will require an MRI and blood test here. For the record - whenever I get these headaches, I get the eye pain, watery eyes, red eyes, dripping nose, agitation/restlessness, and sometimes I get nausea and vomiting due to the pain. Anyway, looking forward to reading about what y'all have written regarding your experiences and possible ways to combat this hellish demon

My first ever cluster was triggered by Hoegaarden beer (which sucks as that was my favorite). Haven't had beer in 3 years now.