Capsaicinoids for CH abortion

[ebrad]

Brand new to this site but am a longtime sufferer (12 years, left side episodic, currently 5 weeks into cluster).  Have tried all sorts of methods for treating the CH, although have never been one to be comfortable with pharmaceuticals, to no avail until now.  Last summer while reading a book on hot peppers (Chile Peppers: Hot tips and tasty picks for gardeners and gourmets by the brooklyn botanic garden, pg 14 end 2nd paragraph) discovered that hot peppers have been used to treat cluster headaches which I thought was significant because in my experience most people have never heard of CH.  At any rate I then found at least one article which investigated the use of capsaicinoids (pungent principle in hot peppers) as a therapeutic for CH (Fusco, et al., Preventative effect of repeated nasal applications of capsaicin in cluster headache, Pain, 59 (1994) 321-325).  In the study patients were treated with a 10mM solution of Capsaicin once per day.  From this paper I decided to self-medicate once I began my cycle last month (2-16-10).  From that first day, once I felt the onset of a CH I swabbed the affected side nostril (left in my case) with dried orange habanero powder and was able to abort the headache completely.  I have repeated this process for the last 5 weeks with 100% success.  I like chilis anyway and consume a lot of spice daily, so setting my nose on fire isn't the worst thing I could do...besides I would do just about anything to avoid getting a full-blown CH. 

[TimeBandit]

I also have aborted a few attacks with spicy food a few times. Unfortunately in my case it was only for the mild attacks at the beginning  or end of an episode. In my case I classified them with stretching, hot/cold showers which can also abort mild attacks.

Good to know that people find 100% relief with this though.

[Arde]

Good to hear that getting shot in the face with pepper spray has a silver lining.