shaydaymayday Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Hi everyone my name is Sade and I’ve been troubled with cluster headaches for the past 17 years and I just found a remedy that has been working for me. So ok I linked the histimine release that happens and they say contributes to our headaches so i decided to take PEPCID ✨ So I take 2 20 mg tablets of Pepcid and it’s been working wonders. Then I started using Tiger Balm, it attaches to the nerves and I guess confuses them and stops the pain ITS AMAZING so as soon as I feel the clusters coming on I run TIGER BALM on all areas effected and that usually allows me to get ahold of if… Oh and I turn my neck to the side and that gives ALOT of relief on the C2 and C3 on my neck. Now I do both and it knocks down my episodes down to almost none a day! I know it’s crazy but it’s working! I hope this helps someone! Please try Tiger Balm and Pepcid and let me know if it helps anyone! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatHurtsMyHead Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 shaydaymayday, I don't know anything about pepcid, but thanks for posting. I'm sure many people know a lot more than me that might be able to duplicate your test. Cheers, J 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHfather Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Maybe someone will give this a try. Do you use the Pepcid as a preventive or to stop an attack that has already started? Just as a historical perspective, I will mention that the antihistamine Benadryl has often been shown to be quite effective, and the overall D3 regimen is also an antihistamine method. Pepcid works on different histamine receptors than Benadryl (Pepcid, H2; Benadryl, H1), and it does seem (to me) that Benadryl might get more effectively to pain sources, since Pepcid works mostly on gastric/digestive tract receptors. Regarding Tiger Balm, there has been discussion of it over the years, and several people have said that it gives them some pain "relief" by being unpleasant enough that it distracts them a bit from the CH pain. You can read input about this by putting "Tiger Balm" into the search bar that is at the top of any page. In your 17 years of CH, I assume you have, as people often say, "tried everything." Are you not using oxygen, or the D3 regimen, or anything besides Pepcid, Tiger Balm, and turning your neck to manage your attacks? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDog Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 I use Tiger Balm or Olbas oil or both. They don’t usually stop them, but bring the pain level down. I use Atomic Fireballs under my tongue on the headache side. The fireballs came from a member, Ricardo, who used hot sauce under the tongue. I also use Monster Energy drinks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCity Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 I have tried tiger balm and it definitely can reduce pain very slightly but sadly doesn't abort anything. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaydaymayday Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 On 1/29/2025 at 1:37 PM, CHfather said: Maybe someone will give this a try. Do you use the Pepcid as a preventive or to stop an attack that has already started? Just as a historical perspective, I will mention that the antihistamine Benadryl has often been shown to be quite effective, and the overall D3 regimen is also an antihistamine method. Pepcid works on different histamine receptors than Benadryl (Pepcid, H2; Benadryl, H1), and it does seem (to me) that Benadryl might get more effectively to pain sources, since Pepcid works mostly on gastric/digestive tract receptors. Regarding Tiger Balm, there has been discussion of it over the years, and several people have said that it gives them some pain "relief" by being unpleasant enough that it distracts them a bit from the CH pain. You can read input about this by putting "Tiger Balm" into the search bar that is at the top of any page. In your 17 years of CH, I assume you have, as people often say, "tried everything." Are you not using oxygen, or the D3 regimen, or anything besides Pepcid, Tiger Balm, and turning your neck to manage your attacks? Hi so as far as the Pepcid it was more of test at first but I noticed the first 24 hours my symptoms reduced more than half so then I went to Benadryl. I sought out over the counter medicine that had the highest antihistamine so that’s why I went with the Pepcid first. I find the Benadryl has worked for me also and yes, it is a preventative measure. I noticed when I started taking it my brought my headaches down to 10 day a day. As as the tiger bomb goes, when I start feeling the onset that being pressure throbbing pulsating on my left temple, I apply it ALL areas I feel anything lol… when I do that it does what it’s supposed to do, which is to confuse the nerves. If I’m awake and apply the tiger bomb that usually allows me to stop it and to control intensity and usually if I can do this, I can stop the headache altogether now usually So holding my head to the right stops the pressure I feel in my neck and gives me a lot of relief, so when I feel it I turn my tech until I feel relief and when I do this I can feel the relief immediately so with the cluster headaches being associated with your C-2 and 3 joints it made sense, it feels like it stops the pressure altogether so sometimes I have to hold my head completely down in between my legs and other times I just take my head and hold it to the right side that combined with pulling my left shoulder down it gives me a lot of relief so the combination of tiger bomb as soon as I feel the onset, with holding my neck to side and using antihistamines as far as pain is brought my headaches down from 10 to 1-3 a day. As far as me being able to control the number of attacks that I have during the day is brought it down to 15 + to 5 a day. Now ans far ans the oxygen, I don’t think that the oxygen really helps me. I have the individual cans. But when I try different breathing exercises like deep controlled breathing and also dragon breathing it helps me out a lot. The D-3 I just started taking 12 days ago weeks ago because I’m in the middle of an attack now. I started taking the antihistamines first and that’s when I noticed the significant change. Yes I have tried everything. Last year is when I first noticed holding my neck to the side gave me relief and my boyfriend broke his back so he swears by Tiger Balm and one day the pain was so bad I finally gave in and used it and it INSTANTLY gave me ALOT OF RELIEF. I even gave it to my friend that has tension headaches some and rubbed it on her head when she felt her headache coming and it stopped it completely! So yes I swear by this stuff now, I’ve went through 3 jars already this attack cycle. I really hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaydaymayday Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 On 2/9/2025 at 7:07 PM, LostCity said: On 2/9/2025 at 7:07 PM, LostCity said: I have tried tiger balm and it definitely can reduce pain very slightly but sadly doesn't abort anything. If I catch it as soon as it starts and rub it on all the areas that I feel being affected sometimes I turn my neck to the side to give the C2 and C3 joints the relief, and lately I use like I said the antihistamines oh yes, all of that together can definitely abort the headache, but before I used the antihistamines I was just using tiger balm and it would significantly bring my pain downand give me a lot of relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHfather Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 22 hours ago, shaydaymayday said: I noticed when I started taking it my brought my headaches down to 10 day a day . . . As far as me being able to control the number of attacks that I have during the day is brought it down to 15 + to 5 a day . . . brought my headaches down from 10 to 1-3 a day You were having 10-15 headaches/attacks each day? How long did they last? This is a very confusing to me, because it is extremely rare for someone with CH to get so many attacks. It is much more typical of a different condition that has symptoms similar to CH, such as episodic paroxysmal hemicrania (Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania - Wikipedia) or SUNCT (SUNCT syndrome - Wikipedia). 22 hours ago, shaydaymayday said: I don’t think that the oxygen really helps me. I have the individual cans. I'm not sure what you mean by "individual cans." Do you literally mean the small cans that contain oxygen -- such as Boost Oxygen? Or do you mean a large tank or a cylinder that has oxygen in it? (If you have SUNCT or paroxysmal hemicrania, oxygen usually doesn't help.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon019 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 (edited) On 2/12/2025 at 12:48 PM, shaydaymayday said: Now ans far ans the oxygen, I don’t think that the oxygen really helps me. I have the individual cans. But when I try different breathing exercises like deep controlled breathing and also dragon breathing it helps me out a lot. ...old saying...Dr B i believe: if you are not sure a med is working...it's not! but, when you say "cans" it sounds like that faddish and worthless "Boost". you need at least 15 lpm, a proper non rebreather mask, and a breathing technique that works for you. at best an O2 abort takes 5-8 mins...a boost can gives less than 1. you ALREADY got the breathing technique which is a highly effective one for many and the type advocated by the expert on O2. get thee some tanks (not a concentrator) for pure oxygen. and to paraphrase @CHfather, if the O2 doesnt work its one more diagnostic clue to rule out CH. it sounds to me that either you have a very odd type of CH or one of the others he mentions.. best jon Edited February 14 by jon019 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.