Really.... Really cold drinks

[MoxieGirl]

In another post, CHFather mentioned about a really cold Red Bull, or similar drink helping abort an attack.

That thought sends shivers down my spine, as cold is one of my triggers. In fact, if I get brain freeze from eating ice cream too fast, it'll trigger a cluster. I adore KFC's Crush'ems, but they invariably trigger a cluster because they are SO cold.

So, this got me thinking (scary, I know).

There is a theory that brain freeze is the result of your mouth getting cold, and sending that signal up the Trigeminal nerve to your eye, where you feel the pain.

Clusters also trigger the Trigeminal nerve, and is why we often feel the worst pain in the eye, the same place as brain freeze.

So I wonder what drinking something cold, triggering brain freeze when we are in the throws of an attack does? Is there a connection, and is that why drinking something cold helps some people?

Ponder Ponder.

MG

[spiny]

Hazarding a guess and going with the fact that cold constricts the blood vessels and relieves the pressure on the nerve. But, I am no scientist.

[Jeff_007]

Moxie,

Wierd that you mention the brain freeze because that is always how I describe a cluster to someone. They ask what it feels like, and I dont think the poker in the eye (at least for me) is the best analogy. But, I tell them that it feels like an intense 20 minute brain freeze. That seems to hit a nerve (no pun ;D ) for them as everyone know what that feels like.

Just my 2 pennies....

[MoxieGirl]

Jeff,

Yep, I like to use that analogy too. My clusters come on about as quickly as brain freeze too. One moment I'm fine, the next in agony, just like brain freeze. But they last longer and are 10 times more painful.

[didgens]

so what happens if you hold something hot/warm in your mouth when they hit ?

that sounds more like the vagus nerve gets stimulated and in turn trips the trigeminal nerve ?

[didgens]

ok so here is a description of brain freeze . .what if its deferred pain from somewhere else  and not the palate ?? what if different temperatures on the palate can help  ? or what if stopping prostaglandin generation (if thats even possible ?) can help ??

Question: What Causes Brain Freeze?

If you've ever experienced a sudden stabbing pain in your forehead when eating ice cream or enjoying a cool drink then you know what brain freeze is. Do you know what causes brain freeze or how you can stop the pain?

Answer: Have you ever experienced a sudden headache when eating or drinking something very cold? This is brain freeze, sometimes called an ice cream headache. The medical term for this type of headache is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, which is a mouthful, so let's just stick with brain freeze, okay?

When something cold touches the roof of your mouth (your palate), the sudden temperature change of the tissue stimulates nerves to cause rapid dilation and swelling of blood vessels. This is an attempt to direct blood to the area and warm it back up. The dilation of the blood vessels triggers pain receptors, which release pain-causing prostaglandins, increase sensitivity to further pain, and produce inflammation while sending signals through the trigeminal nerve to alert the brain to the problem. Because the trigeminal nerve also senses facial pain, the brain interprets the pain signal as coming from the forehead. This is called 'referred pain' since the cause of the pain is in a different location from where you feel it. Brain freeze typically hits about 10 seconds after chilling your palate and lasts about half a minute. Only a third of people experience brain freeze from eating something cold, though most people are susceptible to a related headache from sudden exposure to a very cold climate.

How to Prevent and Treat Brain Freeze

It's sudden chilling or a cycle of chilling and warming that stimulates the nerve and causes pain, so eating ice cream slowly is less likely to cause brain freeze than wolfing it down. If you are eating or drinking something cold, it also helps to keep your mouth cold rather than allow it to warm up. However, one of the quickest ways to alleviate the pain of brain freeze is to warm your palate with your tongue. Just be sure not to follow that remedy with another scoop of ice cream.

[didgens]

but nobody here gets relief from NSAIDS right ? 

Prostaglandins are lipid autacoids derived from arachidonic acid. They both sustain homeostatic functions and mediate pathogenic mechanisms, including the inflammatory response. They are generated from arachidonate by the action of cyclooxygenase isoenzymes, and their biosynthesis is blocked by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, including those selective for inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2

[didgens]

Has anybody here tried a Cox-2 inhibitor ?