Menopauze and CH

[sjimba]

Hi everybody.

My name is Sjimmy and I am new here.

Let me quickly begin to say THANK YOU for this amazing website and forum. Because of you all I dont feel so alone with this monster in my head. (I hope I have posted this message in the right topic/forum? If not please let me know so I can adjust accordingly ;))

Two years ago, I experienced my first-ever attack. After visiting several doctors, ophthalmologists, dentists, and — finally, thankfully — a neurologist, I was officially diagnosed with cluster headache at the age of 49. Since then, I’ve often visited your website and you guys have helped me out in many different ways.

I do have a question, though, and I couldn’t quickly find whether it’s been discussed before. I’m wondering: are there other women who first developed cluster headache around the age of 50? Could there be a link with hormones? I’m currently in the middle of menopause and have been using HRT for about three years. I cant help but wonder if that could have been some sort of trigger to start my CH? My neurologist calls me an "A-typical" CH patient.  As (according to him) CH patients normally are male and start showing symptoms for the first time around the age of 20-30..?  Sometimes I even wonder, “Is it really CH?” because my attacks seem to appear in a much more “messy” way than I gather is common for most people? I know that everybody is different in the attacks so here is some more info about mine. 

I tend to get the most attacks (three a day) in the spring. This year they started in March and stopped in June. They have been much more intens than the year before and last around 2 hours each. 

Then they disappeared until last week (mid august) when I suddenly had one attack, then nothing for several days, and then another one last night. Sometimes there’s no real “cluster,” just a few stray attacks, and then they’re gone again — this only happens in the height of summer.

I have noticed that extreme heat can trigger attacks, but they don’t develop into a full cluster?( Is that something anybody also have experienced before?). Autumn is usually restless again, with a cluster period of about two months, but the attacks are noticeably less severe than in spring. In winter, I usually have no symptoms at all.

I have O2 on a high flow (12 or 15 for 15-20 min, which works 9 out of 10 times) and I have been cutting down to almost 0 on my sumatriptan injections 6 because I am on a Micro dose fresh mushroom, 5 day 1 MG regime? ( i stopped two weeks after my last custer in June so currently I take nothing)

 I’m sorry for all the questions and this messy message , but as a relatively new CH patient, I’m trying to get in all the info and also all the tips and tricks to kill the beats.(and my ADHD doesnt help either) .. But most of all i am trying my best to understand why this suddenly appeared — in the faint hope that I might somehow can reverse it. (or have hopes that it will automatically disappears when im through menopauze)  

Thank you again for just being here and taking the time to read my story. 

Sjimmy 

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Wil je dat ik ook meteen een kort, helder medisch profiel in het Engels maak van je situatie, zodat je dit overzichtelijk aan een arts of specialist kunt geven? Dat kan handig zijn bij vervolgonderzoek.