What consititutes "pain free" in regards to CCH?

[drixhen]

Just wondering what "pain free" means in regards to chronic vs epidodic?

I'm Chronic for the past year and a half but since busting I've not had a attack for a few weeks although I still get the shadows. The last attack I had was after drinking which is a massive trigger for me.

My question is if I don't get an attack for a month but still have the shadows am I chronic or have reverted to episodic? Do episodics get shadow between cycles?

Cheers

[MoxieGirl]

This is from Wikipedia:

In accordance with the International Headache Society (IHS) diagnostic criteria, cluster headaches occurring in two or more cluster periods, lasting from 7 to 365 days with a pain-free remission of one month or longer between the clusters may be classified as episodic. If attacks occur for more than a year without pain-free remission of at least one month, the condition is classified chronic. Chronic CH occurs continuously without any remission periods between cycles; there may be high and low variation in cycles, meaning the frequency and severity of attacks may change without predictability, for a period of time. The amount of change during these cycles varies between individuals and does not demonstrate complete remission of the episodic form. The condition may change unpredictably, from chronic to episodic and from episodic to chronic.

I'm Chronic and the longest recorded pain free period I've had is 23 days. Personally, I wouldn't count that as a period of remission, just a lucky break. If I ever go pain free from 3-6 months, I might start to think about life as an Episodic.

I don't think Episodics really get shadows during their remission period, but I may be wrong.

MG

[diamondmaker]

When I was episodic I never got shadows of attacks outside of the usual cycles. Once clear of cycle I could drink like a fish... triggers only in cycle. I would not be too quick to reclassify yourself... just sounds like the busting is working.

[Fabalicious]

I never had pain outside of cycle when I was episodic either.  Cycles would come, 3-5 a year.  Sometimes I would get lucky and they would only last a few days, the longest was several weeks.  When I went chronic the actual attacks would come on average about 4 per day, totally random timing.  I can't say that what I felt between the attacks was really pain, CHers have a WHOLE different concept of pain, MG did a really cool scale comparing headaches/migraines/CH, I would love to link it here but I cant seem to locate it.  But after k8-9 attacks, when you get hit with a 4 or 5....its just bothersome.  I would think that in the regular world shadows would count as NOT pain free (although to us its almost as good and definitely workable).  Stupid beast... >