Semi delicate or maybe a stupid question

[davidj]

Okay here goes a stupid question. I have read threads about what we all do or don't have in common from addictive personalities, smoking history, head trauma etc. I have been posting and talking to people on this and our sister site for over the last two months and one thing I have found is no one has asked about or discussed ethnic background. I can't recall any ethnic "minority" discussion and or lack thereof. So may question is what is the percentage of black, asian, hispanic, native american etc sufferers of cluster headaches,or is being of a european or scandanavaian heritage a major common thread? Could be a stupid question or not politicaly correct but I just had to pose it since my type A, addictive, head traumed, former everything, personality just had to ask.

David

[Cassidy]

Geez David,

You are so weird. You forgot the OCD.

Hate to admit it but I have wondered the same. Don't remember that ever being brought up. At one time hazel eyes were common. And I have hazel eye color.

Also had a nurse tell me that I could not have clusters because only males get them. For what that is worth.

                                                                 Leslie

[davidj]

Blue eyes here, sorry I left out the OCD

[alleyoop]

great thought david, leslie 2 Smiley we share many similarities my friend

Hey, I've got news for you!  AO, David, Leslie -- I don't know if you guys have ever met another clusterhead in person, but if there ever was a reason for attending a CB conference, that is the one!  It's like meeting your long lost family!

[Bonkers]

Only the most attractive and intelligent people are capable of getting CH. God's truth.

[birdman]

i have so many wise@ss stupid jovial inane comments I think my head just imploded like a soda can.  LOL.  For what it's worth, male, white, european decent  and embarassingly handsome.  Oh and vain.....just kiddin.  About the handsome part...the rest is true.

[Stump BeefKnob]

First of all, I want to clearly state that I am not a racist. My father is full blooded Japanese and my mother is 100% Zimbabwean, from a small village called Chedake.

As you have probably guessed by now, I am a caucasian of European descent, with blue eyes, and I am completely awesome.

Of all of my amazing qualities, I would say it is my humility that makes me better than everyone else. That is, of course, assuming that I have to choose only one.

[Dallas Denny]

Ummmmm......well, judging from the individual posts on this thread so far........maybe the commonality is that we're all highly intelligent, exceedingly good looking, "wannabe comedians" with addictive personalities who also happen to be humble to a fault???  LOL!!

To be serious though, I've seen posts from folks of many different races and nationalities on the boards....but I can't recall ever seeing someone post with a hispanic heritage.  Is it at all possible that a long history of "shamanistic" practices involving "natural meds" in those cultures could be a factor in that?  Also don't remember seeing any posts by folks of obvious Asian descent whose cultures also rely heavily on "homeopathic remedies".

DD

[tingeling]

Hmmmm.......... What you writhe here Denny, i have thought myself, i have never heard of any asian with CH. I`m not grown up in my own country, a loooong loooong way from there.

Can`t see why any should see it as a question about raciism. It is well known that some deasieses are more common among certain races. On the inside we are all the same, nope, we`re not.

Me as an asian, can`t take alchohol very good, it poisen us. We have less enzym that brings the alchohol after being ethanol down. So, instead we get very red, warm, and in general VERY drunk, we vomit and sleeps around the cornesrs. ;D If getting any pleasent out of alchohol, it last around one min maybe. Terrible ;D ;D

This enzym varies from race to race, the europians are the once with highest amount of that enzym, and can therefor take more units, without getting actually poisoned.

Nearer you live ecvator, health in general is better. Take f ex KOLS, asthma and this sort of things. You will find values of Brom, Magnesium and Kalium in the air, and also the highest amount of o2. So even if the air is humid, you gonna breath better. And for a while, even after going back to other parts of the world.

And this is the small ex, there allot more of them.

And that said me being a asian.... I am a mix of something, i just don`t know what!!!! And i can`t say it is possible to guess something either.... AO, you seen me. Youre guess ;D

And clima, food and some kind of mix.... Can`t say much from that....

Any looked it up? My computer is almost black, i hardly see what i write ;D

Now i gonna wonder about this, until i get a new one!!!

That damn computer!!!

[MattyAA]

From what I can see in the mirror and remember asking when I was young my parents and grandparents, I have Europeans origins probably family started somewhere on Russian-Lithuania lands and moved Poland as time got older.

Dark-brown hair, green eyes, white-skin.

Ethnic: Slav

Dunno if it helps.

[Lee_Ann]

I have often wondered the same thing.  Glad you asked it David.  Interesting topic.

Dan is tall, good looking, brown hair(well it used to be brown), brown eyes, type A personality, good singer, and funny.  Mixed European descent.

From what I've seen, it must be the good looking gene.  I am about to meet several other clusterheads this weekend.  I'll let you know ;D       

[lucidity-]

One thing to remember is that the fact we are here posting on this board is a filter. We have the economic means to access the internet, and the technical ability to use a bulletin board. Both require some intelligence.

And yes, I too am a smart white guy. But I really don't have an addictive personality, one of the odd things about me. I can pick up cigarettes, smoke 1/2 pack a day for 6 months, and then quit cold turkey without really missing them. *shrug*

[lucidity-]

I'd also like to look closer into this boys get cluster, girls get migraine thing.

Most doctors are male. A person comes into the office and says I'm getting headaches, it's the worst pain of my life. Describes the symptoms, which are pretty much the same for both, as far as I can tell, except for pattern, and few people keep a diary.

Doc thinks "Women are whiners and exaggerate pain. It can't be that bad." Migraine diagnosis.

or

Doc thinks "Men are tough and understate pain. It must be really awful." Cluster diagnosis.

This is totally off the cuff. I'd love to know what others think.

[Texas Cluster]

I read something in the recent past about it being predominantly in caucasian individuals, mostly men but women as well, just not sure myself cause of all the miss diagnoses that are out there and the Dr.s excepting patients not knowing how to treat them and trying their own thing and I think that's just wrong personally.

now as far as the intelligent and good look parts of it being a factor!!  :-? maybe I am the exception..lol  not real smart, I use to be good looking in my 20's..lol

personally I think its one of three things, gene's or a head injury..I have had many and its always made me think that would have to be it...and the third is past shift work..I worked some long hard hours sometimes being clocked in for 3 days at a time..would be lucky to get 4 hours sleep in 24 hours and allot of times not even that.

I just hope I am still alive when they find a cause..its been like a Riddle to us all and I would love to know the answer

    Darrin

Texas Cluster

[Bejeeber]

Over at ch.com I've seen gal after gal who suffers from CH come on there and report having a male doc refuse to diagnose them with CH because "women don't get them".

So I believe there is indeed a self perpetuating myth amongst the idiots MD's that keeps female sufferers from being diagnosed as often.

My attempted humorous approach to asking why such a high percentage of englishfolk were there at ch.com, and whether we (I'm American, but half English, half Irish by descent) are more prone to CH totally backfired and a complicated flame war resulted. I really shouldn't have used the term "limey bums". 

Also, I've run across a few CHers of African descent so far.

[davidj]

I have only met two fellow CHers in my life so my exposure has been limited, thanks bejeeber that certainly shows this is not a white European heritage disease and by the by my back round is Limey Bum, with a little Irish and Scottish thrown in (very good looking and intelligent to boot) .

[birdman]

Come on David!! You are a Met fan, how intelligent can you be?  LOL!!  Kidding buddy!  And since you are one of the brave ones with a picture, you get the good looking award almost by default.    :D :D

[tingeling]

Thought we already stated about the goodlooking part.

All toghether, we`re a big fruit basket!!  ;D ;D

What a sight when gathered on a conference!!

[davidj]

Birdman,

The picture came with my wallet. ;D

[lucidity-]

tingeling: As far as I know, I'm the only big fruit.

[tingeling]

Denny, LOL ;D absolut ;D ;D                and lucidity, i think AO look the fruitiest here. He is after all a big orange, and a agent.

[tingeling]

oh no, not cut up thrown and mixed in a  bowl these fruits. We're to intelligent to get in that sit we're wrapped up nicely, and placed in a beautiful basket. And btw, we don't rot... 

[raquelinkansas]

Lucidity,

I totally agree.  I think women are not getting diagnosed correctly.  My story, quick version; 20 yrs old my roomates take me to ER, cuz I am scaring the shit out of them.  I dont know whats wrong with me, most excrutiating (sp?) pain I ever felt in my life, keeps happening at night.  ER gives me codine and sends me out the door, no explanation.  Early 20's pain is back, see a doctor, says I have migraines, gives me those caffiene, tylenol pills, cant remember what they're called.  Move to Texas, get pregnant, its back,  didnt even go to doctor cuz I didnt want to jack up my kid.  Late 20's, got to another doctor, he xrays my head and says migraines, give me Maxalt.  Move back to Kansas, i'm in my early 30's saw another doctor, migraines, gives me Imitrex.  Shrink gives me Topomax when I tell her about the headaches.  (needless to say, the drugs arent always working, usually get imune to them and quick) Late 30's, try another doctor (don't have a family physician) he informs me I do not have migraines.  I have cluster headaches. Said I have every classic example, prescribes oxygen and prednisone. (wrong mask but correct diagnosis)  Of course, I never heard of it.  Went home started reading and to this day I am still pissed off cuz for 17 years I suffered and was being treated for migraines.  I wish it was migraines!  Anyways, feels good to vent.  Oh, i'm a white girl (german, irish, english decent, basically a mutt) hazel eyes, brown hair, smoke, casual drinker, uh oh and overweight.  Weight probabaly doesnt have anything to do with it cuz at 20 yrs of age I was very thin.

David, there are no stupid questions when it comes to CH.

Raquel (Rock)

[lucidity-]

tingeling: Are you saying we're straight-coat wearing basket cases?

[tingeling]

That`s for the fruit agent to answer. I wouldn`t know