Can CH have throbbing pain, like a pulse.

[harish_mohanan]

After going through by condition my doctor suggested that mine could be a CH headache. I was researching and the following contradiction I found between my symptoms and that of a usual CH. 

 

1. My pain is throbbing, ie its almost like i can feel my pulse on the back of my eye.

2. Pain is not very severe. It just causes discomfort, but nothing more. 

3. No - drooping eyelid, pupil constriction, redness of the conjunctiva, tearing, runny nose, facial blushing, swelling, or sweating

4. Its not just the behind the eye and the temple that I get the pain, at times its in the back of the head. 

5. The frequency is not 2-8 per day, its much more than that. Its like, I feel a shadow of it in my head most of the time. And mostly when I think of it, the pain starts. 

6. On days that I dont work, like saturdays and sundays, I get much less of it. 

7. There is no specific time of the day when I get it. I dont it in the mornings, except mornings any other time it can strike. 

 

The symptoms that I have which made the doctor suspect it might be CH

1. It only occurs on the right side of the head in areas - behind the eye, temple and back of the head. 

2. Eyes gets watery at times, maybe 5% of the times. 

3. It has been there for a month. 

 

Do you guys think this is CH. If not what else can it be?

 

 

[CHfather]

I think you are correct to doubt that you have CH.  (I'm not a doctor.) Your symptoms hardly sound like CH at all, especially the absence of excruciating pain.  The only other kinds of chronic headaches that I know of that are one-sided are chronic migraines and hemicrania continua, but you don't describe having some key symptoms of either of those, either.

 

In the short run, you might try some ginger, which helps with the persistent low-grade pain in CH and migraines.  Here's some info: >>>A teaspoon of ginger simmered in a cup of water, sweetened to taste, is a pleasant way to hold off the shadows for a couple of hours. Ginger doesnt dissolve well, so simmer the powder or finely chopped ginger root for a while, and keep stirring while you drink.  In hot weather, a very strong ginger ale or ginger beer can do the trick enjoyably. Look in health food stores or delis for brands such as Reeds Extra Ginger Brew, Ginger Peoples Ginger Beer, Natural Brew Outrageous Ginger Ale or Blenheim 1903 Hot Ginger Ale. The usual ginger ale used for mixers, such as Schwepps or Canada Dry, is not strong enough.  A company called The Ginger People makes strong ginger candy in several varieties (www.gingerpeople.com)<<<.

 

Did your doctor prescribe anything?  As I say, it doesn't sound like you have hemicrania continua, but the prescription drug indomethacin is a very effective treatment for it, so you could rule that out (or in) pretty quickly.

[RRChocolate]

Did you try a triptan? It doesnt really matter what your diagnosis is as long as you find a treatment that works.

Also, have you tried regular painkillers, especially Excedrin?

I wouldn't be too quick to rule out a CH. See if the treatments work.

[ThatHurtsMyHead]

Agreed with CHF,  Your symptoms don't seem to parallel classic CH symptoms.  Intensity of the pain is pretty high on the list for most CH'ers.  I don't think I've heard of anyone having pain in the back of the head either.  CH is normally in and around the eye socket / temple.  Does alcohol or chocolate trigger a headache?  Those are sorta the big two (food) triggers for CH attacks.

 

J