CH vs Migraine headache --from someone who has both.

[john2000]

Could someone who has both CH and Migraine H. describe Migraine headache pain ?

Someone who has Migraine H. once told me, it was similar to headache that you feel when you have a heatstroke.He couldn't give any other definition.

 

 

 

Thank you ,

 

 

[Pebblesthecorgi]

In general, cluster pain is more concentrated to a single point and occurs in e same place near every attack. It is more intense and of shorter duration. Tends show up in a cyclic fashion (except for chronic of course). Triggers are noted but clusters wake you up at the onset of REM sleep in a time frame reproducible to the minute. When it gets bad the attacks seem to come willy nilly. Typically males in their mid life years. The number of women afflicted is much higher than has been thought but it still seems to favor males. Oxygen reliably aborts in most cases. Jury still out on oxygen in migraines. More reliable preventative methods for migraines.

Many more people are affected by migraines, diffuse pain, can migrate a bit, favors females, triggers are common, last longer, cyclic with the exception of menstrual migraine. Cluster often get lumped in with migraines for insurance, discussion, and treatment purposes. They are not migraines or a migraine variant. They are in their own class and need to be treated and studied as such.

Having said this the headache world is diverse, overlapping and subject to opinion based on personal experience. Getting a proper diagnosis and learning to discriminate the headache type is important so you can develop a personal treatment strategy.

[mit12]

I suffer from both. For me a Migraine is a pain that just stays there and you want to be still as possable in a dark room with no sound. They last for hours or days at a time. A cluster headache is one that hits hard and you can not sit still because you are trying everything in your power to take away or divert the pain. In my case the hits last 1 1/2 hours to 3 hours although I had one that lasted 5 hours with about a 30 minute break inbetween hits. Don't get me wrong a migraine hurts but the pain difference between a Migraine and a Cluster Headache is being real uncomfortable and something that hurts more than anything you ever experienced.

[john2000]

I suffer from both. For me a Migraine is a pain that just stays there and you want to be still as possable in a dark room with no sound. They last for hours or days at a time. A cluster headache is one that hits hard and you can not sit still because you are trying everything in your power to take away or divert the pain. In my case the hits last 1 1/2 hours to 3 hours although I had one that lasted 5 hours with about a 30 minute break inbetween hits. Don't get me wrong a migraine hurts but the pain difference between a Migraine and a Cluster Headache is being real uncomfortable and something that hurts more than anything you ever experienced.

Thanks ,I was waiting for you, I knew you are the "lucky" guy who has both from previous posts.

 

Is the only difference the level of pain and  duration ?

For example: Migraine pain goes from Level 1 to 5

                      CH pain goes from 1-10

but both CH and migraine feel the same at level 5,  

-would you say it is the same kind of pain, in regards to the type ,not intensity?

-for me tension H,CH,normal H, all have different feel to it even at the first sign of them.I can easily predict which one I will get in first 10-30s.

 

How fast is the migraine onset from the first pain hit level1 to level X ?

 

thanks

[mit12]

For me, migraine start out with a dull headache about a 4 behind my right eye and it seems to be connected to the base of my skul at the neck. When I have Cluster events along with a migraine it goes from a dull pain to feeling like someone has pushed a rod through my eye and it comes out behind my ear at the bottom about 2 inches back at a 10+. This will continue for 1 1/2 hour to 3 hours normally with a 30 minute break with just the migraine remaining and another one will hit. The silver lining is when I get a migraine with cluster events they usualley do not go for days. Because of this strangeness of my condition it took over 20 years for my doctor to make a diagnosis of cluster headache.

[john2000]

thanks guys for you help . 

[paininthebrain]

For me, migraine start out with a dull headache about a 4 behind my right eye and it seems to be connected to the base of my skul at the neck. When I have Cluster events along with a migraine it goes from a dull pain to feeling like someone has pushed a rod through my eye and it comes out behind my ear at the bottom about 2 inches back at a 10+. This will continue for 1 1/2 hour to 3 hours normally with a 30 minute break with just the migraine remaining and another one will hit. The silver lining is when I get a migraine with cluster events they usualley do not go for days. Because of this strangeness of my condition it took over 20 years for my doctor to make a diagnosis of cluster headache.

I get HA's very much in this fashion.  Thought I was going crazy because for an hour or however long pain would be a 10, then go down to 3 and I would question was the pain really that bad, then it would go off the chart again.  Started getting Migraines at age 14 did not know what the hell has been going on the last 4 years with my HA's have went off the chart and migraine meds do nothing for them. I took tired MM 2 months ago and it stopped them.  So I am guessing i must have cluster ha's.

[mit12]

Make sure you do the MM busting properly. You need to get off certain meds. On this web site you can find a list of meds that you need to stop taking before the bustling process starts.

[Benette sherman]

I’ve never received a diagnosis but have what I assume is migraine with aura. However, I also have something like a cluster headache...a persistent pain near the eye and on one side, frequently in the same place.This problem rarely has an aura and definitely has more pain than my episodes of migraine. I’m an older woman, 69. I just got through 2 months of almost every day head pain. I also had some of those episodes with repeating pain during the day or night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[xxx]

If you want some insights into the commonality of migraine and cluster headache, download and absorb the following link...  It will make you an expert on the topic.  Keep in mind this paper was written during the hype and mania over anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies.... We know better now that these mAbs are neither silver bullets or all that effective, just an expensive way to expose yourself to some onerous adverse side effects.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327810063_Migraine_and_cluster_headache_-_the_common_link

Abstract
Although clinically distinguishable, migraine and cluster headache share prominent features such as unilateral pain, common pharmacological triggers such glyceryl trinitrate, histamine, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and response to triptans and neuromodulation. Recent data also suggest efficacy of anti CGRP monoclonal antibodies in both migraine and cluster headache. While exact mechanisms behind both disorders remain to be fully understood, the trigeminovascular system represents one possible common pathophysiological pathway and network of both disorders. Here, we review past and current literature shedding light on similarities and differences in phenotype, heritability, pathophysiology, imaging findings and treatment options of migraine and cluster headache. A continued focus on their shared pathophysiological pathways may be important in paving future treatment avenues that could benefit both migraine and cluster headache patients.

Take Care,

V/R, Batch

[Siegfried]

yeah that is a good one ! I have both and even don't know where to start 

First thing what I want to say that they are both a complete nightmare but they are completely different. Don't believe people who say that the one is much worse than the other. Usually they will tell you that CH is much worse and migraine is a piece of cake. Well these people can have my migraines for a few days and they will sing very fast a few tones lower ! Both conditions are very serious. Here on this forum, there is a certain percentage of people who want to make an end to their lives because of this condition. Well, go to the migraine.com fora and you will see that migraine can hit as hard as CH.

I assume you are a CH patient and so you will know how CH feels. The migraine pain is different. It's more diffuse all over one side of the head and indeed you are right; it feels a bit like a heatstroke. It's not a brutal pain but it immobilize you completely. The biggest challenge is however not the pain. It's moderate and never goes over KIP 4. But the nausea, photophobia and phonophobia.. that is the problem. When I have migraine, I am terrible ill, can not eat, can not drink, can not stand any light, can barely breath and it just all hurts. I always say... take the worst flue you ever had and double that feeling. The other problem is that a migraine attack does not go away in 15 min or 3 hours. Untreated it can stay up to 72 hours and during that period it never diminish in intensity. That is damn a long time and I can assure you when the attack is finally over... I feel more dead than alive from exhaustion.