I know what you're gonna say...

[TakinitEZ]

and I'm considering that path, but in the meantime I'm doing a little research. My doc has recommended an occipital nerve stimulator. My chronic ch hasn't responded much to traditional meds over the past year plus, and I've had them all.

I'm curious if others have gone the ONS route and what effects you had. To me it's a very last resort, but I want to be as well informed as I can be.

-T

[This isnt fair]

have you tried o2?  read the clusterbusters files section. lots of options and most work well, at least enough to make that " path " not a option anymore.  I know were you are right now and I was there as well. I was out of options, then I found this place, it saved my life!!!!

[Hipshot]

I will say what you know I'm gonna say. I had the ONS trial. Done in Dallas in April I think. It did not work. I wanted it to work so bad that I think if there was any chance it would have worked on anyone it would have worked on me. The Doc claimed a 90+ % success rate. I call BS. It is nothing but a high dollar tens unit. Try a tens unit cranked all the way up when you have a bad HA. It will do exactly what an ONS will do. It will shock you to the point of burning but will have no effect on the attack.

I would ask the Doc how many cluster patients he has had success with. It may work for migrains but not on sufferers like us. :-/

Just my opinion and experience.

Dan

[TakinitEZ]

isn't fair, yes, I use oxygen and recently picked up the optimask as well (2 of them). The O2 helps me sometimes if I catch it early enough. It doesn't do a thing for my baseline which is nearly always there, hovering between 2-5. I also use Imitrex inj as abortive and it's fairly successful. There's just never enough of it and it does carry some long term use health risks.

Dan, I take your words as the voice of experience. That's the kind of feedback I'm looking for.

-T

[Hipshot]

I'm not always a downer but I must continue..haha

Imitrex is the devil in a vial if you ask me. Terrible rebound headaches. That may...I said may...be part of your problem. Why the pain never completely goes away.

I highly recommend trying mushrooms.

For sure I wish you would try it before you do the ONS. I wish I would have.

If ONS did work it would be a more permanent fix perhaps but I'm afraid that our pain is much to intense to mask with a tiny electrical current.

I was ready for an old fashioned shock treatment. R P McMurphy style. Not that anyone has ever said that it might work. It seemed like it might work to me and still kinda does. I was absolutely at the end of my rope when I got saved by the info on this sight. Thanks to my sweet wife (and others)  I must add.

[This isnt fair]

When I was on the Imitrex, was the worst I had ever been. At first I thought it was a miracle drug. then after my 9th or 10th time aborting in a months time,My Ch were getting even worse lasting longer and hitting harder and way more frequent.After the injections I would hit a kip 10 every time. I decided to get away from Imitrex, finally my cycle broke.   Next  cycle I avoided Imitrex and it was really hard not to give in for the immediate pain reduction. the CH were still brutal but they didn't get  higher than a Kip 8, (as we all know a Kip 8 compared to a Kip10 is a walk in the park on a sunny day)..I'm 4 yrs no Imitrex and I haven't had another 10. I get 8s a lot, but no 10s.  Dont get me wrong ,8s will push most of us to our knees. But if you ever had a 10 you will welcome 8s all day long.

[Hipshot]

Too funny This Isn't Fair. You have a way with words. Like who would wish for an 8? Someone with a 10 every time. haha

So how are things in (just south of) the Windy City?

Dan

[This isnt fair]

Well, no one really ever wants a 8.And I would prefer to never even have a 1.  But after surviving 10s for extended periods of time, a 8 is major relief.  Things south of the city are starting to even out I believe. only 4or 5 shadows today, only reached for the o2 twice. Starting to get a little tinge in the jaw and teeth now so going to hit the o2 and breath. That should hold me till about a hour or so after I fall asleep. Hopefully the o2 will push it back again tonight and I'll miss the sun coming up for the second morning in a row.If that happens, I will be thinking I'm on a new pattern. Fingers crossed, o2 nearby and monster on the run (I hope). Hope you got the monster on the run as well!!

[TakinitEZ]

Ya, I'm with you guys on the Imitrex bit. This drug really was intended for short-term use only, and here we are using it on a long-term basis. I may be using it too often too, which I know isn't good for my ticker. It DOES work though, for me. At least most of the time. -T

[alleyoop]

TakinitEZ,

You might want to check out Christine's thread.  She is another that had ONS.

http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1278639620

[kaboom]

After my heart got a good squeeze and I felt like I was being choked, my CH would abort using Imitrex...and come back.  Vicious cycle. 

So glad to hear things are improving for you, This Isn't Fair.

[TakinitEZ]

Hey thanks Alleyoop. PM'd Christine for more info.