cluster headache

1 December 2011

Steroid Injections cut Cluster Headache Attacks

This past October, The Lancet Neurology published a study from France using steroid injections for cluster headache patients. Though certainly not the silver bullet for cluster, the treatment did show promise.

The study featured patients who were having at least 2 cluster headache attacks per day. Patients were randomly chosen to take an injection of corticosteroids or a placebo (saline solution). The injections were suboccipital (in the back of the head/neck – the greater occipital nerve), on the same side as the cluster symptoms. All patients were taking verapamil.

Compared to the group on the placebo, patients had on average half of the cluster headache attacks over the next 15 days. Other than some neck pain where the injections were done, there were no side effects recorded.

Both chronic and episodic cluster headache sufferers were a part of the study.

For a condition that has so little available treatment, steroid injections may be a good option to help control cluster attacks.

Hear a doctor’s comments on the study here: Steroid Injections for Cluster Headache?

Cluster Headache and Sleep: is sodium oxybate the answer?

James Discoveries & Stats, Medications, News 1

A new study in Neurology suggests that sodium oxybate may be one of the future drugs for cluster headache sufferers.

We’ve long known about the connection between sleep disorders and cluster. But typical medication for sleep has not been the miracle solution for cluster. But sodium oxybate may be the exception to the rule.

Sodium oxybate is a type of drug known as a central nervous system depressant. It’s used to help prevent daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy (a sleep disorder – read about narcolepsy here). Though we don’t know exactly how it works, it does help with sleep patterns.

The four patients in this long term study responded very well to the drug – their cluster attacks during the night drastically decreased and were less intense when they came. Obviously, patients also slept better!

The results are very positive, and there’s great hope that this will help many other cluster patients. Though the study was small, it must be remembered that this is a rare condition and, again, the results were very promising in all four patients.

Be sure to talk to your doctor about this option, and only get the drug from recognized sources, where it is pure and properly labelled.

via: New drug for cluster headaches

1 June 2011

Get Rid Of Cluster Migraine Once And For All.

James Information 4

I mean it. I’m tired of cluster migraine. I’ve had enough. It needs to go.

I know, some people think they have a use for it. They don’t think there’s any easy alternative.

But frankly, I think it’s causing more problems than it’s solving. It’s had its day, and it’s time for it to be ditched, deleted, and drowned.

Some of you already know where I’m going with this. I’m not talking about head pain here. I’m not talking about diseases or symptoms. I’m talking about words and phrases.

Yes, the term "cluster migraine" has to go.

What does it mean, anyway?

Well, that’s the question. Recently I was reading some articles and came across an absolutely horrendous one entitled A Cluster Migraine â€“ Not the One You Like to Meet With (to read the painful article, click here). The author starts by describing symptoms – symptoms of cluster, not migraine. Next, they described more symptoms – not of cluster, but of migraine. The "treatments" had nothing to do with cluster at all (ie retire to a quiet room, dim the lights and get some rest! I’d like to see someone with cluster headache enjoy that peaceful scene, but I doubt it’s going to happen…).

Unfortunately, this absolute confusion between cluster and various types of migraine is all too common. Usually people are talking about one or the other, but with this phrase cluster migriane (or worse cluster migrane) flying around, you never know what people are talking about.

“But… I’m using it properly!”

Ok, there are some (debatable) ways to use the term that aren’t quite as confusing. First, the term is used for patients with cluster and migraine. But is that really useful? Can’t you just say they have both? After all, you don’t hear about people who have a "migraine ear infection" or "worms n’ cluster" (almost sounds like a desert at a children’s party…).

Now, I understand that sometimes – sometimes – the distinction isn’t so clear. You have someone with attacks that come in a series like cluster, but the symptoms look more like migraine. That’s the only useful spot I can think of where you could put the term cluster migraine.

However, with all the confusion, I think the term is not even useful here.

Seriously, I did a search recently for pages using this term. Out of the top 10 pages I visited, only one use the term in a "proper" way. All the rest showed confusion over the term.

So I say it’s time to throw it out completely. Stop using it. Clarify.

It will help people find treatment faster, instead of spending all this time in a maze trying to figure out what they have and what it’s called.

It’s time for the execution. It’s time to get rid of cluster migraine. Once and for all.

(For more ranting, see this Treatment Cluster Migraine article)

What’s the difference between cluster and migraine anyway? Find out here…

11 April 2011

A Cluster Headache Survivor’s Story

James Information 8

A little over a year ago we saw a cluster attack on video. Here’s the same man talking about what he has dealt with and is dealing with as a cluster headache survivor. A must watch for anyone with cluster or their friends and family:

Thanks to A ClusterHead’s Life

19 January 2011

Calcium Channel Blockers and Antibiotics – Dangerous Combination

James Discoveries & Stats, Medications, News 1

Researchers at the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, warn that taking calcium channel blockers (calcium antagonists) along with certain antibiotics could lower blood pressure, and be dangerous to high risk patients.

It’s always wise to keep up with the latest research on drug combinations, since patients seem to be taking more and more medications together. This recent research could impact migraine and cluster headache patients, who often take calcium channel blockers (CCBs) as preventatives.

CCBs that are commonly taken for migraine or cluster include diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor and Taztia), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia, Nifediac and Nifedical), nimodipine (Nimotop) and verapamil (Calan, Verelan, Covera-HS and Isoptin).

Now CCBs are actually prescribed in order to lower blood pressure. So we’re already aware that this can happen. The concern, however, is that taking the CCB along with certain antibiotics could actually increase the effect to dangerous levels.

The antibiotics we’re talking about are macrolide antibiotics. These antibiotics include erythromycin, clarithromycin, spiramycin, josamycin and azithromycin, and they’re very widely used, with millions of prescriptions being written each month.

The research involved elderly patients only, the ones who would be at the highest risk. Using public health records, the researchers discovered that patients on CCBs who had received the antibiotic erythromycin were six times as likely to be hospitalized for hypotension.

Would the same hold true for younger patients? Likely there will be a drop in blood pressure, though younger patients would be at a lower risk overall. The important thing to remember is that you need to let your doctor know what medications you’re taking. It’s easy to get a quick antibiotic when you’re feeling terrible, not thinking about other conditions that don’t seem to be related.

Being simply a survey of public health records focused on a certain group, more research needs to be done to understand the impact on migraine and cluster headache patients of various ages. In the mean time, this is another reminder that your doctor needs to know if you’re at high risk for other condition, and she needs to know what medications you’re taking.