How can I get rid of a cluster headache/migraine?
I have migraines & have been told by my doctor I also have cluster headaches, due to tearing eyes & one side or the other of my head hurting/swelling. This headache has been going on for 4 weeks now, starting into the 5th week. Meds only numb it for a hour or two. At this point I just want to die & be done with it. My doctor has refereed me to a neurologist, but can't get in till November! Been down this path before & it didn't help. Please give some suggestions!
How bad is Excedrin Migraine vs Esgic Plus?
Public Comments
1. check WebMD.com.2. I've helped a guy who suffered with migraines for over 6 years get past his pains. He's been free of them for about a year now. Your back and neck muscles are involved if it's a cluster headache and you have to release those muscles to get rid of the pain. It took him about 2 weeks of releasing for the pain to be gone. They are tight and are kind of hard to keep released but by keeping at it it can be done. I think he did these releases like 3 or 4 times a day for those two weeks. They take less than 5 minutes to do so it isn't that much time involved. Here are the releases to do to get rid of the cluster headache:
Neck
Put your hands alongside your head so your thumbs are on the front of the muscle under your ear and your fingers are on the back of the muscle behind your head. Squeeze your thumb and fingers together and hold. Relax your body. After 45 seconds, slowly lower your head as far as you can, release the pressure but hold your neck lowered for another 30 seconds.
With your neck in the lowered position, replace your thumbs in under the ears and your fingers behind your head but right next to your skull this time. Press your fingers and thumbs together again and hold. Relax your body while waiting. When the muscles have all released, slowly lift your head until it’s level again, release the pressure but hold your head like that for another 30 seconds.
Back:
(do from a sitting position)
Place your left hand on your left leg next to your body. Place your right hand over your left shoulder and find the muscles next to your spine and firmly press on them and hold. After 30 seconds slowly lower your body forward and to the outside of your left leg, keeping your left arm fairly straight as you do. When you reach your lap remain there for another 10 seconds, release the pressure but rest there for another 30 seconds. Then reverse your hand positions and do your right side.
Do them until you feel that there isn't any type of pain left and if you quit doing them and no pain returns that should be it.
3. Headaches associated with tears, nasal congestion or stuffy nose, a puffy or droopy eyelid, and redness of the eye mean that the autonomic nerves are involved, and have the fancy medical term of: Trigeminal autonomic cephalgias. Cluster headache is one of these headache types. Regular pain medications may not do as well for these types of headaches as remedies more specific for them, which might vary depending on whether it is cluster headache or one of the even more rare types.
It's too bad that you can't see the neurologist until November. See the links below for information about cluster headache and for lists of headache specialists.
Good luck getting help for your headaches. No one with cluster headache should have to wait four months for help! Ack!
