ByronS

Zomig works for me

Posted on 03/01/09, 11:46 pm

I can't believe i found this site. I never knew exactly what i had until i found info on the internet about 10 years ago. I've suffered with cluster headaches since the age of 13/14 puberty). I would have attacks over a 1 to 2 month period, then 9 months or more would go by and i would get them again. About age 40 my doc prescribed ZOMIG. For me this was like heave. THis medication works if taken prior to the attack. I have notice that if taken too late the pain was not as intense. About a 50% reduction. Drossiness and fatigue are the only downside to this drug.

I am now 50 and have not had an attack for 6+ years and I thought i was through with them since my doctor told me as that i get older the less frequent the attacks. Last month i had an attack and this time it occurred on the OTHER SIDE of my head. I heard this conditon is extremely rare so I have set up an appointment with a neurologist in 2 weeks to discuss the matter. My primary doc is not that knowledgeable on the subject and suggested i go see a specialist. Not sure of the outcome but i will share with the group next month.

A couple of things about me is that I snore and have sleep apnea. I use the CPAP machine over the last two years and it works great. I read that people with sleeping conditions are more prone to cluster headaches. In addition, i have poor eye vision, a slight form of crosseye or lazy eye. I thought that this was often the casue of my headaches since when i first wore glasses in college the headaches almost immediately went away. However, a year or so later they return.

• Reply #1 03/02/09  12:29am
  
  WanderingVet
  Thank you for the post and info. Sadly, this group is not very active .. not many people seem to know about it. We few members are grateful for anyone's membership, sympathize immensely, and try to help each other.
  
  Very unusual to get one on the 'other side'. Interesting. I agree with your suspicions .. I too snore and have sleep apnea. I have had a CPAP for about 6 years and have not been able to sleep one full night with it yet. I do need to try harder though. They say once you can use it effectively you feel MUCH better overal. I need to discipline myself to use it.
  I will keep Zomig in mind. I get good results from BUTALBITAL/ACETAMINOPHEN/CAFFEINE aka Fioricet/Esgic. I finally found it after suffering from clusters for decades, .. much like you. A month or two every night .. then nothing for 6-8 months, then again. Last 'season' is when I discovered BAC though, and when taken at onset, turns it of in about 10 minutes.
  Hang in there, .. it can always be worse ... and good luck.
• Reply #2 03/02/09  9:55am
  
  HoosierK
  Thanks for the posts. I started this site hoping to find help for my husband. He too has sleep apnea and uses a cpap. I wonder if years of oxygen deprevation could be the root cause of the cluster headaches. He also has migraines which are controlled with depakote, B2 and magnesium. He also has sinus headaches which can be helped with medicine as well. When he gets the cluster headaches several nights in a row the sleep deprevation really does him in. His doctor doesn't seem to know much about them either. The last couple times he got a headache he took Niacin and was able to get back to sleep in about 30 minutes. (they didn't fit the cluster, migraine or sinus pattern though.
  
  I will tell him about the meds that are working for you so he can talk to his doctor about them.

Share information on what is known about and how to treat cluster headaches.