Posted by Eric (64.42.61.146) on August 15, 2001 at 00:12:51:
After 20 plus years of every drug my doctor's could try, I found a happy medium. On Cyproheptadine together with a bio-feed back approach, I suffer only "mild" clusters when I am asleep. When they wake me up from a sound sleep, I get up and crank the furnace up to 80 plus. I get a good solid blanket and sit on the floor with my feet right on top of the heat vent, with the blanket holding in the heat over my legs and feet. I usually do this in the bathroom where it is dark and the fan drowns out all distractions. Once I sit there, heat almost burning my feet, I hold my head perfectly still, one hand under an armpit for warmth, the other hand with middle finger extended pressing against the bridge of my nose (between the eyes). I slow my breathing down as slow as possible and just let my eye and nose run. The cluster dissapates within 10 minutes. The Headache Clinic in Bellevue, Washington explained that draining the blood from the head by using heat on the extremities will ebb the headache. I've found it to be true. And on Cyproheptadine, I don't have clusters as long as I am awake. I only take it when I'm in my cycle. After the first cluster of the cycle, I get the perscription filled. And when I've been headache free for about two weeks, a good test for me is to have a beer or a glass of wine. If I'm still in my cycle, I'll get cluster within 15 minutes of a few sips of beer or wine. If I'm not still in my cycle, I won't get one. The secret for me, personally, seems to be relaxation during a headache. The pacing and pounding and anger just makes it worse. Perhaps someone out there will try this approach and find some relief, as I did.