January 29, 2003

Had mild but persistent CH that started in the evening on the 28th and continued through the night (probably) and was still there when he woke up this morning. Mild, like a "1" maybe, just a bit stronger than a regular headache.

Couldn't fall asleep again last night. We think that the steroids are causing the insomnia. These long mild CH are typical of what happens as he's coming out of a cycle.

January 27, 2003

Had that one last night around 10 p.m., then one at 6:30 a.m., but was able to go back to sleep.

January 26, 2003

Got to bed around 3 a.m. this morning. Woke around 8:30 ish. No headaches in the night.

Took another Frova around 10:30. Side effects definitely less today.

CH about 10 p.m., about a 3 or 4.

January 25, 2003

Took a Frova at 9:30 a.m. A few hours later had major side effects -- dizziness, dry mouth, indigestion, nausea, disorientation, sleepiness -- which lasted for a few hours.

Took a nap at 1:30 p.m., slept for 2 or 2-1/2 hours. Woke up, felt tired and spacey and still a little "high" like on speed or something, but better. No headaches.

January 24, 2003

No headaches!

January 23, 2003 :: 6 a.m.

Three CH in one day, the day after starting the Prednisone. Coincidence?

6 a.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m.

*****

Dr. Aronoff's instructions:

1. Prednisone for 12 days -- January 22 through February 2. Stop taking if you feel bad. Stop taking after 5 days if no improvement.
2. If a CH occurs, try breathing OXYGEN @ 10 liters/minute for 15-20 minutes to see if it will stop the CH.
3. Try Axert 12.5 g -- 1 tablet if oxygen doesn't work. Repeat in 3 hours if needed. Maximum 2/day.
4. If still having CH on Saturday January 25, take 1 Frova tablet in a.m. Take again on Sunday. If no CH, then stop Frova on Monday January 27 to see if Prednisone has kicked in.
5. While on Frova, can take 1 Axert a day for breakthru CH.

Prednisone schedule:
8 - 8 - 8 - 7 - 7 - 6 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
W - Th - F - Sa - Su - M - T - W - Th - F - Sa - Su
22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 1 - 2

January 23, 2003

Started steroids yesterday. Felt kinda "high" and twitchy but I don't know if it was the medication or just lack of sleep. I took first dose around mid-mornin. Didn't feel any pain the rest of the day.

I can still "feel" my clusters... that I am in a cycle but there was no pain.

Until 7:00 the morning of the 24th I was awakened by a not so severe one that built to about a "3" or so. I retreated to the bath and considered the Axert but knew I would need to go to work soon and didn't want to try a new medication.

Also note that I could not get to sleep before around 3:30 last night.

Steroid points:
1) Later than usual getting to sleep
2) Felt twitchy and sick
3) Still had headache

I'm not sure if it had any effect but the headache WAS milder... I think I may be just coming off my cycle.

January 20, 2003 :: 9 p.m.

9 p.m.-ish. Getting bad.

He wondered why getting in the tub made it feel not necessarily better, but it maybe stops throbbing or something. I theorized that maybe that's because the hot water draws blood to the surface of the skin and thus away from the head.

Lasted maybe 30 minutes or so. Not too bad or too long.

AXERT (tryptan) -- few side effects
EMERGE & FROVA -- same company as Imitrex -- long lasting tryptans

O2
PREDNISONE (steroid/cortisone)

Going to try: 1) 12-day course of Prednisone as a cycle breaker
2) O2 as an attack abortive (if available)
3) Axert pills as an abortive
4) Frova as a long-term preventative

Dr. Stuart Black -- runs headache clinic in Dallas. Apparently he's not "Mr. Personality" but is good.

January 19, 2003 :: 9 p.m.

Very short mild-esque one in the early evening: about 20 minutes.

January 18, 2003 :: 6 a.m.

OK, one more press check, last night at 1 a.m.

CH came on at 6 a.m.

January 17, 2003 :: 3 a.m.

Again with a middle of the night press check. This resulted in two CH, five hours apart (3 a.m. and 8 a.m.)

Hopefully this is the last one (press check, that is).

January 16, 2000 :: 7:20 a.m.

Went to bed last night @ 9:30 p.m. to catch up on sleep. Woke @ 1:30 for a press check; back to bed @ 5 a.m.

Woke up @ 7:20 with a pretty bad one. This is a weird trend -- headaches about 4 hours later than normal, on the days when his sleep pattern has been interrupted.

January 15, 2003 :: 6:44 a.m.

ANOTHER one. Went to bed @ 5 a.m. (had press check from 2 a.m. - 5 a.m.) -- So he got like 1-1/2 hours of sleep tonight. This is just UNFAIR.

January 14, 2003 :: 10:15 p.m.

People who say you can get in a mindset where you can resist pain are FULL OF SHIT.

Or at least they're not talking about this level of pain.

Difference tonight is that it came on while he was fully awake, so it's hard to judge how bad it is because he's in a different state of mind. To me it seemed about like a 6 or 7.

(Handwritten across the top of this page in the paper journal: fuckety fuck fuckety fuck fuckety fuck fuckety fuck fuckety fuck fuckety fuck fuckety fuck fuckety fuck...)

Also had one about 2:30 p.m. that lasted all evening until the next one came on.

January 13, 2003 :: 1 a.m.

Feeling weird and "antsy" all evening -- left about 1 a.m. to go find a drugstore that was open for some Surpass antacid gum for his upset stomach.

Came on while he was driving. I should have gone with him. He barely made it home.

January 10, 2003 :: 3:30 a.m.

3:30 a.m. Cluster Headache -- a "5"

January 9, 2003 :: 4 a.m.

4 a.m. Cluster Headache -- seems pretty bad.

January 8, 2003 :: 3:30-ish a.m.

The end of a nice 30-hour pain-free stretch. This one is pretty bad. He's in the tub right now. Got out of the tub while still in pain and came back to bed so he wouldn't fall asleep in a vat of water.

January 6, 2003 :: 4 a.m.

4 a.m. Cluster Headache -- a "6"

9:30 p.m. Cluster Headache -- "3"

Another two in the same day.

January 5, 2003

5 a.m. Cluster Headache.

9 p.m. Cluster Headache -- an "8"

Two in one day -- a bad sign.

January 4, 2003 :: 3 a.m.

3 a.m. Cluster Headache.

January 1, 2003 :: 4 a.m.

4:00 a.m.! HAPPY FUCKIN' NEW YEAR!

Why not try a bright, fresh, exciting new Cluster Headache™ to ring in a brand new year?!

Not quite so bad as the one from a few nights ago.