CH since primary school
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sheentylla

my age: 30

Diagnosis: my diagnosis: episodic cluster headache
Clusters started: date clusters started: elementary school around 7/8 years old
Latest clusters:
2004: lasted about a month in August, 1 episode per day usually while sleeping or just awake. Was treated with Difmetre.
2007: lasted about 3 months, March to May. Multiple episodes per day, still beginning while sleeping or just awake. Was treated with Imigran injections 6mg
2011: lasted about 2 and a half months, late March to early May. Multiple episodes per day, Was treated with Imigran injections 6mg and Verapamil 120mg prolonged release.

background - family, location, career, etc.: I'm a mixed race italian/egyptian. Have a very good health except for CH and a pre diabetic state which comes from the fact diabetes runs on both sides of my family. I currently live in London, UK.

your story: I have been suffering from CH since I can remember.
The first episode I recall, though I know it wasn't the very first time, occurred when I was 8 years old. Back then they thought it was heavy sinusitis.
At around age 12 I was diagnosed with Migraines and prescribed Difmetre, which sort of helped back then but really left me debilitated for most of the day every day of the cluster.
At age 16 after a cluster lasted for about 2 months I was hospitalised and after a few tests I was diagnosed with Cluster Headache.
Up till I was 24 clusters where coming every year/other year for about a month with just one episode per day, usually while still asleep or within an hour from waking.
The longest gap between clusters has been 4 years, from May 2007 to March 2011.
On the cluster of 2007 I was put on Imigran injections and it was also the first time episodes became multiple and random during the day. This occurred in the same fashion in the 2011 cluster so my CH has definitely evolved now to this new state.
From the last cluster in 2011 I was also introduced to Verapamil, which works on me just on the prolonged release version 120mg.
I have never been prescribed oxygen so unfortunately I never had a chance to try that option


Timeline

Date Event
Jan 2003 sample event
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