"Sinus Problem" or What?

Cluster headaches are related to migraine headaches; in general men get clusters, women get migraines.

	Cluster headaches are the most severe pains known; individuals have been known to commit suicide to end the pain. A headache expert described cluster headaches as "the mother of all headaches, the suicidal headache."
	They're rare, affecting about 0.04% of the population
	A recent study showed that men who suffer chronic headaches are up to four times more likely to have a stroke than men who do not have headaches (women's results were statistically insignificant.)

You don't have to suffer! See a neurologist and tell him or her you have symptoms consistent with cluster headaches (print this page and take it along).

	Prescription medications exist to reduce or eliminate the pain for both migraine and cluster headaches. Imitrex^® (sumatriptan) is available in tablet form, along with newer members of the triptan family (but never for people with a previous history of strokes, heart attacks or uncontrolled hypertension.) Other drugs are also helpful. A recent study showed that intranasal Zolmitriptan provided significant relief; 61% who took 10 mg. had headache relief, while 42% who took 5 mg. were also pain-free after 30 minutes.
	Oxygen therapy can stop an attack in minutes. 100% oxygen at 8-10 liters/minute for no longer than 10 minutes. Stop after 10 minutes; longer does no good and can cause lung damage.
	Obstructive sleep apnea may be a factor in up to 44% of cluster headache patients. If the apnea is treated, the cluster headaches may disappear.

Tips to alleviating migraine and cluster headaches.

	Keep a diary of your symptoms, the foods you eat and your activities. Examination of the results may show relationships which can lead to reduction of attacks.
	Avoid the "trigger" foods and products listed below. This alone may be enough to alleviate your problem. Attacks which tend to occur seasonally may be due to consumption of trigger foods during that season (such as hot dogs with sauerkraut and beer or cola during ball games in the summer.)
	Magnesium has been found to help some sufferers. Take up to 500 mg daily (more can cause diarrhea), it's cheap and you may not have to do anything more. The citrate version may cause less digestive upset than oxide.
	Avoid cigarette smoke. If you smoke, stop or at least cut down to ½ pack/day, which can cut headaches by 50% without any medication; however use of a nicotine substitute prevents the improvement. Progress may take some months to appear.
	Riboflavin (vitamin B₂) 400 mg. daily may also be helpful.
	Feverfew leaf (a herb) can also help (often used in combination with the above). Check your local health-food store.
	Melatonin and/or butterbur might help. A recent study of migraine sufferers found that 3 mg. of melatonin taken 30 min. before bedtime reduced half the headaches in 78% of subjects. Also, 75 mg. of butterbur twice daily reduced headache frequency by 48%. While no study has been done regarding clusters, there may be similar results since migraines and clusters are closely related.

A 2003 study in the Netherlands showed that the average time to reach a correct diagnosis for cluster headaches was 3 years, but extended all the way back to 48 years! I suffered with "sinus" pain for about 25 years, with assorted medications (sprays and pills), even sinus surgery. I thought that my current ear, nose and throat doctor was crazy when he referred me to a neurologist for my "sinus" complaint, but the neurologist listened to my troubles, examined me, gave me a list of foods and products to avoid, and prescribed a headache medicine, Imitrex^® autoinjectors, which stopped the pain in 15 minutes! I resisted injecting myself (being "needle-phobic") but the pain drove me to it, and the relief was amazing. It didn't solve the problem right away, but it was the beginning. I now know what to expect, and what foods to avoid when I feel a series of cluster headaches may be starting; I've been able to avoid them for years but I do get occasional ocular migraines which are not nearly as bad.

Cluster and Migraine Trigger Foods and Products

Food and drink

Caffeine, most commonly found in the following:

beverages

	caffeinated sodas (read the labels) such as colas, Mountain Dew^®, 7-UP Red^®, Sunkist Orange^®, Barq's^® root beer, Red Fusion^®, dnL^®, Red Bull^®, Mello Yello^®, Mr. Pibb^®, Dr. Pepper Venom^®
	non-decaffeinated coffee, iced coffee, coffee milk-flavoring (Coffeetime^®)
	non-decaffeinated tea, iced tea
	hot cocoa

foods

	chocolate, chocolate syrup, chocolate ice cream, other foods containing chocolate
	coffee ice cream, coffee-flavored yogurt
	weight-loss and food supplements which list caffeine as an ingredient

Foods and beverages containing Aspartame^®

Nitrited meats (ham, bacon, hot dogs, kielbasa, coldcuts, etc.)

Aged and ripened cheeses such as brie, gouda, cheddar, etc., and foods containing cheese (American, Velveeta^®, cottage cream and fresh mozzarella cheeses are OK).

Pizza

Monosodium glutamate (MSG, often used in Chinese cooking, also sold as Accent^® and often included in seasoned salt)

Pickled foods, pickles

Marinated foods

Fermented foods (which include sour cream, yogurt [including frozen], buttermilk and sourdough bread)

Nuts and peanut butter

Certain fruits and vegetables:

	beans (broad, lima, fava, snow peas)
	>½ cup daily of citrus fruits, figs, raisins, papayas, avocados, red plums.
	>½ banana daily

Sulfited food (this includes most wines; read the labels)

Salty foods and excess salt. Many processed food contain loads of salt; read the labels.

Smoked fish

Catsup

Soy sauce

>two eggs per week

Chicken livers

Canned figs

Red wine

Beer, lager, ale, stout, porter (darker drinks are often worse)

Most dark-colored hard liquor

Other Products

	Perfume & fragrance products
	Scented soaps & detergents
	Fabric softeners & softener sheets
	Room deodorizers
	Scented deodorants
	Scented anything

Note: what you want is "fragrance free" products, which have no scent added. "Unscented" products may have a fragrance added to mask the product's natural odor.

Tobacco smoke