pt w/ headaches

leslie :-D · Jul 27, 2007

link to cluster headaches.

does this sound like her?

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_headache

leslie

jmgrn65, RN · Jul 27, 2007

I have heard of cluster headaches, did they move around in the same day? but yes cluster headaches aren't usually in the same place everytime.

Emery · Jul 28, 2007

I have cluster headaches, and yes, they do move around your head. Everyone thinks you're crazy, because you can't really pinpoint it. And they are very painful.

GingerSue · Jul 28, 2007

jarvis writes about cluster headaches (in comparison to migraine headaches and tension headaches)

cluster headaches produce pain around the eye, temple, forehead, and cheek. pain is always unilateral and always on the same side of the head. quanitity is often excruciating with cluster headache. cluster headaches occur 1 - 2 per day, each lasting 1/2 to 2 hours for 1 or 2 months, then complete remission may last for months or years. eye reddening and tearing, eyelid drooping, rhinorrhea, and nasal congestion are associated with cluster headaches. with cluster headaches - people need to move - even to pace the floor - in order to feel better.

tension headaches tend to be occipital or frontal or with bandlike tightness.

migraine headaches tend to be supraorbital, retroorbital, or frontotemporal.

(just adding from the wikipedia link above - because i have experienced and find it accurate:

"persons who have experienced both cluster headaches and other painful conditions (childbirth, migraines) report that the pain of cluster headaches is far worse, significantly more severe than a migraine.[2] the pain has been described as akin to being stabbed repeatedly in the eye with an ice pick[3] or hot poker. [4] it has been described in medical journals as one of the most severe pain syndromes suffered by human beings"

and

"cluster headaches are rare, extremely painful and debilitating headaches that occur in groups or clusters. they may also be described as "suicide headaches", a reference to the excruciating pain and resulting desperation that has culminated in actual suicide.[1]"

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Jul 28, 2007

yes thats it.. thats what she told me... she told me they start in her eyes .. she cried in pain and i felt so bad. they gave her morphine to stop the pain. i will have her tommrow and see how she's doing. thank you all so much. does anyone know what she could do at home to help these? thank you so much.. poor lady.. i thought she might be having a stroke or tia or something... you have all helped me so much. and most of all you've helped my patient. i wish i could hug you all. :loveya:

GingerSue · Jul 30, 2007

does anyone know what she could do at home to help these?
:loveya:

this is what Lewis & Heitkemper say about care for cluster headaches:

"Because cluster headaches occur suddenly, often at night, and are not long lasting, drug therapy is not as useful as it is for other types of headaches. Prophylactic drugs may include verapamil, lithium, divalproex, methysergide, steroids, NSAIDs, and inhaled dehydroergotamine (DHE). Acute treatment of cluster headache is inhalation of 100 percent oxygen delivered at a rate of 7 to 9 per minute for 15 to 20 minutes, which may relieve headache by causing vasoconstriction. It can be repeated after a five-minute rest. However, a drawback to this treatment is that the client must have continuous access to the oxygen supply. Sumatriptan in an oral or inhalation form is also effective in treating acute cluster headache. Clients with frequent headaches may overuse analgesic drugs. Such overuse can lead to chronic daily headache, also called analgesic rebound headache or drug-induced headache. Drugs known to cause this problem are acetaminophen, aspirin, NSAIDs, butalbital, triptans, and opioids. Amitriptyline is another prophylactic drug."

and

" may be helpful for the client to examine lifestylee, recognize stressful situations, and learn to cope with them more appropriately. Precipitating factors can be identified, and ways of avoiding them can be developed. Daily exercise, relaxation periods, and socializing .. can help decrease the recurrence of headache."

There may be food triggers (vinegar, chocolate, onions, alcohol (red wine), caffeine, cheese, fermented or marinated foods, monosodium glutamate, and aspartame)."

With cluster headaches, the trigeminal nerve is implicated in the production of pain. Activation of this nerve causes release of substance P and other vasoactive substances that cause vasodilation (which is extracranial), stimulation of afferent pain fibers, and neurogenic inflammation with extravasation.

For headaches some people use hot packs to the neck and head (for migraines), and some people use cold packs for pain relief.

Some people with headaches might find alternative therapise helpful - such as massage, meditation, yoga, biofeedback, and relaxation techniques.

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Jul 30, 2007

thank you for the great info.. i have been taught so much about cluster headaches these past days. my patient was discharged home w/ a follow up with a neurologist and her pcp .. she was headache free when she left .. i hope she stays that way.. thank you all for your interesting comments and input.