Cluster Headaches

You know, I've thrown my name into a hat several times, often to walk away with nothing. But there was the time I won a Chevy Pickup (a Silverado) and that was okay, but usually nothing. I could live with that for the most part, but there was some little nugget I picked up from The Fates and would rather do without it. This nugget is a precious situation often known as Cluster Headaches.

When I was first experiencing these headaches I promptly saw my doctor at the time. Now, I am usually one of those who won't go to the doctor unless I can't stop the bleeding or can't get the bone back in place, but these headaches drove me straight to his office and fast. What I was experiencing was quite common to these headaches which is why I am subtly surprised he misdiagnosed the situation. What I experienced was the headache would swoop in like a menacing monster but not until I was asleep for about an hour or two. Then I would be awakened by a sinister situation that frightened me, both because of the pain and the only time I would experience it, which was while asleep.

This particular doctor thought this had less to do with headaches and more to do with a situation in my neck. Now, his diagnosis was not too far misplaced because he put me on two medications that fixed the problem with a shazam. Damn, but does it piss me off that I don't recall what they were. You see, I first started experiencing this sometime back during the middle of 2007. I do recall he placed me on what I believe were muscle relaxers and that one of them was a veritable horse pill because of the size. Whatever they were, they worked like a charm within a couple days, so I do so hope to find the prescription bottles in a box somewhere. Once I do, I'll let my present doctor know what I have there, as I am sure she'll find the information intriguing.

I experienced the headaches return within a couple months after the first time beating them, so I found the prescription bottles and simply refilled the prescriptions.

These headaches did not return to me until 2013.

A few months ago I resumed in my nights being pocked with these headaches, with their unique signature of being immense, immense pain located within one region of my head, which was near the temple. It was as though there was a gremlin in there and the little bastard was on fire. It should be noted that I have experienced a thing where the individual bouts tend to trade which side of my head they want to torment. Now, I make my living as a truck driver, so I cannot go through life not being able to sleep because I have gremlins engulfed in flames residing in my slumber regions. So, I went to my present doctor and explained the situation.

The diagnosis was almost too simple to come up with, since my symptoms were so classic for the typical Cluster Headaches. She diagnosed my situation for what it is (unless I've been abducted by aliens and some implant is failing) and prescribed Verapimil because it has become known to prevent cluster headaches and migraines, and also prescribed an Imitrix shot that kills the headaches toot-sweet.

This has done the trick for the time being. I have experienced two bouts recently of these headaches since they've returned. The first being the time that forced me to the doctor's office, and then recently when they returned near the time of Memorial Day. That day was quite memorial because what I was enduring had me contemplating a trip to the Emergency Room if my doctor wasn't in that day. Despite the holiday, she was working and we talked things over, only to reaffirm the medications we've been using.

Within the past couple weeks my headaches have subsided and I have gone off the Verapimil. While I have few complaints about most recreational drugs, I don't appreciate long-term use for prescriptions and pills as I worry about the long-term side effects. But I watch for signs of the cluster headaches like I'm watching for bears if I would be hiking in Yellowstone, and I keep my precious drugs nearby at all times.

So, it appears that I have an ugly reality in life that I will likely have to endure into the long run. If I had the opportunity to rub a genie lamp, I would gladly trade a lifetime of Cluster Headaches with a lifetime of being outrageously awesome in bed. Yeah, I would really do that because Cluster Headaches are a drag.