[XLMuffnTop]

Yes, I agree. Anyone with a 2 and a half month long cluster attack wouldn't make it, literally. The pain is so incredible. You can YouTube "cluster attack" and see what people go through. I can't watch it because it make me think of my husband.

I would definitely consult a doctor regarding your type of headache to make sure your treatment is appropriate.

[Sinoia]

I looked back to see when I first posted ... 9th Setpember. I have not escaped this year and am now coming up to the third week of a cluster bout. This is the stage where dread is replaced with resignation. So far it is twice a night and I guess only about 3 to 4 on the scale. I still hope it will just disappear, it can do. For now it is hot compresses and drinking tons of water. If it escalates I will go to the doctor and explore oxygen.

[XLMuffnTop]

There is a very specific way your doctor needs to write the Rx for oxygen. I can't remember it off the top of my head but it's on a lot of the cluster forums.

If it gets bad enough, to the point of self harm, have someone drive you to a fire station. They are trained and usually quite accommodating when it comes to administering O2 for cluster sufferers on an occasional basis.

I know you mentioned you were worried about O2 toxicity but everything I've read states that's basically not possible with the way its used for clusters and a similar comparison is water toxicity. It's possible but difficult and extremely rare.

Brief requirements regarding O2 and safety:
"Fighter pilots on a mission use 100% 02 for hours at a time with absolutely no ill effects at all. No sufferer uses it for that long. I have a non-rebreather mask (NOT the cannulas) and a regulator that goes to 25 liters per min. Most use a regulator that goes far higher than that. 45 to 60 lpm. If I can get on my 02 at the very first twinge of a headache coming on, I can abort it entirely in less than 10 mins. Pure oxygen has been such a life-saver for so very many of us. There is nothing to worry about. Honest."

ETA: I should mention... we ordered a regulator off a website in the States for maybe $150. We were renting a tank from a medical store for a while but it was seriously inconvenient and expensive because we were charged monthly regardless of if or how many tanks we used. We started using O2 tanks used by welders. It is still pure oxygen. If you're already nervous about using O2, definitely get the "medical grade" but if you become more comfortable and need or have to have a cheaper alternative, it you search this alternative on the cluster sites as well. Good luck.

[Sinoia]

Thank you. I found this and am exploring it>

Research has shown that inhalation of pure oxygen is effective in aborting cluster headache. This article advances the hypothesis that cooling is the critical ingredient behind the effectiveness of oxygen inhalation, rather than the oxygen concentration. To test this hypothesis, eight cluster headache participants used a device that delivered cooled room air as a means to abort headache attacks. Additionally, six of the subjects administered pure oxygen so that comparisons could be made to the air-cooling device. The proportion of cases in which subjects attained effective relief from cluster headache pain by use of the air-cooling device was significantly higher than the proportion of cases in which subjects did not attain effective relief from headache pain. There was no significant difference between the proportion of headaches relieved by oxygen and the proportion of headaches relieved by the air-cooling device. This study raises questions about the mechanisms of action of oxygen inhalation for treating cluster headache, and indicates that future clinical investigations into the use of cold room air for treating cluster headache pain are warranted.

PS over the last couple of days I have been leaving the windows open and circulating cold air and last night I did not have a cluster... just froze my toes off which is infinitely preferable

[XLMuffnTop]

My husband has used the car AC before which helps, it just doesn't work as effectively as O2 for him though it works better for others.

I hope you have many more cluster free nights. Sleep gets to be a (rare) precious thing.