Helpful Hints from Ave

Preventive and abortive medication and oxygen can prevent, alleviate, or stop cluster headache attacks. But not all medication works for everybody and not always as well as we would hope. Besides, people may be caught without medication when an unseasonable cluster episode breaks. Also, there are people who cannot take certain medication, as well as those who prefer not to medicate at all.

For all these cluster sufferers here is a list of self help remedies, discovered over the years, that have worked at least for some. These self help tricks usually will not stop the pain of a cluster attack, but may serve to take the edge of it and can help you cope just a little better.

Some remedies seem contradictory - as in applying either heat or cold to the head, or drinking alcohol, which for most is a trigger. Some may seem weird, and a good rule is not to try what you don't feel comfortable with.

1) Apply heat on the CH side
(Beware of burns at all times; be careful of hair in front of an open fire.)
Hot wet cloths
Heatable pads
Hot water from showerhead
Handheld hair dryer
Infrared ray lamp
Sit/stand in front of open door of hot stove
Sit close to (electrical) fire

2) Cold on the affected side
(Cold can burn skin as badly as heat does! Wrap frozen stuff in a cloth.)
Cold pads with gel
Ice bag
Sack of frozen peas (follow shape of head better than ice cubes)
Wet washcloth on skin, then cool with (cold) hair dryer or electric fan
Sit/stand in front of open door of freezer compartment
Sit in car with air conditioning full on, rest head on dash board
Take a brisk walk in very cold weather
Wash face with snow
Also: apply additional cold to the crown of the head

3) Eat or drink
Drinks lots of fresh hot coffee
Nibble coffee beans
Drink lots of caffeinated soft drinks
Drink lots of water
Very rarely: drink some wine

4) Movement
Start to excercise vigorously at onset
Start to have vigorous sex at onset
Take a brisk walk in the snow
Sit absolutely still and let the pain "discharge" within

5) Practices of The Mind
Meditation
Chanting (esp. "home" or "oom" sounds - scientifically proven to cool the brain)
Biofeedback ("think" the blood away to your hands)

6) Sleep
(It may be nearly impossible to get any rest, since the attacks start at the onset of REM sleep. It may be nearly impossible to rest the affected side on a pillow or to lie flat.)
Spend the night in a recliner
Spend the night propped up by pillows
Take Gravol/Dramamine or any OTC travel sickness medication that makes you drowsy so that you get some rest without getting into REM sleep

7) Ointments
(Don't rub in warming ointments too vigorously, they may burn.)
Warming ointment on side of nose, side of face or temple on affected side (Capsaicum or pepper cream seems favoured)
Peppermint cream/oil on back of neck.

8) Rubs
If you can bear it, have you supporter gently massage the back of the neck.

9) Up the nose
(Be careful of blisters here!)
Dab capsaicum/pepper cream inside nostril
Use Lidocaine spray up nostril
Snort up lukewarm salt water (great for the sinuses too)
Vigorously snort air

10) Under the tongue
Take a spoonful of hot sauce and keep it under the tongue for a few minutes. (Then rinse out mouth.)

Last modified: 2001