#1 ·
I’ve been Googling this topic quite a bit over the last few days, and while I’ve managed to dig up some info, there’s a real lack of people sharing actual experiences with these specific issues. It’s making both my work and personal life pretty difficult, so I’m curious to know how you all deal with this.
Today marks day eight since my struggles with Horton headaches began. Last Thursday, I got hit with a headache for about 15 minutes—nothing major, just a mild ache. It happened around 10:00 AM. The next day, the pain showed up at roughly the same time, but it was much more intense and lasted about four hours. The following day was the exact same story: the pain hits at that same time, feels absolutely brutal, and drags on for about four hours. This pattern kept repeating, so on day five, I went to see my primary care physician, who gave me referrals for a neurologist, an ophthalmologist, and an ENT. I had my eye exam the day before yesterday, and everything looks fine. Then I saw the neurologist, who immediately diagnosed me with Horton headaches. I should mention that standard painkillers haven't done a damn thing; the pain stays at the same intensity throughout the attack. My neurologist is, predictably, sending me for more testing (I already did an EEG yesterday, and now I'm waiting on a CT scan and some kind of TCD) and prescribed Zomig Rapimelt 2.5 mg. I took it for the first time yesterday right at the onset of an attack, and I can say it at least cut the pain in half. The attack lasted about four hours, but the intensity was manageable. Today was similar, though the duration was slightly shorter—roughly from 8:30 to noon—but I still have a lingering dull ache.
To summarize: I’m a 32-year-old male, and the pain is centered in my forehead (leaning slightly toward the left). During an attack, my left eye tends to close up a bit and gets pretty watery. Over the last few years, I’ve dealt with a lot of stressful situations; I don't really do any physical exercise, and I barely have any time for myself. I smoke about 20 cigarettes a day and might have a beer two or three times a month. I don't get nauseous during an attack, so I can eat normally. The pain always kicks in about two or three hours after I wake up. I've realized that cold weather makes it worse, so I can't even think about stepping outside without a hat while these are happening. I suspect that initial trigger on the first day was a phone call regarding some potentially bad news (I know, cliché, but that was the moment it hit me for the first time).
Today marks day eight since my struggles with Horton headaches began. Last Thursday, I got hit with a headache for about 15 minutes—nothing major, just a mild ache. It happened around 10:00 AM. The next day, the pain showed up at roughly the same time, but it was much more intense and lasted about four hours. The following day was the exact same story: the pain hits at that same time, feels absolutely brutal, and drags on for about four hours. This pattern kept repeating, so on day five, I went to see my primary care physician, who gave me referrals for a neurologist, an ophthalmologist, and an ENT. I had my eye exam the day before yesterday, and everything looks fine. Then I saw the neurologist, who immediately diagnosed me with Horton headaches. I should mention that standard painkillers haven't done a damn thing; the pain stays at the same intensity throughout the attack. My neurologist is, predictably, sending me for more testing (I already did an EEG yesterday, and now I'm waiting on a CT scan and some kind of TCD) and prescribed Zomig Rapimelt 2.5 mg. I took it for the first time yesterday right at the onset of an attack, and I can say it at least cut the pain in half. The attack lasted about four hours, but the intensity was manageable. Today was similar, though the duration was slightly shorter—roughly from 8:30 to noon—but I still have a lingering dull ache.
To summarize: I’m a 32-year-old male, and the pain is centered in my forehead (leaning slightly toward the left). During an attack, my left eye tends to close up a bit and gets pretty watery. Over the last few years, I’ve dealt with a lot of stressful situations; I don't really do any physical exercise, and I barely have any time for myself. I smoke about 20 cigarettes a day and might have a beer two or three times a month. I don't get nauseous during an attack, so I can eat normally. The pain always kicks in about two or three hours after I wake up. I've realized that cold weather makes it worse, so I can't even think about stepping outside without a hat while these are happening. I suspect that initial trigger on the first day was a phone call regarding some potentially bad news (I know, cliché, but that was the moment it hit me for the first time).