cluster headaches

[neverwas]

I just want to share with you the recent relief of someone I know. She has cluster headaches a few times a week. Now, in case you don't know, these things are horrible. They show up out of no-where and from what I understand, are much worse than giving birth for some people. And it's a lifelong illness. The doctor had prescribed some medicine to her that would only offer the relief for a little bit and reduce it to a dull migraine. He hadn't told her what exactly the meds were for for some reason.

She is pretty much a 'drug virgin'. Recently she tried some LSD, a low dose. She was symptom free for a week. I could feel the joy and relief radiate from her after I saw her again. She does have triggers, however. One that I am aware of is vanilla. So she sniffed some and got a headache . I gave her a cubensis just in case and she took it, along with the usual meds, and found relief.

Today her boyfriend was over and we were going to test out my new batch of DMT which I just found success in extracting. He got a text from her, she was having another episode. Before he left to comfort her, I gave him a small via of DMT to use for medicine and pleasure before he left. He texted me a little bit ago and what I read brought a smile to my face. She went from crying from the pain to coughing (never smoked a thing before) to symptom free. The headache was gone in the space of a minute. Now, we obviously don't know how long this will last but instant relief is a huge step for her. This is amazing stuff. The power of these things continues to awe and inspire me.

 

[sigmundfreuid]

This sounds great,psychedelics as genuine medicine! But it wouldn't be wise if she would smoke DMT every time she gets an episode of cluster headaches.
Maybe she should try some marijane,she could smoke it or vaporize it all the time.It would probably be safer for her mental health too.

 

[neverwas]

I get the feeling she wouldn't like marijuana, and from what I've read, it doesn't have the same effect. Tryptamines seem to be much more effective. I imagine that if she were to use it when a new episode were to arise, she would do sub-breakthrough. I see no problem with that.

 

[corpus callosum]

Are you certain its cluster headache? Its a particular condition which is more common in males (especially those who like a drink) and it has a periodicity of its own and isnt usually precipitated by anything discernible.

Has she seen a neurologist in order to exactly define what her headache is? Theres a group of conditions called the Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalgias which are superficially like, and include, cluster headache but on closer questioning, its usually possible to tie down what type it is.This is important as many very effective treatments exist once the correct diagnosis has been established.

 

[neverwas]

I'M not specifically sure, I only know what she's told me. Her doctor confirmed that she had them, but I don't know the guy and you know haw doctors can be.

From what I understand, 3-4 times a week she will get an excruciating headache for no reason, sometimes preceded by a tingle in her nose which I guess she uses as a warning sign. I don't know how clusters actually work, but I know she isn't happy with them and the meds they've given her are for that specifically, though they seem to offer little benefit. The fact that LSD and DMT have given her head a break suggests to me it's at least something like it. As I mentioned before, smoking DMT immediately eliminated an episode in progress.

I can talk to her more about the diagnosis. Is there any data referring to how often it is misdiagnosed? Her aunt has the same sort of condition, though I don't know if she is blood related or married in. If there were some evidence as to what it was (if not clusters) maybe she could more easily find relief.

 

[prottel]

Psychedelics are known to give relief for cluster headaches. Sub threshold doses also works. There is a forum on the net that talks about cluster headaches and psychedelics, I just don't have the link right now.

 

[neverwas]

^ya thats why we've been medicating her like this. I'll look for that site, I think it might help her out some.

No known medical value my ass.

 

[Metanoia]

I'm also a sufferer of cluster headaches. It is the most horrible pain I've ever experienced. I find great relief from psychedelics. Particularly Rivea Corymbosa seeds and Salvia Divinorum. I had been taking the Rivea seeds as a treatment prior to finding Salvia and it worked very well. I only had to take the seeds once or twice a month, in sub-threshold doses, to completely eliminate the headaches all together. I also suffered from migraines, which were completely eliminated by the seeds as well. HBWR and Morning Glory also work in the same way, I just find Rivea to be much more agreeable with my system. No nausea or vasoconstriction, which I can sometimes experience with HBWR or MG even in sub-threshold doses.

Anyhow, my point was that the seeds worked like a charm, to the point that I had almost forgotten what a cluster headache felt like. I ran out of seeds and after about two months of not taking any, I had a migraine that quickly turned into a cluster headache. Let me explain what one of these things is like for those who don't know. It's like the worst headache you've ever had, combined with the feeling of your head been compressed in a vice. I can't even open my eyes, and they water uncontrollably. Like a very, very severe migraine combined with a very, very severe sinus headache. Incredible pressure in your sinus area, and behind your eyes.

So I was writhing in pain in the dark, cursing myself for not obtaining more seeds, when I remembered reading about someone having success relieving headaches with smoked Salvia Divinorum. I could barely load the bong, as I could hardly open my eyes, and my sensitivity to light was so bad...it's like needles being shoved into your eye balls. I eventually got it loaded (only some plain leaf as I wasn't sure how it would effect me, and if it made things worse I might have gone to the ER), and took a fairly small hit. I blew it out, and my symptoms lessened by at least 1/4 INSTANTANEOUSLY. I was floored. I quickly finished the bowl off, and within a minute or so, the pain was manageable. I smoked another bowl immediately, slowly and deliberately (as I always do even without a migraine/cluster headache), and by the time I was done the second bowl I only had a dull ache in my temples. I was amazed. Within a half an hour or so my pain was completely gone.

This may not work as well for someone else, but for me it works just as well as any other psychedelic/hallucinogen I've tried. I smoke plain leaf now as a preventative measure, as well as a meditation aid. I've also changed my diet as I found certain things to be triggers as your friend also found out. Refined sugar and caffeine are two that I cannot consume in any sizable amount. A bit of caffeine I can handle, but anything with refined sugar in it I stay away from completely. I also drink an insane amount of water everyday, as getting even somewhat dehydrated can cause me to experience a migraine that if left untreated can turn into one of those dreaded "suicide" headaches. And that's exactly what they are. In the past I've thought about ending it all because the pain was simply too much to bear. I'm glad I've found an effective treatment, and hopefully your friend will too, as those medications the doctor prescribed didn't work for me either.

Wish her luck for me!

 

[neverwas]

wow what a story. thank you for sharing. it made me happy to know that you could find a way to make it stop. i cant imagine what kind of torture you've been through. I wasn't aware that salvia could do this too. I doubt you're the only one to find relief this way. I'll pass it on

 

[Tangarine_Dreams]

i dont see how this works.

i have vasco related migraines every few days. the only pharm that helped a little ever was a lysergamine. ive had lsd make them go away, but ive tried dmt and had it not work. the reason lsd works is due to its vascoconstrictor effect. this is infact why lsd was discovered by sandoz. these are the same class of drug used for cluster headaches.

anyone know how tryptamine would function internally?

ive vaped dmt 3 or so times to see if it would stop one.

 

[neverwas]

I've vaped a little of DMT when I had a headache last week. Didn't do a thing for the pain.

 

[Metanoia]

I honestly don't know why Salvia helps with my migraines/cluster headaches. It's more useful as a preventive tool though, I will admit. If I smoke plain leaf on a regular basis (at least once or twice a week) I don't experience any migraines or cluster headaches whatsoever. The LSA seeds do cause a significant amount of vasoconstriction, which is probably why they work as well. I'm not aware of Salvia having a vasoconstricive effect, which is why it puzzles me. All I know is that it works for me, for some reason. I realize that it is the vasoconstrictive effects that do help some people to find relief from this pain. But I started to question it when I found that caffeine (a vasoconstrictor) was actually triggering my cluster headaches. I also abused stimulants in the past to attempt to deal with the pain, but eventually it stopped working and actually made the pain worsen. So I've come to the conclusion that it's something in these psychedelic substances that is responsible for the relief, beside the vasoconstricting effects they produce. For me at least. Everyone is different.

My only experience with DMT thus far has been with Ayahuasca, and it wasn't used as a treatment for migraines/cluster headaches. I can't attest to the use of pharma or vaped DMT as a treatment for this ailment.