Thursday, March 31, 2011

Brain Pain 2011

Just to fully document the phenomena, I went through a cluster cycle in January into February. To those who somehow missed my previous update on these almost exactly two years ago, I suffer from Cluster Headaches. These suckers suck but only for a few months out of the year then they go away for several months. The current cycle came on slowly. I had a few minor headaches and a few ocular migraines in November and December. It went full blown the second week of January and peeked the last week of that month. I then entered one of the more stressful weeks of my professional career and - survival instincts ruling out stupid head pain - the cluster took a two week break. By the first week of March the headaches had ceased.  By documenting these cycles as they happen here I'm definitely seeing a pattern.

1) They're brought on by Christmas Stress - or at least the disruption in sleep patterns that seem to happen here.

2) Nitrates! I'm watching my intake of the pernicious 'trates. Alas, they're in Hot-dogs and Bacon so I can't help myself sometimes.

3) They tend to peter out with the worst of winter. Humidity? Low pressure? Less sun? I spent a lot of time outdoors this year despite the cold and snow.

Combining 1 & 2 and thinking back... in the beginning of November I had a business trip to Ireland and the UK. Fairly stressful is travel and the time change wompted my sleep patterns. Then there was the bacon and sausage every morning. Yum! Ouch! If sleep patterns and nitrates have anything to do with cluster headaches one might think I was trying to bring on a headache cycle! Anyway, I haven't had one in weeks now so I figured it was time to document the cycle. See ya'll back here in 2012!

Orignal From: Brain Pain 2011