Cluster headaches are considered one of the most painful of headaches. They strike fast and with little warning reaching peak intensity faster than any other type of headache. Those who suffer from cluster headaches experience intense pain that is often described as sharp, piercing, and burning.
The International Headache Society classifies cluster headaches into two different types; episodic and chronic. Episodic cluster headaches usually occur daily for a period of time followed by a period of remission. Chronic headaches also occur daily but there is no period of remission. As many as 20% of people with cluster headaches suffer from this type.
The onset of pain from a cluster headache occurs almost immediately and can subside in minutes. As a result, typical medications such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin have little or no effect. The headache symptoms have disappeared before the drugs have time to work. This is why sufferers of cluster headaches often resort to acute medications that are more potent and act much faster than over the counter medications.
Acute treatments for cluster headaches include the following:
- Oxygen- Effective though not very practical. Most who suffer from cluster headaches experience relief at the onset of a headache when breathing pure oxygen for a period of up to 15 minutes. Since it is impractical to carry a supply of oxygen everywhere, this treatment is limited even though there are no adverse side effects associated with its use.
- Sumatriptan - Part of the triptan class of drugs, was usually prescribed in injection form but is now widely used in pill form as well. Can relieve a migraine or cluster headache within 15 minutes for most. There is a long list of possible side effects for the injection and pill forms. When used as a nasal spray these side effects are not present. Not recommended for those with heart conditions or hypertension.
- Intranasal Dihydroergotamine - Typically used intranasaly in small doses. Effective as an abortive for many, this treatment has little or no side effects. Also used intravenously under direct physician supervision.
- Octreotide - Previously used as a treatment for diarrhea, this drug has been used intravenously to treat both cluster and migraine headaches. Since it is a safer alternative for people with heart conditions, it is being prescribed more frequently.
All of the acute headache treatments mentioned in this article are to be used only with the direct consent of a physician.
