Cluster Headaches

i started working with TMS after reading Dr. Sarno and Fred Amir in the late 90s, early 2000s. Decades of severe low back pain, sometimes laid up for days or occasionally weeks.
I’ve had enormous relief with this and using the recommended tools.
Now for years I’ve suffered with chronic, extremely debilitating cluster headaches, sometimes helped with meditation and sometimes not.
I haven’t thought of them as TMS, but hey, I’m kind of a classic TMS guy.
Any experience with cluster headaches, migraines, etc. and TMS? Thanks.

 

I've been a lurker here for a while but your post had me signing up to respond

My experience with Cluster Headaches is what actually first showed me - empirically - that they are MBS related. I learned this long before ever hearing about TMS, Dr Sarno etc. so in a sense am "grateful" for allowing me to understand empirically how MBS operates (and thus hopefully for its application elsewhere)

I had my first CH episode at 22, and pretty much would have an episode (4-8 weeks) every year or two all the way into my mid 40s. I kinda noticed that the episodes would come after a period of high anxiety or stress or major life event. Of course any mention of the CH forums of this being anxiety-related was usually shut down. But I had my suspicions. Then, about 10 years ago, a year of so after my last episode, for some reason I decided to check out a CH forum (FB page actually). I noticed that JUST LOOKING AT THE PAGE I started getting that little "twinge" and watering eye (CHers know what I mean). I left the page and the twinge/shadow didnt actually progress into a full blown attack. What other conclusion can be made? Just thinking about them got the initial physical reaction started...but they didnt cross the point of no return ie the full blown attack. NO OTHER TRIGGER! No alcohol. No histamine. No anything else that the CH medical community claims to "cause" them - but which no one has ever come close to explaining scientifically (other than to describe the pain mechanism...which is helpful for management but not prevention). All it takes for me is the THOUGHT.

The same sort of thing has happened since a few times, including when talking to a friend of mine who has CH (and may happen now that Im here writing this lol...YEP! there it is..the twinge) but every time its just been a twinge or at worst a "shadow" as they are called. It wont come on fully. I know that. No real pain, relatively. In fact I've had shadows for a couple weeks at times, but so far....no attacks for over 10 years now.

Of course, I ended up soon thereafter having other MBS symptoms (CFS, other pain and sensation) that I attribute to anxiety (kinda the opposite chronology as you) but my point is that experience I had sorta proved to me first hand that they are MBS related. I mean, they fit the category....show up randomly, still no actual medical explanation of what "causes" them.

But more than anything, it was that experience I had, directly, that I think just "convinced" my brain of what I had been suspecting. Then I guess my brain just decided there is nothing more to see here...and looked for something else to pre-occupy itself with.

I know its 5 years since your post but hopefully my experience helps you or others. If you are still experiencing CH, first of all I am sympathetic and sorry to know that. Maybe if at that first twinge (before the full episodes start up...usually a couple days at least for most) you can catch it right then and there...its MBS, its your brain trying to convince you that another awful dreaded episode is imminent...but I dont think it has to be. You know this more than the average person given your positive experience with TMS applied to back pain. But I just wanted to say that YES in my opinion I am sure they are MBS, for what that is worth.

I'm also hopefully that MBS community will look more closely at CH, since if we are talking about "pain"...well, CH...its indescribable (for those who have done "the dance" more times then they care to remember).

Wishing everyone the best...

 

PS my first CH came 5 years after taking 7 stitches from a baseball bat just above my eyelid. Exact same spot where the CH would hit. I know that many/most CH sufferers dont have a history of taking a physical injury in or near the spot...but I remember years ago reading some medical page on CH that it is predisposing factor for some (hmmmmm...)

One more final "hmmmm" moment and I'm done. It seems clearer and clearer that magic mushrooms are effective in not only aborting CH attacks, but resolving entire episodes...in fact the only real documented medical intervention that seems to really work (although predictably the established medical community doesnt really give this much attention...though is starting to change certainly in the neuro psychological field). Given the fact that evidence is also mounting up on the therapeutic value of mushrooms and other psychedelics for anxiety, depression and other mental disorders...it does leave one wondering if this efficacy for healing CH is just a coincidence? Or perhaps supports a hypothesis that CH is a MBS concern and therefore mushrooms help because of their beneficial role in terms of neuroplasticity.

Not specifically advocating psychedelics here, just saying it seems like quite a coincidence..

 

Headaches/migraines is the pain that I have. Just discovered that I have TMS. My worst time of the day is when I wake up; pain is strong, right in my forehead and around my eyes. I get dizzy easily and have to move slow. I'm some better after about 4 hours.

I'm following this thread to see what others say. I've ordered Sarno's book, waiting for it to come in to read and try some techniques.