Monster headaches

May 11, 2009  Print    Email this Article   No Comments

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Suicide headaches are caused by an abnormality deep within the brain, in a section called the hypothalamus. Patients often get these “monster” headaches in cycles.
52 year-old Billy Kantor isn’t suffering from a migraine or a tension headache, he gets something much worse often called the suicide headache, Billy was diagnosed with cluster headaches over three years ago
“It’s very dramatic. On the side of the pain the eyelid droops, the eye becomes bright red, the pupil gets smaller, the eye starts to tear uncontrollably on that side, and the nostril on the side of the pain starts to either run uncontrollably or gets stuffed, said Doctor Larry Newman, director of the Roosevelt Hospital Headache.”
The episodes usually come in cycles.
“They come once a year usually, they run their cycle, 8, 10, 12 weeks, every day you get them and then they go away. Every now and then they have skipped a year. Once or twice that’s happened in the last 10 years, said Dr. Newman.”
These headaches stop for months at a time, but during an attack, Dr. Newman says there are effective treatments prescribed medications, injections and nasal sprays help relieve pain
But when those don’t work, there is another option.
“A trial you can put a stimulator on the oxipidal nerve and people who have refractory headaches to decrease their headache frequency as well.”
Dr. Newman also says that studies using deep brain stimulation are currently being conducted in Europe as a possible alternative treatment.