Treatment of Cluster Headaches

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People suffering the pain of cluster headaches may find relief through a variety of methods:

• The extreme pain can be markedly diminished within 15 minutes by an under-the-skin injection of sumatriptan or by using a sumatriptan nasal spray.
• Patients who suffer from chronic cluster headaches and are under the age of 50 may find relief from breathing 100% oxygen from a tight-fitting face mask for about 10 minutes.
• Ergotamine is particularly effective for preventing attacks that occur at predictable times.

Prevention of cluster headaches is achieved by prescribing medications for daily use that reduce the frequency and severity of cluster attacks. These medications include the following:

• Calcium channel blockers, such as verapamil
• Oral prednisone (suppresses the body's natural production of certain hormones and prevents inflammation; however, this medication can only be used briefly, a dose tapered over several weeks.)
• Methysergide, an ergotamine with proven effectiveness
• Lithium, used particularly for chronic cluster headaches
• Anticonvulsant, divalproex, recommended for use by adult patients only