Cluster headaches

Does anyone suffer from these or know someone who does? I went to the ER about a week ago for the worst headache I've ever had in my life and he said I have every sign and symptom of cluster headaches and he wants my doctor to refer me to a specialist. I went home and googled cluster headaches of course and it describes the pain as worse than childbirth, worse than broken bones or burns and it said some people who suffer from them end up killing themselves because its too much to deal with. The headache that sent me to the ER was excruciating for sure but the rest of the headaches I've gotten have been similar but not as intense. I'm wondering what other people's experiences are and if the headaches are always THAT horrible that it can be compared with child birth and such or if you can have less intense ones as well.

I have a friend that has cluster headaches. He lived with me for awhile and it was the worst thing that he has ever experienced. He said that he would cut an arm off if he knew it would stop the pain

did the doc explain why they call it cluster headaches? Its bc they come in clusters. He would have headaches for a few months and then they would stop for a few months and comer back again. It is always in a pattern for him. He would keep a log of his headaches. No pain meds helped him. I'm sorry that you have to go through these. I just saw what he went though and could not imagine going through it. It made him so exhausted that he would pass right out afterwards then wake up super hungry. He would sweat so bad during them too. No wonder he was so hungry after bc he prob burned a crazy amount of cals while going through it.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Tara Palm:</b>" did the doc explain why they call it cluster headaches? Its bc they come in clusters. He would have headaches ... [snip!] ... sweat so bad during them too. No wonder he was so hungry after bc he prob burned a crazy amount of cals while going through it."</blockquote>


I do get them in clusters, I have every symptom except for that level of intensity. I do not have the level of pain you described your friend to have. Although I do have a very high pain tolerance. It is on the right side of my head, I get pressure on that side and it feels like a knife being stabbed all over that side of my head but I can tolerate it. The worst one I had was when I went to the ER but usually they aren't as bad as that so I'm wondering if they're truly cluster headaches. We'll see I guess.