high flow o2 for treatment of cluster headaches-JAMA

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High-Flow Oxygen for Treatment of Cluster Headache

A Randomized Trial

Anna S. Cohen, PhD, MRCP; Brian Burns, MD, MRCP; Peter J. Goadsby, MD, PhD, DSc, FRACP, FRCP

JAMA. 2009;302(22):2451-2457.

Context Cluster headache is an excruciatingly painful primary headache syndrome, with attacks of unilateral pain and cranial autonomic symptoms. The current licensed treatment for acute attacks is subcutaneous sumatriptan.

Objective To ascertain whether high-flow inhaled oxygen was superior to placebo in the acute treatment of cluster headache.

Design, Setting, and Patients A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial of 109 adults (aged 18-70 years) with cluster headache as defined by the International Headache Society. Patients treated 4 headache episodes with high-flow inhaled oxygen or placebo, alternately. Patients were randomized to the order in which they received the active treatment or placebo. Patients were recruited and followed up between 2002 and 2007 at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, England.

Intervention Inhaled oxygen at 100%, 12 L/min, delivered by face mask, for 15 minutes at the start of an attack of cluster headache or high-flow air placebo delivered alternately for 4 attacks.

Main Outcome Measures The primary end point was to render the patient pain free, or in the absence of a diary to have adequate relief, at 15 minutes. Secondary end points included rendering the patient pain free at 30 minutes, reduction in pain up to 60 minutes, need for rescue medication 15 minutes after treatment, overall response to the treatment and overall functional disability, and effect on associated symptoms.

Results Fifty-seven patients with episodic cluster headache and 19 with chronic cluster headache were available for the analysis. For the primary end point the difference between oxygen, 78% (95% confidence interval, 71%-85% for 150 attacks) and air, 20% (95% confidence interval, 14%-26%; for 148 attacks) was significant (Wald test, {chi}25 = 66.7, P < .001). There were no important adverse events.

Conclusion Treatment of patients with cluster headache at symptom onset using inhaled high-flow oxygen compared with placebo was more likely to result in being pain-free at 15 minutes.

Trial Registration isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN94092997


Author Affiliations: Headache Group, Institute of Neurology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square London, England (Drs Cohen, Burns, and Goadsby); and Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco (Dr Goadsby).



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EXTRACT | FULL TEXT

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/conten...es&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
 
I guess the idea of minimizing cluster headaches with high flow o2 has been around since 1978, though i had not heard of it before, and have ran on a few patients who may of been suffering from cluster headaches
 
I have cluster headaches, they really freaking suck. :glare: Thanks for sharing, I love learning new things.
 
I have cluster headaches, they really freaking suck. :glare: Thanks for sharing, I love learning new things.

Amen. I get them sometimes too. The worst part for me is the dizzyness. I cannot even stand up. Last time I tried I fell over and cracked my head on the corner of a nightstand. And just lying there I am so dizzy I'll puke everthing in my stomach up, then keep on dry-heaving till I manage to fall asleep.

Do you get funny eye "disturbances" (spelling?) as well. I get these bright spots that all eventually merge then darken and I am blind untill right before the headache goes away. (Dosent help with the dizzyness any.:wacko:)
 
"Suicide headaches", huh? I've heard cluster headaches can be worse than childbirth. How do they impact your work, sufferers?
 
"Suicide headaches", huh? I've heard cluster headaches can be worse than childbirth. How do they impact your work, sufferers?

Alot of the literature describes cluster headaches as"possibly the worst pain known to humans."

"It feels like a burning hot poker being shoved through your eye while an elephant stands on your temple, while someone is punching you in the back of the head and pulling on your hair," said Justin Ott, 31, when describing the pain of a cluster headache-LA TIMES

Luckily, it is estimated less than 0.3 percent of the population suffers true cluster headaches.
 
Alot of the literature describes cluster headaches as"possibly the worst pain known to humans."

"It feels like a burning hot poker being shoved through your eye while an elephant stands on your temple, while someone is punching you in the back of the head and pulling on your hair," said Justin Ott, 31, when describing the pain of a cluster headache-LA TIMES

Luckily, it is estimated less than 0.3 percent of the population suffers true cluster headaches.
I get migraine headaches like that. I experience the aura most of the time (will get tunnel/blurred vision) and pressure actually feels like it is in my eye more than my head.

Currently I have Imitrex (sumatriptan) PO. Not sure if the injections work better than PO version or not. Last time I got one I ended up going to the ER for it and received Dilaudid w/Phenergan for it. Which works amazing after about 15-20 mins, but non narcotic treatments are always nice.
 
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